Weston Woods and Iron Age Hillfort

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Weston Woods, also known as Worlebury Woods, covers an area of 130 hectares dominating the northern skyline of Weston-super-Mare.  The woods provide superb walking areas and connect the seafront walking inland towards Worlebury golf course and slope downwards to the north to connect to Sand Bay and Kewstoke.  There are walking paths clearly signposted and certain areas have been surfaced for wheelchair access.

Situated along a limestone ridge it was once grassland, grazed for centuries until its Victorian landowner planted the area as conifer woodland in the 1830s. Many of those trees were cut down and used as timber for shoring up the trenches on the Western Front in the First World War.

Little woodland management subsequently took place until recently and the woodland management is now recognised by the Forestry Stewardship Council as being responsibly managed.  The whole woodland is a Local Nature Reserve and a paradise for birdwatchers, nature lovers and those who enjoy the Great Outdoors.  There's a bounty of flora, fauna and insects and you'll hear a chorus of birdsong throughout your walk.  

Part way along you'll find a lovely play area with wooden play equipment and a picnic area.  There's also a watertower, near to which is a water tap and a blue plaque to commemorate a brief visit by President Eisenhower.

There is an Iron Age hillfort at the western tip of the woodland where the defensive ramparts can be clearly seen around its eastern and southern edges.  You can see a very informative video by County Archaeologist, Cat Lodge, giving you more detail about the hillfort here

The natural cliff on the northern edge offers fine views over Sand Bay towards Wales. There are also about 93 stone-lined pits dug into the ground which have revealed some interesting facts about the Iron Age folk who lived there over 2,000 years ago.  Some of the finds can be viewed at Weston Museum.  The hillfort is undergoing work to reveal its secrets, you can use your imagination whilst gazing at the seascape from its centre as to why it was chosen as a location for a thriving community all those years ago.

An access path measuring about 1.5 miles has been constructed linking the main entrance at Worlebury Hill Road with the Hill fort.  There is also access via rough steps cut into the hillside at Camp Road at the western end of the woods near to the seafront.