BLUE ANCHOR BAY AND DUNSTER

Blue Anchor Bay, named for the colour of mud residue on the anchors of boats moored there, is a quiet seaside spot occupied by a holiday park enjoying lovely coastal views and sunsets.  The bay has an interesting geology courtesy of its rocks and cliffs which include layers of alabaster.  The cliffs come in two tones from different geological ages: the red Triassic cliffs and the grey Jurassic cliffs.  Fossils can be found in the latter, mainly remains of fish such as small bones.   The bay is on the West Somerset Steam Railway, and railway buffs will also find a Railway Museum housed in the station’s former waiting room.  The museum opens in the summer, and tells the story of the Great Western Railway.  In the village of Blue Anchor is Home Farm, a small working farm open to visitors.

It is possible to walk from Blue Anchor Bay to Dunster Beach, a shingle and sand beach which is also served by the Steam Railway.  One mile inland is the charming village of Dunster with its castle, owned by the National Trust.  There has been a castle at this spot since at least Norman times, and during the Civil War it was a focus of tussles between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians, who held it until 1650.  Among the main attractions today are the 17^th century oak staircase and the terraced gardens with plant life including rhododendrons and magnolias.  Part of the original village walls are still visible, along with two gateways, and there is a 12^th-century church, priory and gardens, as well as a 17^th-century watermill, an old tithe barn and a monks’ dovecote.  

Live streaming webcam view of Dunster village. 

Map of the area. 

Dunster Castle 05. Photo by marcntomsmum0, via Wikimedia Commons.

WATCHET

Watchet Harbour has a narrow entrance so that boats above a certain size find it a challenge to enter, particularly if it happens to be after dark.  This was the fate that befell Timothy Spall and his wife Shane when they paid a visit to the town during the filming of their entertaining Somewhere At Sea series.  The battle to navigate their Dutch barge Matilda through the narrow gap took its toll on Matilda, but Tim insisted she could take what he described as "the scars of war".

Way back, early Britons living in Watchet traded with Wales from here, and this early trade included the export of lime from the many lime kilns along the coast.  Other exports included seaweed, alabaster and gypsum, while later on coal was imported - over 13,000 tons of it in 1862.  The harbour had to be rebuilt after a disastrous storm in 1900, and there was further damage during subsequent weather events.  Work on the present-day Marina started around the Millennium, and this now occupies a substantial part of the inner harbour.  Watchet Harbour provided the inspiration for The Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge when he arrived at the town and looked down on it from St Decuman's Church:

The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared

Merrily did we drop

Below the kirk, below the hill

Below the lighthouse top.

Watchet is one of the stops on the West Somerset Steam Railway, which starts in Minehead to the west.  Adjacent to the Railway Station is the Watchet Boat Museum, housed in a former railway goods shed and offering free admission.  The museum showcases the nautical history of the area and there is plenty of hands-on fun for the kids, including a boat to climb in and out of.  Watchet Museum is housed in a former Market House and tells the history of the area starting with the Romans, as well as providing information on the maritime history and the railways.  

Live streaming webcam view of the harbour.

Map of the area. 

The marina, Watchet - geograph.org.uk - 1766952. Photo by Roger Cornfoot, via Wikimedia Commons.

STOLFORD AND HINKLEY POINT

In 7000 BC the shoreline around Stolford and Hinkley Point extended three miles further out than it does now, but by 3800 BC the woods on the shoreline were becoming submerged due to a surge of water.  The remnants of this ancient submerged forest are still visible during exceptionally low tides, as was the case earlier this year during the lowest tides for two centuries, when submerged forests around the Westcountry coast were exposed, including the one at Stolford and at Minehead to the west.  Stolford is part of the civil parish of Stogursey, a village just inland with a castle dating from at least the 12th century, chosen as a base by William de Courcy, Steward to Henry I.  The moated 17th century gatehouse, which is all that is left of the original castle, is now available as a holiday let through the Landmark Trust. 

Back in August 2011 in my piece about Sizewell and Minsmere, I found myself marvelling at the juxtaposition of a monstrous nuclear power station and a tranquil nature reserve.  I am reminded of that now as I turn my attention to Hinkley Point, which is a popular spot for birdwatching.  The birds frequenting the Point include Brent geese, Eurasian Wigeon and Northern Pintail, while the fields inland host Meadow Pipit and Merlin among others, and the sea defence boulders are visited by migrant Northern Wheateaters and wintering Black Redstarts.  Bordering on all this feast of feathers is the Hinkley Point B nuclear plant, a successor to the decommissioned Hinkley Point A.  Hinkley Point B was begun in 1967, but due to a series of hiccups did not start generating electricity until 1976.  Hinkley Point C was given planning consent in March 2013, and George Osborne recently raised eyebrows by inviting the Chinese to participate in the development of this new plant.  What could possibly go wrong...?

