Weston-super-Mare

Weston-super-Mare is a typical English seaside resort on the shore of the Bristol Channel, in the traditional county of Somerset, approximately 25 mi (40 km) south-west of Bristol, 35 miles west of Bath and 20 miles north of Bridgwater. The main attraction, Weston Bay, has miles of clean sandy beach and traditional seaside attractions.

Weston-super-Mare beach, looking north towards Grand Pier and town

Get in

By rail

Weston is accessible by train. 🌍 Weston-super-Mare station lies on the mainline from Bristol to the South West. Direct trains are available from London, Birmingham, Gloucester, Cardiff, Taunton and Exeter, with connections from all parts of England, Wales and Scotland.

By coach or bus

National Express coaches connect to most parts of Britain. Buses connect directly with Bristol, Bath, Bridgwater, Taunton and Glastonbury.

By road

Weston lies approximately 3 miles off the M5 motorway, at junction 21.

By air

The nearest airport is 🌍 Bristol Airport (BRS ^IATA). It is possible to get an airport bus to Temple Meads or Parson street railway stations in Bristol and take a train to Weston from there. Bus 121 runs direct, but slowly and infrequently. The quicker but more expensive option would be to take a taxi (£25).

Get around

Most of the major attractions lie within easy walking distance of the railway and bus stations. There are local bus services within the town provided by First Bus Taxi services are located centrally, and a trip from the town centre to the outskirts can be expected to cost around £5.

There are also two smaller rail stations that alight in more residential areas, Weston Milton and Worle, which are serviced approximately every half hour.

See

• 🌍 Tourist Information Centre, Winter Gardens Royal Parade, BS23 1AJ (follow signs for sea front from J21, M5), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 9:30AM-5PM. Accommodation booking, discount tickets, travel information, maps, tourist leaflets 
• 🌍 The Grand Pier, Marine Parade (follow signs for sea front from J21, M5), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. The Pier suffered a devastating fire in 2008, but in October 2010 the £39-million rebuilt pier opened to the public. The Grand Pier includes multiple attractions including a Go-Kart Track, Robo Coaster and Ghost ride. Entry is £1. food and drinks are available and there is also a themed bar  
• 🌍 The Wheel of Weston, Beach Lawns, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1AT (2 minute walk from town centre, on the seafront, due to its size very easy to find), ☎ [phone]. 10AM-8PM. The Wheel of Weston is a 40-meter high observation wheel which 30 pods are attached. Each pod can take 8 people, brilliant views of surrounding area on clear day. Adult £6.50, child (14 years and under) £4.00. 
• 🌍 North Somerset Museum, Burlington Street (five minutes walk from Tourist Information Centre, near High Street), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-Sa 10AM-4:30PM. Illustrates the history of North Somerset from prehistoric times to the present day. Finds from Worlebury Hill Fort are on display and other exhibits include minerals, natural history, costume, a chemist shop, dentist and dairy. Shop and cafe  
• 🌍 Helicopter Museum, The Heliport, Locking Moor Road, ☎ [phone]. Apr-Oct: 10AM-5:30PM , Nov-Mar: 10AM-4:30PM. Claims to be the largest dedicated helicopter museum in the world. Over 80 rotorcraft from all over the world. Many foreign helicopters are featured, in particular Soviet-era and Eastern European craft. Also helicopters from the Queens Flight, including a Wessex. Offers regular 15 mile summer Helicopter Experience Flights over the area. £3.50-£5.50.  
• 🌍 Brean Down, Brean, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. National Trust-owned peninsula 2 miles to the south of Weston, jutting out into the Bristol Channel, with a Victorian fort and steep cliffs. Refreshments in Brean Cove car park. free, donations welcome.  
• The Beach (follow signs for sea front from J21, M5). Has two miles of sand, although at low water the sea can be nearly a mile away from the Promenade. There are designated areas for kite buggies, small land yachts and kite boards, while jet skiers, power boat users and other boats can launch from Knightstone slipway. Traditional donkey rides. free. 
• 🌍 Marine Lake (follow signs for sea front from J21, M5). Located at the northern end of the beach, Marine Lake is a small man-made lake filled at high tide by the sea. It has a beach as well as a concrete walkway around the landward side, and a causeway at the ocean side. Popular with families as the water is calm and fairly shallow. free. 
• 🌍 Seaquarium, Marine Parade (follow signs for sea front from J21, M5), ☎ [phone]. Daily 10AM-4PM. Over 25 displays allowing visitors to see aquatic life from local waters and regions of the world. An underwater tunnel lets visitors get close to the sharks, rays and other creatures as they swim by. Shop and cafe £9.50. (updated May 2016)
• 🌍 Boat Trips, Knightstone Harbour, ☎ [phone]. Trips around Weston Bay lasting for an hour, and also a longer day trip to the nature reserve of Steep Holm and Flatholm Island in the Bristol Channel. The MV Balmoral and the PS Waverley occasionally call in at Weston. Details from Tourist Information Centre 
• Sand Bay, Kewstoke Road (M5 Junction 21. signs for Kewstoke. access from beach road.). Sand and shingle, salt marsh and site of Scientific Special interest at northern end. Cafe, restaurants, shops, toilets, a campsite and caravan park are all available. 

