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Seaside town in Somerset, England
Photo: Geof Sheppard, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Weston-super-Mare is a typical English seaside resort on the shore of the Bristol Channel, in the county of Somerset, approximately south-west of Bristol, 35 miles west of Bath and 20 miles north of Bridgwater. The main attraction, Weston Bay, has miles of clean sandy beach and traditional seaside attractions. It is also known for being where the famous Welsh children's author Roald Dahl went to school.
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The Pier suffered a devastating fire in 2008, but in October 2010 the £39-million rebuilt pier opened to the public. The Grand Pier includes multiple attractions including a Go-Kart Track, Robo Coaster and Ghost ride. Food and drinks are available and there is also a themed bar.
The Wheel of Weston is a 40-m-high observation wheel which 30 pods are attached. Each pod can take 8 people, brilliant views of surrounding area on clear day.
When it opened in 1937, this lido was the largest open-air swimming pool in Europe. Erected in art deco style, it was rebranded as the Tropicana in 1983 and received upgrades such as a wave pool and water slide. But as the infrastructure aged, visitor numbers declined, and Tropicana was closed in 2000. The facility was neglected and deteriorated quickly, and after a decade of disrepair the infrastructure had become unsafe. The city council announced that Tropicana would be demolished to make room for a new project. Lack of funding and planning permissions delayed the project, until artist Banksy curated an art exposition in Tropicana in 2015, attracting international attention. The city council committed an investment of half a million pounds to render the site safe until a new use for it can be found. The Tropicana's impressive sea wall and art deco facade are a modern day relic of the lost glory of Weston-super-Mare.
Pier in Victorian architectural style, connecting the shore to Birnbeck island. The pier was constructed between 1864 and 1867 when it opened, and a toll of a single old penny was charged to walk over the pier to the island. It became important as steam paddlers crossed the channel, bringing in passengers from Wales. During the Second World War however it was taken over by the military and commissioned as the HMS Birnbeck, then used as a research facility for secret weapons such as the famous "bouncing bombs". After the war it resumed operation, but visitor numbers had started to decline. Since the 1960s there have been proposals to redevelop the pier as casino, hotel, luxury flats, or marina. Regular ferries ceased operation to the pier in 1971 and the last trip was made in 1979, after which the pier remained disused. It was badly damaged by a storm in 1990, forcing the city council to fence it off in 1994, a state in which it has remained for 25 years. As of 2020, it is in a state of dereliction, has changed ownership a few times, and has been the target of vandalism. The north landing collapsed after a storm in 2015.
A modern art sculpture in the shape of a carrot or parsnip, depending on whom you ask. It has a small kiosk at its base, and is lit up at night.
Worth a visit for its beautiful stained glass windows.
Small church on a hill surrounded by a graveyard. It's worth the hike up hill to enjoy a sunrise or sunset. The church itself isn't open very often, but the view is worth the effort.
Town hall with an iconic clock tower, a landmark worth seeing.
North Somerset Museum
Illustrates the history of North Somerset from prehistoric times to the present day with a collection of 50,000 historical objects. Finds from Worlebury Hill Fort are on display and other exhibits include minerals, natural history, costume, a chemist shop, dentist and dairy. As of Aug 2020, it is closed because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Claims to be the largest dedicated helicopter museum in the world. Over 80 rotorcraft from all over the world. Many foreign helicopters are featured, in particular Soviet-era and Eastern European craft. Also helicopters from the Queens Flight, including a Wessex. Offers regular 15-mile summer Helicopter Experience Flights over the area.
National Trust-owned peninsula 2 miles to the south of Weston, jutting out into the Bristol Channel. The steep cliffs made it the perfect location for an Iron Age hill fort, and for a Victorian fort to defend against the French navy. It also features defensive positions dating from the Second World War, including a searchlight bunker to illuminate airborne targets at night, a torpedo launching facility, a naval gun battery emplacement, and barracks. Reaching the fort from the Weston-super-Mare station takes an 18-km (!) detour to find a crossing over the river Axe.
A hillfort built around 2300 years ago in the Iron Age by members of the Celtic Dobunni tribe. it is protected by seven defensive walls and ditches and has over 90 storage pits where important archaeological discoveries have been made. It's also a great view point.
Location of the former St. Peter's School, a boarding school attended by famous Welsh children's author Roald Dahl from 1925 to 1929. No trace of the school remains, as it closed in 1970 and was demolished to make way for a housing estate, with the sole reminder of the school being St. Peter's Ave, which was named after the school. A plaque commemorating the former site of the school has been installed at the junction between Shrubbery Rd, Shrubbery Ave and St Peter's Ave.
