Bath & North Somerset

Central Somerset

South Somerset

West Somerset

Somerset Coast

Somerset Accommodation

Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier and miles of sandy beach

Lots of family fun at Weston-super-Mare

Brean Down and the sandy beach are popular south of Weston

Clevedon's Victorian seaside resort with pier and pebbly beach

Burnham-on-Sea's shortest pier and sandy beaches

Watchet is great for its interesting geology and fossils in the rocks

Minehead's popular for Butlins holidays but also has a beach in the bay

Weston-super-Mare's beach is so big that racing events and T4 on the Beach are held here

Beaches in Somerset Weston-super-Mare Burnham-on-Sea Minehead Family Holidays

Somerset's beaches are invariably sandy and extremely long. Certainly around Weston-super-Mare and down the coast to Burnham-on-Sea you'll find plenty of sand but perhaps not so much sea! The tide goes out so far that you may not be paddling or jumping the waves that often. These huge beaches are often graded in different areas for different pastimes, for example a dog friendly beach and a family friendly beach. Weston-super-Mare's beaches are also the location for big events like the annual Weston Beach Race and Channel 4's T4 on the Beach programme.

The beaches at Clevedon, Minehead, Watchet and Porlock Weir are more pebbly but are no less attractive. There are some great places along the coast for birdwatching as Bridgwater Bay is a popular haunt of waders and wildfowl in both winter and summer.

Featured Somerset Accommodation

Ashlea House - North Cadbury

Warm, friendly bed and breakfast accommodation in North Cadbury, Somerset. Tastefully decorated rooms, double or twin. Good breakfast. No smoking.

£31 to £64 Per person B&B (2 sharing)

Weston-super-Mare Beach - T4 on the Beach - Weston Beach Race

Weston's Beach is the main attraction during the summer. It is a massive stretch of sand great for beach games, kite flying, soaking up the sun, donkey rides, sandcastles and watersports. It is divided into different zones to accommodate everyone. The Tourist Office produce a helpful leaflet "Welcome to Weston" that shows which parts of the beach are allocated for what uses. Cheap deck chair hire is also available. There is seafront parking and a motorcycle parking area outside the Tourist Information Office.

The central part between the Grand Pier and the end of Marine Parade is the main family area and dogs are not allowed in this area. Dogs are allowed on the beach between Royal Sands and Uphhill and between the Grand Pier and Knightstone. The beaches are not supervised by lifeguards so you need to keep children under supervision and keep an eye on beach safety information. During the summer Weston Welcomers are on hand along the seafront who offer help and advice so you can make the most out of your visit.

Wind surfing and yachting are restricted to the southern end of the beach where there is a "Windzone" area. This is also where you'll find Weston Yacht Club next to the Golf Club. There is a marine lake at the northern end of the beach so you can take a dip even when the sea is right out.

Weston-super-Mare beach is where T4 on the Beach is filmed. This is usually an annual event featured on Channel 4's T4 Sunday programmes and includes concerts and interviews on the beach from chart bands. You need tickets to attend the event which are available from Weston's Tourist Information Office. Another annual event is the Weston Beach Race a Motorcross Enduro event usually held in October. This has grown into the largest off-road motorcycle event in the UK, and one of the largest in the world. Check the links right for more information.

Burnham Beaches - Burnham-on-Sea Pier

There are eight beaches from Burnham-on-Sea up to Brean Down. Burnham's Main Beach is the focus for family entertainment. The esplanade runs along its edge where you'll find the Tourist Information Centre, cafes, food kiosks, the pier and access to the beach.

Burnham-on-Sea Pier is halfway along the esplanade and has an amusement arcade and rides for the kids. It is actually Britain's shortest pier but is very much like a mini Grand Pier. It was built between 1911 and 1914 and is one of the UK's oldest illuminated seaside piers. It almost fell into ruin in the sixties until it was bought privately and restored.

The Main Beach is great for swimming and paddling and you can take donkey rides along the shore. Kids entertainment is held here in the summer. There is a separate area here for boats and jet skis to launch.

Burnham's North Beach is a mix of sand and mud where it is dangerous to walk out to the sea at low tide. The seawall is a favourite seating and viewpoint for families enjoying the sandy beach. There is a natural sea water boating pool which provides safer water fun for children. Pubs and the main shopping centre are within easy reach. Public toilets are available at the nearby Burnham Swimming Pool and the esplanade is lined with street parking. The Swimming Pool is open from 7 am-10 pm. Burnham Swimming Pool, Berrow Road, Burnham-on-Sea, TA8 2ET. Tel: 01278 785909. Dogs are banned on the beach between May-Sept.

