Williton, United Kingdom

Williton historically formed part of the ancient parish of St Decuman's in the Williton and Freemanners hundred of Somerset. The parish was named after its parish church, to the south of Watchet. A chapel of ease dedicated to St Peter existed at Williton from medieval times; the building was largely rebuilt between 1856 and 1859. The chapelry of Williton became ecclesiastically independent from St Decuman's in 1784, when a grant from Queen Anne's Bounty allowed it to fund its own clergy. Williton remained part of the civil parish of St Decuman's until 1902, when St Decuman's was split into two civil parishes called Williton and Watchet.

Within Williton parish, to the south-west, is Orchard Wyndham House, a Grade I listed building,

which was the centre of an estate called "Orchard". Paleolithic, mesolithic and neolithic flints have been found at Doniford to the north-east of Williton while three Bronze Age barrows survive at Battlegore Burial Chamber, just north of the centre of Williton.

Much of the centre of Williton dates from the later 19th century but Long Street includes several 17th-century houses, as do Bridge, Priest, Robert and Shutgate Streets. Agriculture has been the prime activity in the parish while Williton village became a local government and communal centre. Its importance increased with the creation of new toll roads that today are the main roads to the village. It is an important local shopping area and from 1894 has been an administration centre. It had a workhouse for the district, which became the local hospital until 1990 but has now been converted into housing.

Doniford House has late medieval origins and was enlarged circa 1600. Beside the beach is an early 19th-century lime kiln which is thought to have been in operation until the 1930s.

Before World War II at a site between Watchet and Doniford a gunnery range was established for various army units to practice anti-aircraft gunnery. Unmanned target aircraft were towed by planes from RAF Weston Zoyland and later were fired from catapults over the sea. Little of the camp buildings survive and it is now the site of a holiday park.