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Top Attractions in North Somerset

Weston-super-Mare

Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, 18 miles south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. It includes the suburbs of Oldmixon, West Wick and Worle. Its population according to the 2011 census was 76,143. Since 1983, Weston has been twinned with Hildesheim, Germany. Although there is evidence in the local area of occupation since the Iron Age, it was still a small village until the 19th century when it became a seaside resort, and was connected with local towns and cities by a railway, and two piers were built. The growth continued until the second half of the 20th century, when tourism declined and some local industries closed. During the 21st century a regeneration programme is being undertaken. Attractions include the Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Museum, a pier and an aquarium. The Paddle Steamer Waverley and MV Balmoral offer day sea trips from Knightstone Island to various destinations along the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary. Cultural venues include The Playhouse, the Winter Gardens, The Blakehay Theatre Community Arts Centre, and Dismaland. Owing to the large tidal range in the Bristol Channel, the low tide mark in Weston Bay is about a mile from the seafront. Although the beach itself is sandy, low tide uncovers areas of thick mud, hence the colloquial name, Weston-super-Mud. These mudflats are very dangerous to walk in and are crossed by the mouth of the River Axe. Just to the north of the town is Sand Point which marks the lower limit of the Severn Estuary and the start of the Bristol Channel. It is also the site of the Middle Hope biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest . In the centre of the town is Ellenborough Park, another SSSI due to the range of plant species found there.

Clevedon

Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. The town has a population of 21,281 according to the United Kingdom Census 2011. The town is situated amongst a group of small hills including Church Hill, Wains Hill, Dial Hill, Strawberry Hill, Castle Hill, Hangstone Hill and Court Hill which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest along the Severn estuary. Clevedon was mentioned in the Domesday Book but grew in the Victorian era when it became a popular seaside resort. It was served by a short branch line from the main railway at Yatton, between 1847 and 1966. The Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway, which opened in 1897 and closed in 1940 also served the town, The seafront has ornamental gardens, a Victorian bandstand, and other visitor attractions. Salthouse Field has a light railway running round the perimeter and is used for donkey rides during the summer. The shore is a mixture of pebbled beaches and low rocky cliffs, with the old harbour at the western edge of the town at the mouth of the Land Yeo. The rocky beach has been designated as the Clevedon Shore geological Site of Special Scientific Interest. Clevedon Pier, opened in 1869, is one of the earliest surviving examples of a Victorian pier the United Kingdom. On October 17, 1970, two outward spans collapsed when the seventh set of legs from the shore failed during a routine insurance load test. After protracted considerations a trust was formed and the pier and its terminal buildings were restored and reopened on May 27, 1989, when the Waverley paddle steamer berthed and took on passengers. Other landmarks include Walton Castle, Clevedon Court the Clock Tower and the Curzon Cinema. Clevedons light industry is centred mainly in industrial estates including Hither Green Trading Estate near the M5 motorway junction. It is a dormitory town for Bristol. The town is home to educational, religious and cultural buildings and sporting clubs.

Portishead

Portishead is a coastal town on the Severn Estuary, close to Bristol, but within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It has a population of around 22,000, an increase of over 3,000 since the 2001 census, with a growth rate considerably in excess of surrounding towns. By the time of the 2011 Census the population had increased to approximately 24,000. Portishead has a long history as a fishing port. It expanded rapidly during the early 19th century around the docks, with supporting transport infrastructure. A power station and chemical works were added in the 20th century, but the dock and industrial facilities have since closed and been redeveloped into a marina and residential areas. Portishead was also the telephone control centre used by British Telecom for non-direct dialled calls to maritime vessels, a service known as Portishead Radio. The town's population is expanding, and Portishead is now primarily a dormitory town for Bristol and its environs, although a range of service industries has grown up. The headquarters of Avon and Somerset Constabulary are in Portishead.

Nailsea

Nailsea is a town in the unitary authority of North Somerset within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, approximately 8 miles to the southwest of Bristol and about 11 miles to the northeast of the seaside resort of Weston-super-Mare. The nearest village is Backwell, which lies south of Nailsea on the other side of the Bristol to Exeter railway line. Nailsea is a commuter town with a population of 15,630. The town was an industrial centre based on coal mining and glass manufacture, which have now been replaced by service industries. The surrounding area of the North Somerset Levels provides wildlife habitats including the Tickenham, Nailsea and Kenn Moors biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and Bucklands Pool/Backwell Lake Local Nature Reserve. Nailsea is close to the M5 motorway and Bristol Airport, and has railway services at Nailsea and Backwell station, operated by First Great Western. Secondary education in Nailsea is provided by Nailsea School (completely rebuilt as an Academy in 2009), and primary education by St Francis School,Grove School, Kingshill school and Golden Valley. Churches in the town include the 14th-century Holy Trinity Church and Christ Church, which was built in 1843.

