Towns & Villages near Weston-super-Mare

Weston-super-Mare is the gateway to glorious scenery, invigorating walks and lovely towns all within an hour's drive.

Here’s where you'll find more about what some of our neighbouring North Somerset towns have to offer. You can take a scenic drive around the coastline or explore by bus.

Clevedon

Even if you’ve never been to Clevedon, the chances are you will already be familiar with this charming Victorian seaside town which is on a direct bus route from Weston-super-Mare.

Its magnificent pier has provided the backdrop for many films and TV programmes.  Head to the Hill Road and Alexandra Road areas to discover an interesting array of independent shops and eateries. Clevedon’s Marine Lake swimming and boating area sits alongside Salthouse Fields with its swings, tennis courts, crazy golf and skateboard ramps.

For nightlife, there are restaurants and pubs aplenty, as well as the famous Curzon Cinema, that still entertains the crowds just as it did in 1912 when its first show raised money for survivors and relatives of the Titanic disaster a month earlier.

Burnham

Catch the number 20 bus from Weston and you will be transported to Burnham-on-Sea  - a town with three lighthouses, Britain's shortest pier and a leaning church.

Walkers will love the seven-mile sandy beach which will take you beyond the Low Lighthouse towards Berrow. If the tide is out you will see the shipwreck of the SS Nornen. 

Portishead

Portishead is a seaside town full of contrast and with plenty to offer. It has two quirky looking lighthouses and the Two Lighthouses Walk, a cosmolitan marina with restautrants and bars and a heated outdoor swimming pool. There's also a boating lake and an unspilt beach as well as stunning views across to Wales and up to the Severn Bridge.

For eating and drinking, Portishead has everything from the well-known chains to fashionable bistros, high end restaurants to fish & chip shops and affordable cafes.

Wells

Wells is a popular day trip from Weston. It is England's smallest city and at times you could be forgiven for thinking you have arrived on a film set with its pretty streets, magnificent cathedral and the stunning Bishop's Palace and gardens. Make sure you bring your camera and look out for the swans in the moat around the palace. The swans have learned to ring a bell for food when they are hungry. 

Sand Bay

Sand Bay is a large and unspoilt beach just two miles north of Weston-super-Mare. It is bordered on one side by Worlebury Hill and woods and by Middle Hope and Sand Point to the North.

Sand Bay itself is a small village often described as Weston's hidden gem. The beach is frequented by horse riders and is open to dog walkers all year round. But there is so much more to explore than just the beach. Head to Sand Point at the north end of the beach and climb up onto the headland for scenery that has to be seen to be believed. Walk out to Middle Hope and Woodspring Priory and perhaps drop down into one of the rocky coves for a picnic. Alternatively walk the other way on one of the many paths through the woods which hug the shoreline back to Weston. If that sounds a little bit like too much hard work hop aboard the number one Coaster bus service which runs as an open top during the summer.

The Mendips – exploring and walking

You can see the glorious Mendip Hills that surround Weston-super-Mare from many vantage points, especially Crook Peak that is the second highest peak in the hill range.  
You can find a wide selection of Mendip Walks here.  These walks range from circular, short walks to 25 mile walks that are more challenging. Just outside Weston-super-Mare between Congresbury and Yatton you will find the Strawberry Line, a more leisurely walk or cycle ride along a disused railway track all the way to Cheddar Gorge. Find it here. 

Cheddar Gorge and caves

Cheddar Gorge is one of Britain's most spectacular natural landmarks and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The Gorge boasts jaw-dropping cliffs and extraordinary subterranean stalactite show caves, plus many fascinating secrets about our prehistoric ancestors. It is also an international centre for caving and rock climbing. 

Lakes and Countryside

Travelling east from Weston-super-Mare you can head to the top of the Mendip Hills passing through some pretty villages such as Churchill, where Sir Winston’s family originated. Head towards Cheddar and take the country lanes into the hills and you will find the super little village of Blagdon and Blagdon Lake. Known for fishing, you can sometimes enjoy a fresh trout straight from the lake to your plate in the local pubs.  Just further along you come to Chew Magna with lakes that are famed for viewing water fowl and bird life.

Burrington Combe is a mini Cheddar Gorge, plenty of places to pull over and walk and either partake or watch cavers, climbers and abseilers. Check it out here. 

Uphill

The village of Uphill can be reached on foot from Weston-super-Mare or by bus.  Its beach is a continuation of the beach at Weston and there’s a marina that offers a sweet little café at the entrance to the Brean Down Way, offering a lovely walk along the river to Brean Down.  Uphill has two pubs and a restaurant along with a village shop.  On the top of the hill sits St Nicholas Church which has no roof covering its nave. The church commands excellent views from its cliff-top position and there is also the nearby Uphill beacon and viewing tower.

Villages nearby

Just three miles north from Weston-super-Mare is the village of Kewstoke that offers some camping opportunity, some small village stores and an active village society.  It leads to the quiet beach of Sand Bay that is popular with dog walkers and horse riders and can be accessed by a lovely walk through Weston Woods with its iron age fort or by bus or car.

Banwell has a Victorian castle and alongside it a narrow country lane that leads to some interesting bone caves on private land that you can visit by pre-arrangement in the summer months.  The guided tour includes a folly and country walk along with the history of the caves that contain animal bones from creatures that no longer survive in England.

Further afield, you will find lots of small villages that retain their original character and almost always a country pub. 

Further Afield

Venturing slightly further afield, there's so much to explore. Don't miss Glastonbury with its Abbey, stunning Tor, pictured below and its intriguing shops which make it a town like no other and you will soon see that there is so much more to this place than just its famous music festival.

Wookey Hole with its stunning caves and wide range of family activities, including the Dinosaur Grove, maze of mirrors, circus workshops and vintage penny arcade, offers another excellent and varied day trip.

Or you could head for the cities of Bristol and Bath, with its world-famous Roman Baths and discover history, arts and culture.