What to do in Weston-super-Mare Somerset

Things to do in Weston-super-Mare

Weston-super-Mare is the beautiful Victorian seaside resort in Somerset. Many people will simply call the location Weston or even W-S-M. This is part of the North Somerset Unitary Authority. It is situated between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill in the Bristol Channel and just 18 miles South-West of Bristol.

Local areas surrounding the Town include Worle, West Wick, Oldmixon and Milton districts. There are so many things to do in Weston-super-Mare. The region has some of the best beaches in the UK and some say best beaches in the world. Local beaches a few miles along the coast are Sand Bay beach and Brean Beach which is one of the longest in Europe thanks to it's powerful tidal range which is one of the fastest tidal systems in the world. The beach and mud flats are over a mile long which sees the Irish Sea.

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Travelling & Getting Around

Bristol Airport is just 16 miles from Weston-super-Mare, this is perfect as you can get a flight to depart within a few hours from your accommodation. Depending on traffic the journey takes approximately 25-30 minutes by car or a taxi and around 45 minutes when taking the bus service from the town centre outside the town hall or from Alexandra Parade hourly bus service. Bristol Airport has become one of the top 10 airports in the UK with over 10 million passengers travelling with a variety of airlines that now includes TUI, Easyjet, Aer Lingus, Jet2 and RyanAir.

The Weston-super-Mare railway station (train station) is fairly small with 2 railway lines but it is a well connected transport hub with daily connections to London's Paddington Station, Birmingham, Cardiff in Wales and Taunton Somerset. The train station in Weston is located South of the town centre and has a local ticket office, ticket machines for automated ticketing and public toilets are available. A few miles from Weston's main station is Milton and Worle train stations. The Worle train station is used as a main connection to Bristol every weekday.

Things to do in Weston-super-Mare

Shopping - Cafes - Tourism

Shopping is one of the best things to do in Weston-super-Mare. The Sovereign Shopping Center is the largest shopping outlet in the area, in the heart of Weston-super-Mare and a quick walk from the coastline. The new shopping centre is host to numerous brands such as Marks & Spencer, Next, and JD Sports as well ass a number of cafes and food beverages. The High Street in Weston-super-Mare is largely pedestrianised and provides a diverse variety of shops that includes small department stores such ass Walker & Ling, H.Samuel, Wilko and Waterstones. There are many cafés worth searching out on the High Street and on Knightstone island such as Stones Cafe, and plenty of restaurants and bars down on Oxford Road.

Image Courtesy of Emily Paassmore Unsplash

Weston-super-Mare Beach

Entertainment - Rides & Food 

During the year, several activities take place on Weston-super-Mare beach and along the seafront, this includes the Pro-Nationals, Weston Beach Race (Dash), Weston-super-Mare Air Festival, and numerous popular music festivals and events that, in the past, included T4 On The Beach, Corona SunSets and South-West Live. In addition to the sand and sea, Weston-super-Mare beach has many typical seaside jobs on offer: donkey rides, children’s fun trips and rides, the Grand Pier entertainment, The Bay Cafe, situated at the once-famous Tropicana Lido that was host to the famous Banksy’s Dismaland show during the summer of 2015, attracting thousands of national and foreign tourists to the area. Weston has plenty of options for teacups, popular fish & chips on the seaside, candy floss, doughnuts and ice cream. And plenty of shops and pubs serving a range of foreign food on the seafront and in the city centre that is only a five-minute stroll from the seafront. There are also lots of beachfront seaside shops offering postcards, kites, buckets and spades all well situated along the cool, tidy victorian promenade. The city council maintains the beach safe, up to full-service local services. There are many properties to search in Weston-super-Mare for your next family home. If you are thinking of buying or selling your home..... Estate Agents House Fox are one of the best in fair pricing when you come to sell your home or property. Homes along the beach front are full of Victorian and Georgian features, many of the large properties have been converted to Hotels, Bed and Breakfast and AirBnB accommodation. 

The Grand Pier

The Weston Grand Pier is a leisure pier in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, situated about 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Bristol, on the Bristol Channel. The pier, which originally opened in 1904, is one of the town’s two main piers, along with Birnbeck Pier near Kewstoke and Weston woods, which closed in 1994 and is now sadly derelict. It houses 600 tons of iron and is 366 meters wide (1,201 ft). At the end of the pier was a 2,000-seat theatre used as a concert hall and for opera, stage plays, and ballet. On 16 May 1907, a 500 yard (1.500 ft) expansion of the pier was completed with the goal of utilising the pier as a landing place for boats arriving from Cardiff, Wales. Nevertheless, the harmful tides in the bay made things too complicated, and the expansion was dismantled.

Cheddar Gorge

Cheddar Gorge is a limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills, near the village of Cheddar, Somerset, England and just 14 miles from Weston travelling by car or taxi on the A371. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar show caves, where Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in 1903. You can enjoy a memorable walk or drive through the stunning Cheddar Gorge. Even though the caves are currently closed to the public (November 2021), the gorge remains one of Britain's most breathtaking sights attracting walkers, climbers and sightseeing visitors. 

Take on the Cheddar Gorge Cycling Ascent

Cheddar Gorge is well know for being one of the most famous cycling routes in the UK. The arduous ascent form the Cheddar Village to the top of the Mendips ccan take cyclists around 30mins to an hour long depending on fitness. The descent from the top of the hills down into the village is spectacular but watch out for the sheep and goats that roam freely on the road and roadside. If you are lucky, you can marvel at the goats which cling to the rocky outcrops.

Back in the villa you can take the three-mile cliff-top walk or climb Jacob's Ladder's 274 steps and head in the direction of the lookout tower which offers amazing views. 

In addition, there's plenty of cafes and interesting gift shops, including the famous Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company, to visit as well as toilets and parking.

Cheddar Directions: Road Directions

SAT NAV: BS27 3QF From: London, South Wales, The North, The Midlands, South West Join M5, Exit J22. Take A38 north for 7 miles and follow brown tourist signs onto A371 then B3135. From Bristol (18 miles): Take A38 then A371 and B3135 OR take A37 then B3135 From Bath (23 miles): Take A39 then B3135

Image Courtesy of Amber Maxell Boydell - Unsplash

Wells Cathedral

Located in the medieval heart of England’s smallest region, the Wells Cathedral was founded between 1175 and 1490 and was described as “the most beautiful of English cathedrals.” Wells is the first English cathedral to gothic-style design. The new structure is a significant architectural site in the South West of England, has an international reputation and is highly valued for stuff to do in Wells and in Somerset on TripAdvisor. 

Every year, the Wells Cathedral receives thousands of tourists who join in with routine daily services and activities or who simply come to appreciate the peace and warmth of this magnificent and sacred city. This is one of the top things to do in Weston-super-Mare for heritage lovers.

Wells Cathedral: 

21 miles south-east of Weston-super-Mare, 22 miles south-west of Bath and 23 miles south of Bristol