Brean Family Leisure Parks Pontins Brean Sands Brean Down

Brean Sands Pontins Holiday Camp History Brean Leisure Park Brean Golf Club

Brean Sands, Pontins first holiday camp, opened in 1946 although it had been a holiday camp since the 1930s. It could accommodate just under 200 campers but was hugely popular due to its smaller size. The Pontins empire grew from these small beginnings. Today Brean Sands is still going strong and offers loads of outdoor activities, the H20 zone and entertainment for all the family. You can stay for short breaks or longer.

Other family attractions have sprung up around Brean including Brean Leisure Park. This is an amusement park with camping or self catering accommodation or you can just visit for a family day out. There are over forty rides including roller coasters like the Super Looper, river boat rides, pony rides and dodgems. There's a good choice of rides for all ages of children and adults alike. There's a swimming pool complex with water chutes and inside you'll find places to eat and family entertainment. It's free to enter the Leisure Park and you can pay as you go for what rides you want to go on, or buy day tickets for unlimited rides. Check out the weblink right for more information.

Within Brean Leisure Park is an 18 hole, par 69 golf course in 100 acres of meadowland. You can just turn up and pay to play a round or buy a day ticket. No handicap certificate is required. Groups and societies need to book in advance. Brean Golf Club, Brean Leisure Park, Coast Road, Brean, Somerset, TA8 2QY. Tel: 01278 752111. Email: golf@brean.com.

All along the coast and the countryside around Brean and Berrow is a whole host of caravan parks, camping sites and B&Bs. As a result, you'll find lots of cafes, pubs, shops, amusements and gift shops selling ice creams, refreshments and bucket and spades all along the road through Brean and Berrow. Car parking can be limited so walking along the shore might be preferable if you're staying in the area.

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Animal Farm Adventure Park

Just a mile from Berrow behind Brean Sands and with views to Brent Knoll in the Mendips is Animal Farm Adventure Park. This has grown from a rare breeds farm to a fun family attraction.

There are outdoor paddocks with a range of farm animals including donkeys, Shetland ponies, goats, llamas, Highland cattle, Jersey cattle and rare breed sheep. At various times throughout the day children get the change to handle and cuddle guinea pigs, rabbits, rats and chickens.

There is also the Playbarn where the kids can wear themselves out on slides and an adventure play and climbing area with cages and balls and scrambling equipment while you can sit and keep an eye on them while having a coffee from the refreshment kiosk.

Animal Farm is open all year round 10am to 5.30pm (5pm in winter) except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Animal Farm, Red Road, Berrow, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset TA8 2RW 01278 751628. Email info@animal-farm.co.uk

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Brean Down National Trust

Just below Weston-super-Mare and before you get into Brean is the Brean Down promontory. It's something of a focal point for walks and views as it's the highest point here rising to 320 feet. It is made out of limestone and is an outlier of the Mendip Hills.

It is managed by the National Trust and there is a downloadable leaflet from their website, link right, detailing the circular walks you can take on Brean Down.

The plants that grow on Brean Down are extremely rare and include white rock rose which is only found in three other localities in the UK including Purn Hill near Bleadon. Yellow-wort, scabious, fairy flax, sea pinks and sea campions all grow here. Broomrapes are also found here that are thought to have come from the Oxford Broomrape which is believed to be extinct.

There is also some archaeological interest and what is believed to be a pagan shrine has been discovered here dating from pre-Roman times. There is also evidence of an Iron Age hill fort, field systems and burial mounds. At the most seaward point of Brean down you can see more recent history at Palmerston Fort which was built in 1865. It was re-armed in the Second World War.

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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.

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Burnham and Berrow Golf Club

If you're golf is a little more advanced you might want to try the championship course at Burnham and Berrow Golf Club. It was founded in 1890 and is a natural links course originally having been established in the sand dunes of Berrow Warren. Several championships have been held here over the years

The Club has a second 9 hole course, the Channel Course, that was established in 1977. You can plan a full golfing day out here taking advantage of both courses with refreshments from the Clubhouse in between. Contact the Golf Club direct to arrange your visit or firstly check their website for more information.

Burnham and Berrow Golf Club, St Christopher's Way, Burnham-On-Sea, Somerset TA8 2PE. Tel: 01278 785760. Fax: 01278 795440. Email: secretary@burnhamandberrowgolfclub.co.uk

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