West Coker

The name Coker comes from Coker Water ("crooked stream" from the Celtic Kukro). Artifacts from early settlement in the parish include a polished stone axe and boat shaped-bronze brooch. A Roman villa has been excavated and a bronze plate inscribed to the god Mars discovered. The village had a long history of growing hemp and flax for sailcloth manufacture, which made "Coker Canvas" highly prized by naval captains during the Napoleonic Wars. historic building in the village used for the manufacture of rope and twine, was a featured candidate on the BBC Restoration TV series in 2006. The ropewalk was on the Heritage at Risk Register until local volunteers formed the Coker Rope & Sail Trust…