For those who are curious about what goes on in a nuclear power station there is a Visitor Centre at Hinkley Point B with interactive displays, and tours of the plant can be arranged, all for free. 

Map of the area. 

Coastal defences, west of Stolford - geograph.org.uk - 1105586. Photo by Roger Cornfoot, via Wikimedia Commons.

BURNHAM-ON-SEA

Earlier this week it was reported that no less than four vehicles had become stranded in the sea off Burnham-On-Sea in one day, caught out by very high tides.  Unfortunately, this is a regular occurrence along this stretch of coast, which is a victim of the notorious Bristol Channel tidal range, the second highest in the world.  In Bridgwater Bay, where Burnham-On-Sea lies near the mouth of the River Parrett, there are extensive mud flats, and at low tide the sea can recede for over one and a half miles.  There was a particularly tragic incident in 2002 when a five-year-old girl died on the mud flats, and following this there was a campaign to fund an inshore rescue hovercraft.  There are now two hovercraft, named after the victim and her sister.

Flooding has been a recurring theme over the years.  The Romans once inhabited the dunes behind the river, having come here to try to reclaim the Somerset Levels.  In 1607 the town was seriously affected by a flooding event so severe that communities from Barnstaple to Gloucester were hit, as well as the entire South Wales coast.  There is a theory that the phenomenon which caused this catastrophe was actually a tsunami rather than an ordinary storm.  The sea bank at Burnham-on-Sea was breached, resulting in the inundation of around 30 villages, with attendant loss of life of humans and farm animals.  More serious flooding occurred in 1981, and following this a large concrete wall was built in a bid to prevent further disasters.

Burnham-on-Sea is a traditional family oriented resort, with sandy beaches offering donkey rides in the summer and a pier with amusements which holds the record as Britain's shortest pier.  The main beaches are Berrow Beach and Brean Beach.  Apex Leisure Park to the south of the town is a leisure and wildlife park with a variety of ducks and other waterfowl, walking trails, picnic spots and a range of activities for the kids.  Adults may want to turn to the Burnham and Berrow Golf Club for their amusement.

For a list of events in Burnham-on-Sea see here.

Webcam of the seafront and pier.

Map of the area. 

The sea front, Burnham-on-Sea - geograph.org.uk - 1510027. Photo by Ken Grainger, via Wikimedia Commons.

WESTON-SUPER-MARE

In early August this year the BBC Points West local news show reported mysterious goings-on on the seafront in Weston-Super-Mare.  There appeared to be a Hollywood production underway judging from the signs which had popped up in the vicinity of the Tropicana, a disused lido, but nobody knew for sure what was going on.  Then all was revealed: it was a pop-up exhibition by the Bristol graffiti artist Banksy called Dismaland Bemusement Park, a "sinister twist on Disneyland" with huge sculptures and a 'fairy castle' plus members of staff being wilfully miserable and unwelcoming, in other words the very antithesis of the real thing.  This was a departure for Banksy, who is normally known for his witty and topical street art to be found in edgy urban settings (see the Bristol post from 24 August).  The exhibition, which ends this weekend, has proved a huge success and has really put Weston on the map, providing a boost for local businesses.  So whatever you may think of Banksy, Weston certainly owes him a lot.  

Weston-Super-Mare is a typical seaside resort, with a long promenade and a vast sandy beach.  However, if you go there expecting to dip your toes in the water you could be in for a disappointment if your visit coincides with low tide because due to the vagaries of the tides in the Bristol Channel the sea is so far out at low tide that you need a powerful set of binoculars to see it beyond the huge expanse of mud stretching as far as the eye can see.  The mud presents a potential danger for those who are tempted to walk out to the water's edge.  However, there is a nice safe area for swimming in the form of a large marine lake at the northern end of the promenade. 

The Grand Pier, originally opened in 1904, has been devastated by fire twice in its  history, in 1930 and again in 2008, when the pier was all but destroyed.  However, the local community was determined to keep this iconic focal point of their seafront and after a multi-million-pound revamp it was reopened in 2010.  There is another pier which remains in a bad way called the Birnbeck Pier, which has been listed among the top 10 most endangered Victorian buildings in Britain.  Other attractions include the SeaQuarium where sharks and rays can be observed swimming underwater and an Observation Wheel on the seafront, and there are boat trips and donkey rides.  At the southern end of the bay is Brean Down, run by the National Trust and described as a 'natural pier'.  There is a Victorian fort on the Down as well as the site of a Roman temple. Also at this end of the bay, in an area called Uphill, is the start of the Mendip Way, a long-distance trail which runs for 50 miles to Frome.  