Burnham's South Beach - Bridgwater Bay Birdwatching

Burnham's South Beach stretches down to the River Parrett where the sand gives way to marshland. It's a good birdwatching point with seabrids coming in from Steart to the south part of the Bridgewater Bay National Nature Reserve.

The Reserve consists largely of tidal mudflats, saltmarsh, sandflats and shingle ridges, some of which are vegetated. It is internationally important for its numbers of wintering and passage waders and waterfowl who feed in the mudflats and saltmarsh. One hundred and ninety species have been recorded on the Reserve including whimbrel, black-tailed godwit, dunlin, wigeon, curlew, redshank, teal and shelduck.

There is a car park in Steart village where you'll find an interpretive sign with leaflets about Bridgwater Bay. There is an excellent observation tower that gives panoramic views of the Reserve as well as five bird hides.

In Burnham itself there is a car park opposite the Tourist Information Centre on South Esplanade. Dogs are not permitted on the South Beach between 1 May and 30 September. As the sand soon turns to mudflats offshore it is dangerous to walk too far out at low tide.

Berrow Sand Dunes

Berrow Sand Dunes extend all along the coast between Brean Down and Berrow. They are another important wildlife site and along with the beach contain sand dunes, saltmarsh, reedbed, dune grassland, dune slacks and scrub. They contain a huge range of plant species and are important for insects including fourteen species of dragonflies and breeding birds.

It is a great place for birdwatching throughout the year. Sedge warblers and reed warblers breed here and bittern, snipe, woodcock, merlin and hobby are regular winter visitors as are huge flocks of waders who feed on the beaches.

When the tide's out on Berrow beach you can see the wreck of the Norwegian SS Nornen which ran aground in 1897. The crew and their dog were saved by the lifeboat crew from Burnham-on-Sea.

Minehead Tourist Information

Minehead clusters around the Bay and spreads out up to the foot of the Exmoor Hills. It is a centre for hotel, guest house, B&B accommodation as well as camping and caravanning on its outskirts. Minehead has seen investment over the years to modernise the seafront and you can now easily walk along the wide promenade dotted with ice cream kiosks and modern toilets. There are some lovely views of Minehead and North Hill, the start of Exmoor, from the beach which is still popular on sunny days. It is said that these wooded hills feature as the Hermit's abode "in that wood which slopes down to the sea" in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Alternatively you can use Minehead as a stepping off point for the South West Coast Path or for exploring Exmoor National Park.

The Parade is the focal point of the town centre which is often brightened up with floral displays. There is a good choice of bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants here - some with pavement dining. There is also a good choice of shops in the town.

Butlins provides a venue for family entertainment and the seafront has several amusement arcades and shops, mini-golf and family attractions. In the town is the Aquasplash Leisure Centre with its 25 metre pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi. There are discounts for family tickets. You find it on Warren Road, Minehead TA24 6UT. Tel: 01643 708000.

Minehead's Tourist Information Centre provides all sorts of information on Minehead, Exmoor and the surrounding pretty, historic villages. Minehead Tourist Information Centre, 17 Friday Street Minehead, Somerset TA24 5UB. Tel: 01643 702 624. Fax: 01458 707 166. Email: info@mineheadtic.co.uk

Watchet Geology Fossils - Blue Anchor Bay - Doniford Bay

The cliffs and bays at and around Watchet are of interest for their geology. When the tide's out you'll see the bands of limestone that have been eroded by the sea into wave patterns on the sea bed.

The cliffs around the bays have yielded an interesting array of fossils. Reptile remains and ammonites have often been found at Watchet.

Porlock Bay and Marsh - Birdwatching

The view from the top of Porlock Hill shows the arch of Porlock Bay stretching between the heather clad hills on either side.

Porlock is an important geomorphological site that has documented evidence of how the natural flood defences were breached in 1996 when high seas and gales meant that flooding breached the shingle ridge and formed a tidal lagoon on the saltmarsh behind. Since then the shingle and saltmarsh habitats have undergone natural regeneration and several specialised and rare plants grow on the shingle.

Porlock Bay is a good place to spot overwintering flocks of lapwings, curlew, and teal. Little egrets, spoonbills, hen and marsh harriers, osprey and snow buntings have all been spotted here too.