iKnow Somerset
Weston Super Mare Accommodation
The Grand Pier stretching out across the beach at Weston-super-Mare
Get all the ice cream, doughnuts and candy floss you can eat on the pier!
The pier is a focal point for walks along the prom
Traditional seaside fun on the Grand Pier
Family entertainment in the amusement arcades in the Grand Pier
Take the miniature train along Weston's prom if you want to save your legs!
Miles of sandy beaches at Weston-super-Mare
The 21st century public art "Silica" in Weston-super-Mare's town centre
Weston-super-Mare's busy town centre is good for shoppingFamily Holidays Weston-super-Mare Tourist Information
Weston-super-Mare is the archetypical English seaside resort. It became popular in the Victorian era and many of its grander buildings date from that time. It's still a popular family holiday resort with miles of sandy beach and plenty of arcades, cafes and restaurants. The town centre also has a good range of shops. Being so popular there are plenty of hotel and bed and breakfast choices in Weston-super-Mare itself and there is a whole host of camping and caravan parks all the way around the town particularly towards Brean.
The Grand Pier is the focal point of the seafront, Marine Parade. The Pier's been updated over the years but still retains its original character. Weston is made for entertainment and fun so you'll find all manner of seaside fun, theatres, cinemas and attractions nearby.
Weston-super-Mare Tourist Information
Weston-super-Mare is on the coast just eighteen miles south of Bristol. It is another of the Victorian seaside resorts and until the Victorian boom for seaside holidays, Weston-super-Mare was a pretty small village! It originally attracted tourists from the mining communities of South Wales, Bristol and the Midlands particularly during work's holiday weeks. Isambard Kingdom Brunel lived here while he was overseeing the construction of the Bristol and Exeter Railway which increased visitors to Weston. Paddle steamers were the other means by which people visited the resort bringing them to Birnbeck Pier. The Waverley Paddle Steamer and Balmoral still run trips during the summer. Check the weblink right for more information.
When you come to the town you'll find yourself drawn down to Marine Parade pretty quickly - this is the main drag along the beach. Either side of Marine Parade is where you'll find the majority of the attractions and bigger hotels and B&Bs. The Grand Pier dominates the Parade and all the walkways are wide and level giving excellent access to all users. It's just a short walk into the town centre from the seafront for the shopping centre that has a good range of shops.
Weston-super-Mare's Tourist Information Office is located right near the seafront and has a good selection of information on the Somerset coastal resorts as well as on attractions in Weston-super-Mare itself. It is open seven days a week from April-September and six days for the rest of the year.
Tourist Information Centre, Beach Lawns, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1AT. Tel: 01934 888800. Fax: 01934 641741. Minicom: 01934 643172 Email: westontouristinfo@n-somerset.gov.uk
The Grand Pier Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier was built after the Birnbeck Pier, the Old Pier, to attract visitors nearer to the town. It had become fashionable for resorts to have piers to bring in visitors from the paddle steamers and prosperous resorts all over the country were trying to build bigger and better piers. Weston's Grand Pier opened in 1904 and had a music hall theatre at its end. It was one of the last piers built between the early 1800s to early 1900s. Unfortunately the theatre was destroyed by fire in 1930. It also had a bandstand in front of the theatre.
The pier is over 1,000 feet long and had been planned to be even longer with a jetty for paddle steamers. The high rise and fall of the sea at Weston put paid to that idea and it was dismantled when it was found to be dangerous to use.
The fire meant that some reconstruction was necessary so having found that the light amusements to be the only profitable feature of the Pier more were added. The Pavilion now contains a cafe, amusements, ten pin bowling, rides, kids ball pools and a crazy fun house. A miniature train runs the length of the pier if you don't fancy the walk. Music is piped along the pier and there are lots of benches that you can sit on to watch the view. At the entrance of the pier there are candy floss, ice cream, doughnut kiosks and the traditional jolly seaside cut-outs for fun photos!
Grand Pier, Marine Parade, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset BS23 1AL. Tel: 01934 620238.
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.
Children's Entertainment in Weston-super-Mare
Apart from the amusements on the Pier other family attractions include the Sealife Seaquarium. It's a recent addition to the seafront opening in 1995 on its own purpose built mini-pier - the first seaside pier to be built in Britain for 85 years. The Seaquarium includes an underwater tunnel that gives you a closer look at sea creatures from the surrounding seas as well as more exotic animals from far flung places. You can watch sharks and rays swim above you or check out other creatures in over 30 displays. There is also a cafe overlooking the beach and sea and gift shop.
Groups of ten or more can get discounts on the entrance fee. You can also hire the Seaquarium for events or children's parties. The Seaquarium is open daily from 10am. SeaQuarium, Weston-Super-Mare, Marine Parade, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset BS23 1BE. Tel: 01934 613361. Email: weston@seaquarium.co.uk.
Beach fun is supplemented with donkey rides, trampolines and miniature trains that travel along the prom.
Check our other Weston pages for more children's activities like North Somerset Museum and the Helicopter Museum.
Weston-super-Mare Somerset Carnivals
Weston-super-Mare is on the circuit for the Somerset Carnivals and is usually the finale to all the Somerset Carnivals. These are usually held between September and November. It's well worth timing your visit to coincide with one of the carnivals that are held at a whole host of towns throughout the county. The Somerset Carnival tradition dates back to the 1600s when many places in Somerset commemorated the Gunpowder Plot. Street entertainment, fireworks and special events throughout the town add to the fun and carnival atmosphere.
Processions gradually make their way round a predetermined route from around 7pm at night. The floats are illuminated with coloured lighting which makes a welcome splash of colour in the dark autumn nights. A huge amount of effort is put into creating carnival entries. Some are created by Carnival Clubs; some by keen individuals or groups, all work throughout the year raising the money themselves to create spectacular themed floats which are judged prior to the procession begins. Prizes are hotly contested and ensure the standards are raised year-on-year. It is a fantastic, lively event with brilliantly decorated floats and costumes and lots of music and dance to get your feet tapping.
It's a fun night out for all the family and you can help raise funds for charities or the clubs for the next year's entry. Thousands attend carnivals, so watch out as parking can get very limited on carnival nights and town centres can often be cut off to traffic during the carnival.
Check the weblinks right for this year's carnivals and past carnival photographs.
Click Search