Winford

Winford is a village and civil parish within the Chew Valley, Somerset, England. It is within the unitary authority of North Somerset about 8 miles south of Bristol. The parish has a population of 2,153. The parish includes the village of Felton which is close to the A38, Bristol International Airport and Hartcliff Rocks Quarry and Lulsgate Quarry Sites of Special Scientific Interest. On Felton Common, between the village and the airport, is the church of St Katharine and the Noble Army of Martyrs, which was built around 1868, and the remains of a windmill which has been converted into a private house. The small village of Regil also falls within the parish, although it has its own small church dedicated to St James, one pub, a village hall and several farms. Also within the parish is the hamlet of Gilesby, consisting of 2 farms, a pub and several houses. However in the past it was part of Dundry, of which lies further north. Winford village lies on the route of the Monarch's Way long distance footpath and has one pub, a village post office and several farms in the surrounding area.

Leigh Woods

Leigh Woods is a 2-square-kilometre area of woodland on the south-west side of the Avon Gorge, close to the Clifton Suspension Bridge, within North Somerset opposite the English city of Bristol and north of the Ashton Court estate, of which it formed a part. Stokeleigh Camp, a hillfort thought to have been occupied from the third century BC to the first century AD and possibly also in the Middle Ages, lies within the reserve on the edge of the Nightingale Valley. On the bank of the Avon, within the reserve, are quarries for limestone and celestine which were worked in the 18th and 19th centuries are now derelict. In 1909 part of the woodland was donated to the National Trust by George Alfred Wills, to prevent development of the city beside the gorge following the building of the Leigh Woods suburb. Areas not owned by the National Trust have since been taken over by the Forestry Commission. Rare trees include multiple species of Sorbus with at least nine native and four imported species. Bristol rockcress which is unique to the Avon Gorge can be seen flowering in April; various species of orchids and western spiked speedwell are common in June and July. It is a national nature reserve and is included in the Avon Gorge Site of Special Scientific Interest,

Aveline's Hole

Avelines Hole is a cave at Burrington Combe in the limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. The earliest scientifically dated cemetery in Britain, 10,200 and 10,400 years old, was found at Avelines Hole. Much of the collection has been lost, and although more than fifty individuals are represented, there are only two complete skeletons. Perforated animal teeth, red ochre and seven pieces of fossil ammonite, suggest that some of the bodies were adorned. A series of inscribed crosses found on the wall of the Avelines Hole cave are believed to date from the early Mesolithic period just after the Ice Age. The pattern is said to be comparable with others known from Northern France, Germany and Denmark." A gate has been installed in the cave to protect the engraving, after consultations between English Heritage and other interested parties, including the landowner and English Nature. The cave was rediscovered in 1797 by two men digging for a rabbit. The cave was excavated and the entrance enlarged in 1860 by William Boyd Dawkins who named it after his mentor William Talbot Aveline. Access to the cave is controlled by the University of Bristol Spelæological Society and is restricted during the bat hibernation season.

Steep Holm

Steep Holm is an English island lying in the Bristol Channel. The island covers 48.87 acres at high tide, expanding to 63.26 acres at mean low water. At its highest point it is 78 metres above mean sea level. It lies within the historic boundaries of Somerset and administratively, it forms part of North Somerset. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996 it was administered as part of Avon. Nearby is Flat Holm island, part of Wales. The Carboniferous Limestone island rises to about 200 feet and serves as a wind and wave break, sheltering the upper reaches of the Bristol Channel. The island is now uninhabited, with the exception of the wardens, and protected as a nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest with a a large bird population and plants including wild peonies. There was a signal station or watchtower on the island in Roman times, but there may have been human habitation as early as the Iron Age. In the 6th century it was home to St Gildas and to a small Augustinian priory in the 12th and 13th centuries. An inn was built in 1832 and used for holidays in the 19th century. A bird sanctuary was established in 1931 and since 1951 has been leased to charitable trusts. It is now owned by the Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust. In the 1860s the island was fortified with ten 7-inch rifled muzzle loaders as one of the Palmerston Forts for the coastal defence of the Bristol Channel until it was abandoned in 1898. The infrastructure was reused in World War I and II when Mark VII 6 breech-loading guns and search lights were installed. To enable the movement of materials soldiers from the Indian Army Service Corps initially used mules and then installed a cable-operated winched switchback railway.

Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is held annually England. Teams from the UK and other parts of the world bring their hot air balloons to the site and participate in mass ascents where as many as 100 balloons may launch at a time. The event was first held in 1979 and is now one of the largest in Europe. It is common to have crowds of over 100,000 on each of the four days of the festival. It takes place in a large country estate Ashton Court. Mass launches are made twice a day, at 6am and 6pm, subject to weather conditions. One popular attraction is the night glow, when balloons are inflated and glow to music after dark. These are held on the opening Thursday night at approx 9:30pm, followed by a spectacular fireworks display. There is another night glow at the same time followed by the fireworks on the Saturday night. Some people see these as the highlight of the fiesta. The balloon makers Cameron Balloons are near to the fiesta site, in Bedminster, and make many of the special shaped balloons, which have included Rupert the Bear, The Scottish Piper, Bertie Bassett, the Tesco Trolley and Stuart the Minion. Many shapes have also attended the fiesta from abroad, over the years a UFO and a beaver have travelled from the USA, a kiwi bird from New Zealand, and an upside down balloon from the Netherlands. In the past, the fiesta used to be held in the second week of September, but due to cancellations of flights and the muddy ground because of bad weather, it has been moved in the start of August. This has had a great effect as more flights manage to fly; cancellations are now normally due to high winds. In 2003, the weight of crowds returning from the Balloon Fiesta and Ashton Court festival put such a great strain on the Clifton Suspension Bridge that it was decided to close the bridge to all traffic, including pedestrians, during these events from 2004 onwards. In recent years, the event has diversified to include small scale air displays, attracting the likes of The Blades, Typhoon display team and the Red Arrows. On the 10th of August 2013 they broke a balloon fiesta record after 74 balloons landed in one field near the former Somerdale Factory in Keynsham. The record was then broken a year later, when 90 balloons again landed in the former Cadbury's chocolate factory on 9 August.

Birnbeck Pier

Birnbeck Pier is a pier situated on the Bristol Channel in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, England, approximately 18 miles (29 km) south-west of Bristol. It is the only pier in the country which links the mainland to an island, linking to Birnbeck Island, a 1.2 hectares (3.0 acres) rocky island just to the west of Worlebury Hill. The grade II* listed pier was designed by Eugenius Birch and opened in 1867. The gothic toll house and pierhead buildings were designed by local architect Hans Price. The pier has been closed to the public since 1994 and is now on the Buildings at Risk Register. During the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries the pier was popular both with locals and tourists to the town. As a boarding point for steamers plying their trade in the Bristol Channel, it underwent various extensions and modifications over the years. During the Second World War the pier was commissioned as HMS Birnbeck by the Admiralty as part of the Directorate of Miscellaneous Weapons Development (DMWD) for research into new weapons. The pier reopened after the war, but the number of visitors and steamer passengers declined. The final excursion visited the pier in 1979. Today, the pier is still home to the Weston-super-Mare Lifeboat Station. Since its closure, ownership has passed hands many times and it has been subject to a series of proposals for its redevelopment which have all proved fruitless. The pier remains in a largely derelict state. Part of the pier collapsed during storms on 30 December 2015.

Banwell Ochre Caves

Banwell Ochre Caves are a 12.46-hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Banwell, North Somerset, notified in 1983. There are five caves in total which contain the most extensive and accessible yellow ochre workings in the Mendip Hills. A wide variety of ochre types and iron hydroxides can be examined in situ, and the evidence of their accumulation as residual ore-bodies associated with Ice Age sediments is clearly visible. The caves are also a nesting site for the Horseshoe bat a protected species. The caves were first exploited for ochre mining in the 1930s and worked until 1948. Cave one is 62 metres long, Cave two 154 metres, cave three 92 metres cave four 62 metres and cave five 31 metres long. A small additional cave is choked with rocks at a depth of 4 metres .
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