| Weston-super-Mare | |
|---|---|
.JPG) .jpg)  .jpg) .jpg) From the top to bottom-right, Weston-super-Mare beach,Winter Gardens Pavilion,Town Hall,Blakehay Theatre,Grand Pier | |
  Weston-super-Mare Location withinSomerset | |
| Population | 82,418 (in 2021) |
| Demonym | Westonian |
| OS grid reference | ST320613 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WESTON-SUPER-MARE |
| Postcode district | BS22–BS24 |
| Dialling code | 01934 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Avon |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
51°20′46″N2°58′37″W / 51.346°N 2.977°W /51.346; -2.977  | |
Weston-super-Mare (/ ... ˈmɛər/...MAIR) is a seaside town andcivil parish in theNorth Somerset unitary district, in the county ofSomerset, England. It lies by theBristol Channel 20 miles (32 km) south-west ofBristol betweenWorlebury Hill andBleadon Hill. Its population at the 2021 census was 82,418.
The area around the town has been occupied since theIron Age. It was still a small village until the 19th century when it developed as a seaside resort. Arailway station and two piers were built.[1] In the second half of the 20th century it was connected to theM5 motorway but the number of people holidaying in the town declined and some local industries closed, although the number of day visitors has risen.
Attractions include theGrand Pier,Weston Museum andThe Helicopter Museum. Cultural venues includeThe Playhouse, theWinter Gardens and theBlakehay Theatre.
The Bristol Channel has the second largest tidal range in the world;[2] the low tide mark inWeston Bay is about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the seafront. The beach is sandy but low tide reveals areas of thick mud[3][4][5] which are dangerous to walk on. The mouth of theRiver Axe is at the south end of the beach. To the north of the town isSand Point which marks the upper limit of the Bristol Channel and the lower limit of theSevern Estuary. In the centre of the town isEllenborough Park, which is abiological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to the range of plant species found there.
Weston comes from Old English for westtun - this word has numerous different meanings, although at its root it is most likely to have an original connotation of 'enclosure'. In English place-names, meanings of 'settlement, farmstead, estate', are most likely to be reasonably close to the mark.[6] Super mare isLatin for "upon the sea"[7]and was added to distinguish it from the many[8] other settlements named Weston in theDiocese of Bath and Wells.[9]
In considering the ultimate origin of the name, ‘Weston’, we need to ask exactly what the settlement or estate of that name was considered to be westof – since such ‘cardinal’ place-names usually only arise in relation to another, perhaps ‘superior’ estate to which they were somehow directly related. In this respect, some of the place-names in the wider landscape around Weston may hold a clue, and two especially – Norton and Milton. Norton, on the low-lying levels land immediately to the north of Worle Hill, is, simply, the ‘northtūn’. Norton, which historically was in Kewstoke parish, was certainly in existence by the early 13th century,[10] and can be confidently asserted to be of at least late Anglo-Saxon foundation. Milton is ‘the middletūn’. It seems at various times to have been split between Weston and Worle parishes. Milton is actually mentioned by name in Domesday Book (1086), and is certainly of at least late Anglo-Saxon origin. Taking the three places together – the west, the middle, and the northtūnas - , and looking for a bigger, more important place to which these three were subservient, and in direct relation to which they took their names, the most obvious solution is Worle, which by the late 11th century, as shown by Domesday Book, was a substantial estate.[11] Milton lies directly between Weston and Worle, although rather closer to Worle. So by, say, the year 1000 CE, we can perhaps imagine a large estate centred on Worle, at the eastern end of Worle Hill and with the hill itself, indeed, forming in effect, its backbone, and taking in a swathe of territory to the north and south of the hill (probably including Kewstoke), and all the way to its westtūn at the coast. This would make an economically very viable estate, which would have included a variety of different types of agricultural land, on the hill, on the lower flanks of the hill, and on the low-lying levels land to both north and south of the hill.
Weston is not identified by name in Domesday Book, but as almost certainly a recognised territorial entity before the Norman Conquest, it would have been liable for tax, even if at only a low level. Most reliable authorities consider that Weston's tax assessment in Domesday is subsumed, without identification by name, within the assessment for Ashcombe.[12]
Prior to 1348 it was known as Weston-juxta-Mare ("beside the sea"). The name seems to have become changed during the episcopate ofRalph of Shrewsbury, who wasBishop of Bath and Wells from 1329 to 1363, although it is entirely incorrect to suggest that hepersonally would have been responsible for this. It would most likely have been the idea of a scribe in the scriptorium at Wells, acting on his own initiative. Between the 14th and 17th centuries the 'super Mare' part of the name disappeared and it was just known as Weston, although in 1610 it was recorded as Weston on the More - with 'more' in this context most likely to be understood in the Somerset sense of 'moor' as low lying, damp, semi-marshland.
