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Bed And Breakfast In Weston-super-Mare
Telephone: 01934 627445
Glenthorne Guest House
Telephone: 01934 415174
Aarondale Guest House
Telephone: 01934 628450
Amber Lodge B & B
Telephone: 01934 628283
Arilas Guest House
Telephone: 01934 419523
Arosfa Hotel
Telephone: 01934 621737
Ashcroft Guest House
Telephone: 01934 631931
Bella Vista Hotel
Telephone: 01934 622956
Beverley Guest House
Telephone: 01934 624772
Blakeney Guest House
Telephone: 01934 626642
Braeside Hotel
More Information About Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort town and civil parish in North Somerset, part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, 18 miles (29 km) south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. It includes the suburbs of Oldmixon, West Wick and Worle. Its population according to the 2001 census was 71,758.[1] It is twinned with Hildesheim, Germany. A structure known as Silica was installed at Big Lamp Corner during 2006.[7] It is a piece of public art, an advertising sign, a retail kiosk selling newspapers and hot food, as well as a bus shelter. It has been criticised by some local residents who liken it to a carrot or a space ship, although it is meant to symbolise man's harmony with the sea. This was part of North Somerset Council's ongoing civic pride initiative that has sought to revitalise Weston-super-Mare's public spaces – which had suffered a period of decline. Other public space improvements have been made throughout the town such as improvements to the street scene in Grove Park Village. There has been some controversy in the town over whether the silica enhanced the town or was a waste of money. However, this debate centred round a misunderstanding of the government funds used to pay for the sculpture. Many local residents did not realise that the money came from central government and had to be used on public art/improvements to the street scene environment. Although a significant part of the funding also came from Weston Town Council and tourism budgets that could have been spent elsewhere. Much of this argument was covered by the Weston & Somerset Mercury. Some residents considered that an attractive water fountain or garden would have been a better investment of this money. On 28 July 2008, the pavilion at the end of the Grand Pier was completely destroyed by a fire. Eleven fire engines and 80 fire-fighters were unable to contain the blaze which is believed to have started in the north-east tower of the Pavilion.[8] The mainly flat landscape of Weston is dominated by Worlebury Hill which borders the entire northern edge of the town, and Bleadon Hill which together with the River Axe, and Brean Down at Uphill form its southern border. In the centre of the town is Ellenborough Park a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the range of plant species found there. The beach lies on the western edge of the town. The upper part is sandy but, as the sea retreats a long way with the tide exposing mud flats (hence the colloquial name of Weston-super-Mud). The tidal range in this part of the Bristol Channel is great, since the beach and mud flats are on a gentle slope. Consequently it is only at the part of the tide cycle where high tide is in the early morning and late afternoon that the sea comes well up the beach. Many day visitors see little of the sea because of this and also must be confused to see a long pier with little or no water under it. Attempting to reach the sea at these times is inadvisable as the sand gives way to mud which is very deep and has cost several people their lives over the years. Driving on the beach (which is permitted in certain areas) catches people out as they drive too close to the sea and break through the sand to the underlying mud and are then stuck. The tidal rise and fall in the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel can be as great as 15 m (49 ft),[10] second only to Bay of Fundy in Eastern Canada.[11][12] This tidal movement contributes to the deposition of natural mud in bays such as Weston. There has been concern about pollution levels from industrial areas in Wales and at the eastern end of the Bristol Channel, however this tends to be diluted by the Atlantic waters. There are measurable levels of chemical pollutants and little is known about their effects. Of particular concern are the levels of cadmium and to a lesser degree some residual pesticides and hydrocarbons.[13] Just to the north of the town is Sand Point which marks the lower limit of the Severn Estuary and the start of the Bristol Channel. It is also the site of the Middle Hope 84.1 hectares (208 acres) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest. Culture The town has a number of arts venues. The Playhouse serves both tourists and the local population. The Winter Gardens on the seafront hosts shows, exhibitions and conferences. The Blakehay Theatre & Community Arts Centre is a small venue housed in a former Baptist church. The last scenes of The Remains of the Day, a James Ivory film of 1993, were shot at several locations in the town including the Grand Pier and the Winter Gardens.[18] Weston-super-Mare has a couple of live music venues of note. Hobbit's on Carlton Street caters mainly for young up and coming punk and pop acts, whilst the nearby Scally's bar hosts local and national touring rock bands. On the other side of town The Back Bar, The London, and the Imperial hold regular open mic nights which attract a wide array of local musicians, as well as artists from further afield. The T4 on the Beach pop music concert attracts up to 40,000 music fans and is given national TV coverage each summer. The town was the subject of a song Sunny Weston-super-Mare performed by local band, The Wurzels. The town is also the site of the Upstart art+music Festival[1], which highlights local artists and musicians. The historic newspaper in the town is the Weston & Somerset Mercury, which has been serving the population since 1843. The Weston and Worle News is a free weekly newspaper serving the local area. - In the early summer of 1995 there was a Flying Ant invasion which covered the southern sections of Weston Super Mare's oldmixon bournville and winterstoke road. It was not known if it was a surge in population or if environmental factors were involved the invasion was halted by autumn. This was verified by the newspaper Weston & Somerset Mercury.