Weston has often been at the receiving end of unkind remarks in the past.  Bill Bryson painted a particularly dreary picture of a rain-sodden evening in Weston in his book Notes From A Small Island, an evening he was forced to fill with a long, drawn-out meal in a Chinese restaurant followed by a session in an amusement arcade in an attempt to stay dry.  However, I believe that if you catch the town on a nice sunny day it makes a perfectly pleasant spot for a day out or a summer break.  There is plenty going on in Weston, especially in the summer months, with events ranging from a sand sculpture festival to a food festival.  For a list of events in the town see here. 

Map of the area.

Weston's Big Wheel - geograph.org.uk - 1408638.  Photo by Jonathan Billinger, via Wikimedia Commons.

CLEVEDON

During the location-spotting frenzy which followed the initial showing of the Broadchurch crime series on ITV it was West Bay in Dorset that got all the attention.  However, what some may not realise is that Clevedon also put in an appearance.  The shots featuring the tortured-looking local priest outside his church were filmed at St Andrew's Church in Clevedon, while Hill Road featured as Broadchurch's High Street.  Scenes featuring the hotel, newspaper office and a local newsagents were also filmed there.  Meanwhile, in cinematic circles, Clevedon had its moment of fame at the end of The Remains Of The Day.  The final scene in the film was set in Clevedon and was also filmed there.

Clevedon was a very popular resort in Victorian times, and the most striking reminder of that era is the pier, which in 2013 won the Pier Of The Year award given by the National Piers Society. Work began on the pier in 1867 with not only pleasure in mind but also commercial use, as the arrival of the railway meant it was feasible to start up a steamer service to South Wales. That said, it was made to look extremely elegant, with intricate ironwork both underneath and at the end, where there is a pavilion and shelters. It was nearly demolished after it failed a stress test in 1970, but has been saved by fund raising and heritage grants. Other attractions on Clevedon's seafront include ornamental gardens and a Victorian bandstand.

The area known as Salthouse Fields is a popular recreation area during the summer months, with a miniature railway, crazy golf and other amenities.  This spot gets its name from the salt mining that began in the area during the 17th century.  The salt mine that was set up at that time is now a pub called The Salthouse, set in an elevated position with sea views.  Just outside Clevedon and close to the M5 motorway is the National Trust owned Clevedon Court, a 14th century manor house.  The property lies on Court Hill, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its fascinating geology.  Another historic property on the edge of town is Walton Castle, a 17th century fort on Castle Hill, nowadays a popular wedding venue.  

Live streaming webcam view of Clevedon Bay from the Sailing Club. 

Map of the area. 

PORTISHEAD

Portishead, which lies near the mouth of the River Avon just eight miles from Bristol, was a fishing port during a previous existence dating from the 14th century.  There are still iron rings visible in the High Street where the boats used to moor.  Later, in 1497, Portishead played a key part in the discovery of the New World when the navigator John Cabot sailed from here in a small caravel called The Matthew bound for North America.  A replica of The Matthew can be seen in Bristol; I had the pleasure of seeing it in action on a recent visit, taking passengers on a trip around the harbour.  Another chapter in Portishead's history came with the establishment of the Docks, which were used to service coal-carrying ships which were too large to enter Bristol Harbour.  During the war Portishead Radio, a station which existed from 1928 to 2000, played an important part in maintaining communications with British merchant vessels and with patrol aircraft in the North Atlantic. 

The Docks are now gone, and the present-day Portishead is largely a commuter town for people working in Bristol.  The focal point nowadays is the Marina with a variety of bars, restaurants and cafes surrounded by residential apartments.  Residents and visitors alike have at their disposal a Victorian High Street, a Boating Lake and and open-air swimming pool in the summer months, while a walk out to the the Portishead Point Lighthouse at Battery Point offers stunning views across to Wales.  The lighthouse was built in 1931 and is a mere 9 metres high.  Nearby attractions include the Gordano Valley National Nature Reserve and the Clevedon Coast Path. 

Music lovers may have heard the name Portishead before: one of the bands typifying the 'Bristol Sound' (see previous post) named themselves after the town when they formed in 1991 and they also bestowed the name on their second album.  The Portishead scene is enlivened by a number of events through the year, including a carnival, a flower show, a raft race and a Victorian Evening in the run up to Christmas.

Map of the area. 

Portishead Point - geograph.org.uk - 329775. Photo by Roger Cornfoot, via Wikimedia Commons.