Weston's oldest structure isWorlebury Camp, onWorlebury Hill, dating from theIron Age.[13][14][15] However, outside of the hillfort itself, a series of extremely important, rock-cut burials, and fragmentary remains, of this date have turned up intermittently during the course of progressive development on the southern slope of Worlebury Hill. These have been reviewed by Emily La-Trobe Bateman, whose Extensive Urban Survey of Weston, undertaken by her on behalf of the former Avon County Council, is an extremely important and authoritative modern source for the general history of Weston, but especially for the earlier, more 'archaeologically dependent' periods, and it should be far more widely known.[16]
La-Trobe Bateman has identified two clusters of such burials in particular: one in the Montpelier area, and the other to the north-east of Knightstone Road. Bateman follows an earlier suggestion by Jane Evans that there may have been a major Iron Age cemetery related to the hillfort, on the slopes of the hill. The 15 or so discoveries known at the time that Bateman was writing, may, she suggests, represent only a fraction of the burials and cremations that originally existed. Most interestingly, she further suggests that
The area above Knightstone Road is of particular importance since this was the site chosen for the parish church, suggesting the possibility of continuity from at least the Iron Age to the present day.
It is deeply regrettable that many of these remains were chance finds, during 19th or early 20th century construction, and were poorly recorded, if at all. However, remarkably, during archaeological evaluation work in 2005, prior to the construction of a new parish room on the north-western side of St John's church, a crouched inhumation burial, with pottery indicating a mid- to late-Iron Age date, was discovered within the churchyard, below a series of unmarked post-medieval burials.[17] This is one of the very few such finds on Weston hillside that has been excavated and recorded to full modern archaeological standards. This ground had clearly been sacred to this individual, and his community, at the very least about 1,500 years before any Christian church had been established on the site. But controversially, the local incumbent at the time refused permission for the individual to be reinterred within the graveyard, on the grounds that he had not been a Christian.
An occupation site of Romano-British date was investigated in 2008-2009 as part of a planning application byWeston College immediately to the west of the School of Science and Art, on the south side of South Terrace. This built on investigations that had already been carried out on the site in the late 1950s which strongly suggested the presence of Romano-British occupation. It is the only site known of this date in central Weston and was probably a small farmstead or hamlet. Finds included an extremely important burial of a male individual who had clearly led a very hard life, and had suffered multiple medical conditions which were expressed on his skeletal remains. It is possible that he had been a slave.[18]
The parish was part of theWinterstokeHundred.[19] Contrary to earlier edits of this page, the site known as Castle Batch, a small motte-type fortification of probably late 11th or 12th century date, has no direct spatial relationship whatsoever to Weston, since it lies at Worle, 4.7 km to the north-east of Weston's original parish church of St John.
The medieval church of St John was demolished in 1824 and rebuilt on the same site,[20] though a stump of the medieval preaching cross survives by the exterior south wall. Afont of Norman date, in and of itself, represents firm evidence for the presence of a church on this site by the late 11th or 12th century. The former rectory is a 17th-century structure with later additions. Though it remains adjacent to the church, it has not been a parsonage house since the end of the 19th century. Today it is known as Glebe House and is divided into flats.[21]
The Old Thatched Cottage restaurant on the seafront carries the date 1774, but this is entirely baseless and without attested historical foundation of any kind whatsoever. The actual date of its construction is in fact completely unknown. The building is Grade II Listed, and its formal Historic England listing description states only that it islate 18th century, certainly before 1804[22][23]. Historical evidence examined by one of Weston's foremost modern historians shows that it was definitely extant by June of that year (ie 1804),[24] and a construction date ofby 1803 might therefore be distinctly possible. It cannot date to before 1779, which is when its builder, William Leeves, became Rector of Wrington, and Leeves is not known to have had any prior connection with Weston. Likewise, a recurrent tradition of an earlier building on the site, occupied by a man called Light, is also currently without any foundation whatsoever in terms of either historical or archaeological evidence. It is perfectly possible that the story is entirely apocryphal - its provenance cannot be traced back any further than 1966, to an article in a local newspaper, in which the writer fails to note the exact source of his account.[25] However, it is most likely to arise from a simple misreading and misinterpretation of a late 18th century map of Weston-super-Mare, which explicitly identifies the house in which William Light and his family lived. Comparison against later mapping, most notably the Weston enclosure map of 1815, shows beyond a doubt that this house was on a completely different site from Leeves's Cottage.