Has two miles of sand, although at low water the sea can be nearly a mile away from the Promenade. There are designated areas for kite buggies, small land yachts and kite boards, while jet skiers, power boat users and other boats can launch from Knightstone slipway. Traditional donkey rides.
Located at the northern end of the beach, Marine Lake is a small man-made lake filled at high tide by the sea. It has a beach as well as a concrete walkway around the landward side, and a causeway at the ocean side. Popular with families as the water is calm and fairly shallow.
Trips around Weston Bay lasting for an hour, and also a longer day trip to the nature reserve of Steep Holm and Flatholm Island in the Bristol Channel. The MV Balmoral and the PS Waverley occasionally call in at Weston. Details from Tourist Information Centre.
Sand and shingle, salt marsh and site of Scientific Special interest at northern end. Cafe, restaurants, shops, toilets, a campsite and caravan park are all available.
Nature reserve covered by grasslands, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Aside from its natural value, it also has archaeological points of interest: a disused lime kiln, a sheepwash, and a powder house.
A 137-m-high hill roughly halfway between Weston and Bridgwater. Aside from offering visitors a magnificent view over the Polden Hills, Glastonbury Tor, the Mendip Hills, and Cheddar Gorge, it is also archaelogically important: it has been a human settlement since the Bronze Age, as well as an Iron Age hill fort.
An island about 8 km off the coast of Weston, and a challenging place to visit because of its high cliffs and strong tidal currents which make landing on the island difficult. It has a very rich history, and dotted with ruins of a 13th-century priory, a fisherman's cottage dated 1776, and fortifications from 1860. It features naval gun placements and anti-aircraft batteries from the Second World War. Nowadays it is mostly a bird sanctuary and nature reserve.
A 658-seat theatre hosting summer variety, concerts, dance, films, drama, local amateur productions and a Christmas pantomime.
Ballroom dancing, conferences, farmers' markets, fairs, wrestling in a pavilion opened in 1927.
A 4-screen miniplex showing main feature films, online booking available.
A 200-seat community theatre and arts venue, with a programme of plays, concerts, puppet theatre, films and dance performance.
Skateboard park, BMX area, sports halls and pitches.
Sports hall, indoor climbing wall (term time Mondays only 5-6PM), all-weather floodlit artificial turf pitch, outdoor floodlit courts, gymnasium, multi-use games area, outdoor grass pitches, fitness suite.
Small water park mainly intended for young children, with splash pads. The facility has toilets and changing rooms. No dogs allowed. Bringing picnics is allowed, although there is also a small cafe.
The largest free admission theme park in the UK with over 40 rides.
Adventure park with indoor and outdoor play areas, water area, and farm shop.
Farm and petting zoo with a large herd of Red Ruby Devon cattle and other farm animals.
Gym and swimming pool.
18-hole adventure golf course.
Japanese restaurant serving fine cuisine and sushi
Situated in the oldest building in Weston is this family-run restaurant specialising in steak and fish.
Indian restaurant.
Great reviews for this family-oriented restaurant on the shore.
Victorian-era hotel set on the seafront. Close to town centre. Has had an extensive refurbishment. Restaurant and bar.
B&B and holiday apartments, next to Marine Lake & Knightstone Island.
Located towards the north-west of the town, between Marine Lake and Birnbeck Pier.
Standard Premier Inn hotel, 1½ miles from Town Centre.
Large Georgian Hotel which is in the centre of Weston on the seafront, 2 minutes walk from the High street, Grand Pier and Knightstone Island.
Main shopping centre.
38 shops and a cafe. A bit outdated, but looks nicer inside than its scruffy look on the outside. In Aug 2020, many shops are still closed because of the coronavirus.
By coach or bus
National Express coaches connect to most parts of Britain. Buses connect directly with Bristol, Bath, Bridgwater, Taunton and Glastonbury.
By bike
Weston-super-Mare is on the National Cycle Network and connected by Route which connects it to Burnham-on-Sea, where route continues to Bridgwater and Taunton to the south.
By air
The nearest airport is Bristol Airport (BRS). It is possible to get an airport bus to Temple Meads or Parson street railway stations in Bristol and take a train to Weston from there.
Most of the major attractions lie within easy walking distance of the railway and bus stations.
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Bristol · International · BRS
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