Walk
182 Highbridge to Weston-Super-Mare (Somerset)
(Third
leg of English coastal walk – Lands End to Bristol)
Map:
L/R 182
Distance:
15 miles or 24 km approx
Difficulty:
Easy, apart from a climb up Brean Down
Terrain:
coastal path/sandy beach with options to walk on the road in parts
Access:
Parking in Highbridge and Weston
Public
transport: Regular train link between Highbridge and Weston.
Follow
the cycle route out of Highbridge and then the path alongside the
River Brue towards the coast. At the start, along the road from
Highbridge
station, look out for the statue dedicated to Major Frank Foley
(1884-1958) who was born in the town. He rescued thousands of Jews
from Nazi persecution in World War 2 and had them resettled in
Britain or Palestine.
On
the outskirts of Highbridge, on the River Brue. is Highbridge Wharf.
In the 19th
century it became a busy port exporting local goods such as
cheese, tiles and bricks (there were once nine brickyards in the
area). Imports included timber from Scandinavia. Men
called 'timber runners' would carry planks on their shoulders to the
timber mill. It was a well paid job but work was dependent on ships
arriving. After the Second World War the wharf proved too small for
the new generation of ships.
Follow
the track around and along to Burnham-on-Sea. From here you can see
Stert Island - a nature reserve for which you require permission to
land. Every summer swimmers race from Burnham to the island and back
again. Look out for the brown bricked boathouse on Burnham
front. It was built in 1995 as the result of a challenge for the TV
programme Challenge Aneka (Rice). A rescue hovercraft is housed here
adapted for soft sand or mud.
A
bit further along is Burnham Pier reputed to be the shortest in the
UK. The rise and fall of the tide here is quite dramatic and is one
of the highest in the world. It can rise as high as 12 metres during
the Spring equinox. In 1607 the village was engulfed by a huge tidal
wave which killed many people – many
saw this
as
divine intervention at the time.
Burnham
is yet another place that claims a connection with Jesus and Joseph
of Aramathea. They are reputed to have landed near here at an area
called Paradise before visiting Glastonbury.
Further
along is Burnham Pavilion which was built in 1911 – it was the
first marine construction in England to use a method now known as
reinforced concrete. Look out for St Andrews 14th
century church tower which leans about one metre – this happened
soon after it was erected. Inside there is a 12 metre altar piece
carved in 1686 by Grinling Gibbons.
As
you walk out of Burnham you will notice 3 lighthouses, one near to
the church. This
original lighthouse, called the Round Tower, is now used for holiday
lets. It was built in the early 1800s when a vicar levied
tolls on passing ships and used the money to sink two spa wells. This
never caught on as the
waters were said to have an unsavoury odour. (isn't
this the case with most spas). There
is a wooden lighthouse on the beach with nine oak legs built in 1832
and a third Trinity lighthouse nearby.
The
walk continues along Berrow Sands and dunes which are sites of
special scientific interest for a
variety of wildlife. Just past Berrow village there is a path to St
Mary's Church known as 'The church of the sand dunes' – if
you
visit
there is an unusual stained glass window which depicts a cat as part
of a scene.
The
miles of flat walking come to an end at Brean Down. It is well
worth
walking to the point of the headland - taking note of the warnings to
stick to the paths and away from the dangerous cliffs. People have
been active here since the Stone Age. The main feature now is the
well preserved Brean Down Fort which was built in 1870 as part of a
chain of forts to protect the Bristol Channel against a possible
French invasion. Visitors are free to wander in and around the
buildings. It was manned in 1900 when a soldier committed suicide
when he fired a
shell into a
gunpowder magazine and caused a huge explosion. The army left in 1913
but returned in World War 2 when the site was used for testing
possible new weapons. Information boards erected by the National
Trust give lots more information.
Leave
Brean Down and carry
on to
Uphill Beach. This was formerly the
site of
a Roman fort where lead and silver from mines in the nearby Mendip
Hills were shipped out. It was also a port used
by
Royalists in the Civil War.
Continue
along to Weston Super Mare (Latin for upon sea) which developed from
a village in the 19th
century to become a major seaside resort with a rail station and two
piers. Out at sea are the islands of Steep Holm and Flat Holm. Trips
can be arranged to Flat Holm which is a site of Special Scientific
Interest and
includes
some historic buildings.
As
you walk along the promenade look out for a beach shelter which has
text etched into the windows by a local artist – they are meant to
be read in
conjunction with
the landscape seen through each window. Further down is the aquarium
then
The Grand Pier which was opened in 1904. It was designed to be one to
five miles long. In 2008 it was destroyed by fire and reopened in
2010. John Cleese and Bob Hope lived
in Weston when they were children.
The
centre of Weston has a
strange
construction called The Silica which was built in 2006. To the north
side of Weston there is a sea installation called Without Earth Under
Foot, put here in 2010. It is a constellation of phosphorescent
material where energy is absorbed then gives off a luminescent glow
at night. Quite striking if you get a chance to see it.
To
the north of Weston, near the woods, is the 1867 built Bimbeck Pier
which links the mainland to an island of the same name – the only
pier in the UK to do this. Sadly, it was closed due to storm damage
in the nineties and looked derelict.
Photos show: Frank Foley memorial, Highbridge; St Andrew's Church, Burnham-on-Sea; a view of Brean Fort; The Silica in Weston-Super-Mare; Bimbeck Pier to the north of Weston.
No comments:
Post a Comment