Do

• 🌍 Playhouse Theatre, High Street, ☎ [phone]. 658 seat theatre hosting summer variety, concerts, dance, films, drama, local amateur productions and a Christmas pantomime. £4-20. 
• 🌍 The Winter Gardens, Royal Parade, ☎ [phone]. Ballroom dancing, conferences, farmers' markets, fairs, wrestling in a pavillion opened in 1927. free-£12.00.  
• 🌍 Odeon Cinema, The Centre, High Street (5 minutes from railway station), ☎ [phone]. Daily noon-10PM, occasional late screenings. 4 screen miniplex showing main feature films, online booking available £3.25-8.10. 
• 🌍 The Blakehay, Wadham Street (just off High Street), ☎ [phone]. 200-seat community theatre and arts venue, with a programme of plays, concerts, puppet theatre, films and dance performance. 
• Weston Air Festival, Beach Lawns, Sea Front, ☎ [phone]. Two-day event in June with air displays and static exhibitions. 
• Sand Sculpture Festival, The Beach (Follow seafront signs from J21 of the M5), ☎ [phone]. daylight. Spectacular sculptures by artists from around the world. The largest may be as high as 10 feet tall and use up to 20 tons of sand. free. 
• Weston Beach Race, The Beach (Follow seafront signs from J21 of the M5). October - annual extravaganza of motorcycle stunts and races over a specially constructed sand course. £4-16/day in advance. 
• Weston Illuminated Carnival, town centre and seafront. 7pm-10pm. part of the Somerset carnival season, November annually free, donations collected. 
• 🌍 The Campus, Highlands Lane, Locking Castle (Travel along Elmham Way in Weston-super-Mare following road signs for Worle and Sand Bay. At the roundabout take the first exit onto Bransby Way. Turn left onto Highlands Lane), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Skateboard park, BMX area, sports halls and pitches 
• 🌍 Hans Price Sports Centre, Marchfields Way, BS23 3QP (Follow the A370 into Weston-super-Mare. Take the first turning on the left after the retail park which contains KFC and Gala Bingo, into Wyvern School. Follow the signs for the sports centre.), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-F 5-10PM; Sa 9AM-2PM. Sports hall, indoor climbing wall (term time Mondays only 5-6PM), all-weather floodlit artificial turf pitch, outdoor floodlit courts, gymnasium, multi-use games area, outdoor grass pitches, fitness suite. 

Buy

• High Street (three minutes from sea front). main shopping centre 
• 🌍 Sovereign Shopping Centre, High Street, Salisbury Terrace, BS23 1HL (just off High Street), ☎ [phone]. 38 shops and a cafe. 

Eat

There are many fish and chip shops, cafes and other fast food outlets in and around the High Street and sea front. Also a small number of Indian and Chinese restaurants and take-aways.

• 🌍 Yo-Ji, 25-27 St James Street, BS23 1ST, ☎ [phone]. 11AM-3PM, 5PM-10:30PM. Japanese restaurant serving fine cuisine and sushi 
• 🌍 Old Thatched Cottage, 14 Knightstone Road, BS23 2AN, ☎ [phone]. Situated in the oldest building in Weston is this family-run restaurant specialising in steak and fish. 
• 🌍 Bengal Raj, 8-20 Boulevard, BS23 1NA, ☎ [phone]. Indian restaurant. 

Drink

A range of traditional style pubs and national chain outlets, many serving food, concentrated around the High street area and sea front.

Sleep

Large numbers of guest houses, also self-catering accommodation and a few independent hotels.

• The Grand Atlantic, Beach Road, BS23 1BA (Located on the seafront, 5 minutes south of town centre), ☎ [phone]. Victorian era hotel set on the seafront. Close to town centre. Has had an extensive refurbishment. Restaurant and bar 
• Nook and Harbour Holiday Apartments, 50 Knightstone Road, BS23 2BE (North West of the town centre located next to Marine Lake on the Seafront), ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. B&B and holiday apartments, next to Marine Lake & Knightstone Island. 
• Anchor Head Hotel, Anchor Head Hotel, Claremont Crescent, BS23 2ED (Follow seafront road from town towards Sand Bay, located near the headland), ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 10AM. Located towards the north-west of the town, between Marine Lake and Birnbeck Pier. 
• Premier Inn, Hutton Moor Road, BS22 8LY (Follow A370 from M5 Junction 21 into Weston-Super-Mare. After 3rd roundabout turn right at traffic lights into Hutton Moor Leisure Centre. Turn left and follow road into car park. Next to the Pavilion Beefeater.), ☎ [phone]. Standard Premier Inn hotel, located 1½ miles from Town Centre. From £57pppn. 
• The Royal Hotel, 1 South Parade, BS23 1JP (Located on the seafront next to the Winter Gardens), ☎ [phone]. Large Georgian Hotel which is located in the centre of Weston on the seafront, 2 minutes walk from the High street, Grand Pier and Knightstone Island. 

Go next

Map of places with Wikivoyage articles nearby

Other local attractions near Weston-super-Mare are:

• Glastonbury
• Wells and the nearby Wookey Hole Caves (full of adventure for little kids)
• Street (with Clarks Shopping Village)
• Bath
• Mendips
• Cheddar
• Bristol
• Bridgwater

Routes through Weston-super-Mare

Birmingham ← Bristol ←

NE  SW

→ Bridgwater → Plymouth