- By late 1994 there was an invasion of Coccinellidae (Ladybirds) which covered the Tropicana and the main town centre. its not known how they spread or developed. The infestation slowly declined in late 1994 as winter approached.
Tourism Weston-super-Mare is a popular tourist destination, with attractions such as the long sandy beach, the world's largest dedicated helicopter collection[19] at the Helicopter Museum, North Somerset Museum, the Grand Pier, the SeaQuarium aquarium and the newly opened Wheel of Weston. On the Beach Lawns can be found a Miniature Railway operated by steam and diesel locomotives, and a putting green. The Paddle Steamer Waverley and MV Balmoral offer day sea trips from Knightstone Island to various destinations along the Bristol Channel and Severn estuary, tickets for which are on sale at the resort's Tourist Information Centre. The T4 On The Beach concert, hosted by Channel 4 youth programme T4, is a recent addition. Many well known bands and singers perform four or less of their hits. However, many of the vocals are mimed as the event is being produced for live TV broadcast.[20] 'International HeliDays', in association with The Helicopter Museum, are usually staged at the beach lawns over a long weekend around the end of July, where up to 75 helicopters from all over Europe fly in for static display. Helicopter Air Experience flights also take place on a regular basis from the Museum heliport. There is also an annual display by the Red Arrows. Weston Beach Race is an annual Motorcross Enduro event in October, first held in 1982. In 2005 it attracted 1,400 competitors and around 80,000 spectators. There are a number of races for quad bikes, sidecars and children in addition to the main event. Weston is also the final event on the November West Country Carnival circuit, when a large number of brightly illuminated floats parade through the streets. Some of the town's attractions are out of use or undergoing redevelopment: - Birnbeck Pier, to the north of the town is now derelict, although Manchester-based company Urban Splash who purchased the pier in 2006 will soon announce plans for its restoration.
- Knightstone Island historically housed a theatre, swimming pool and sauna. After years of disrepair and dereliction, the area has been redeveloped by Redrow Homes. During 2006/2007, luxury apartments and commercial outlets have been built on the site. Consideration has been taken due to the listed building status of much of the site. Boat trips from here include the Waverley and Balmoral (see Tourism Section) and trips to Steep Holm Island as well as short trips around Weston Bay.
- The Tropicana outdoor swimming pool that is located on the southern section of the sea front but has not been used for several years. A private developer, Henry Boot, has been selected to re-development the site with a new Life Station leisure complex. This has been beset by delays and controversy,[21] and a group of local residents challenged the council over its decision to appoint Henry Boot, asking to put forward their own proposals for the site.[22] North Somerset Council's planning committee voted in favour of a £48 million redevelopment of the Tropicana site on 2 October 2008. The redevelopment will include a six lane, 25 metres (27 yd) metre swimming pool, water park, 96-bed hotel, restaurant, eight-screen cinema, 14 retail units, and a 20-lane bowling alley. Plans will now be referred to the Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government. If there is no objection from this department construction is expected to start in late 2009 and the development completed in 2011, although the recession hit leisure chain may delay the planned hotel.[23]
TransportThe main Weston-super-Mare railway station is close to the town centre less than ten minutes walk from the sea front. Other stations are located at Weston Milton and Worle. Weston-super-Mare station has direct services to London Paddington operated by First Great Western, and also trains to stations such as Bristol, Taunton and Cardiff Central. A few CrossCountry services run to Birmingham and the North. Most bus services are provided by First Somerset & Avon or ACL Travel. All services call at stops in the Regent Street and Big Lamp Corner area; a few services to Sand Bay, Wells, Burnham-on-Sea and Bristol International Airport start from or run via the main railway station. Some bus services serve the main High Street. National Express and Bakers Dolphin operate long distance coach services, mostly from the coach terminal in Locking Road Car Park which is close to the railway station. Weston is close to junction 21 of the M5 motorway to which it is linked by a dual-carriageway relief road built in the 1990s. This replaced Locking Road as the designated A370 route and avoided some of the traffic congestion along that narrower urban road. There is a heliport at the town's Helicopter Museum.
This Article was sourced using Wikipedia
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