Early in the 19th century, Weston was a small village of about 30 houses, located behind a line of sand dunes fronting the sea, which had been created as an early sea wall after theBristol Channel floods of 1607.[26] The Pigott family ofBrockley, who were the local Lords of the Manor, had a summer residence at Grove House. Weston owes its growth and prosperity to theVictorian era boom in seaside holidays. Construction of the first hotel in the village started in 1808; it was called "Reeves" (now the Royal Hotel).[26] Along with nearbyBurnham-on-Sea, Weston benefited from proximity toBristol,Bath andSouth Wales. The first attempt at an artificial harbour was made in the late 1820s at the islet of Knightstone and a slipway built from Anchor Head towards Birnbeck Island.[26]
Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his family lived in Weston, at Swiss Villa (towards the north end of Trevelyan road), while he was supervising the construction of theBristol and Exeter Railway in the area. With the opening of the railway in 1841, thousands of visitors came to the town from Bristol, theMidlands and further afield, on works outings andbank holidays. Mining families also came across theBristol Channel from South Wales bypaddle steamer. To cater for them,Birnbeck Pier was completed in 1867, offering in its heydayamusement arcades, tea rooms,amusement rides and aphotographic studio. It is now in a derelict state and has been added toEnglish Heritage'sBuildings at Risk Register,[27] but visitors can still admire its structure from behind barbed wire. It was designed byEugenius Birch with ironwork by the Isca Foundry ofNewport,Monmouthshire. It is a grade II*listed building.[28]
Large areas of land were released for development from the 1850s onwards. Large detached villas, for the middle classes, were built on the southern slopes of Worlebury Hill. Semi-detached and terraced housing was built on the low "moorland" behind the sea front in an area known as South Ward. Many of these houses have now been converted intobedsits. Most of the houses built in the Victorian era are built from stone and feature details made fromBath Stone, influenced by local architectHans Price.
In 1885, the first transatlantic telegraph cable of theCommercial Cable Company was brought ashore and the company started a long association with the town, ending in 1962.[29]
Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of wireless telegraphy, successfully transmitted radio signals across the Bristol Channel in the spring of 1897, from Penarth (near Cardiff) toBrean Down (just south west of Weston, on the other side of theRiver Axe).[30]
A second railway, theWeston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway, opened on 1 December 1897, connecting Weston toClevedon.[31] The terminus station was at Ashcombe Road. The railway was extended toPortishead on 7 August 1907 but was closed in 1940.[31][32]
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Much of the character of the buildings in the town derives from the use of local stone, much of it from the Town Quarry. Notable among the architects working in the 19th century wasHans Price (1835–1912). Many examples of his work are still to be seen: theTown Hall, theMercury Office, the Constitutional Club (originally the Lodge of St Kew), villas and numerous other domestic dwellings. TheOdeon Cinema byThomas Cecil Howitt is notable for fully retaining manyArt Deco features both internally and externally, and retaining its originaltheatre organ, aCompton from 1935. It is believed to be the only cinema organ in the West Country left working in its original location and is still in regular use.[33] Other organs by Compton in Weston-super-Mare can be found at Victoria Methodist Church and All Saints' Church byGeorge Bodley (modelled on that inDownside Abbey).[34]
Local traders, unhappy that visitors were not coming as far as the centre of the town, built a new pier closer to the main streets. Opened in 1904, and known as theGrand Pier, it was designed to be 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long.[35] Further development occurred afterWorld War I, with theWinter Gardens Pavilion in 1927,[36] theopen air pool, with its arched concrete diving board,[37] and anairfield dating from the inter-war period.Art Deco influences can be seen in much of the town's architecture from this period.
DuringWorld War II over 10,000 officialevacuees were accommodated in the town, however only 130 spent four or more years in the town.[38] The area was also home to war industries, such as aircraft and pump manufacture, and aRoyal Air Force station atRAF Locking. The town was also on the return route of bombers targeting Bristol and was itself bombed by theLuftwaffe. The first bombs fell in June 1940, but the worst attacks were in January 1941 and in June 1942. Large areas of the town were destroyed, particularly Orchard Street and the Boulevard. On 3 and 4 January 1941,incendiary bombs fell on the town.[39] TheAir Ministry set up a "Q-station" decoy atBleadon in an attempt to divert the bombers to an unpopulated area.[40] In all 110 civilians lost their lives through enemy action in the borough.[41] In the later part of the war,United States Army troops were billeted in the area, but they were relocated in the run-up toD-Day.
RAF Weston-super-Mare was opened in 1936 by No. 24 Group, with a single tarmac runway. It served as a flying candidates selection and initial training facility, and as a relief airport duringWorld War II, latterly as thePolish Air Force Staff College from April 1944 to April 1946.[42] After the war it served as a logistics supply station, with helicopter makersWestland Helicopters on site until closure in 1987.[43] Today there is an operationalheliport on site used occasionally by theRAF Search and Rescue service. The former Westland site, which closed in 2002, housesthe Helicopter Museum featuring examples of Westland aircraft. Pride of place is given to an immaculateWestland Wessex HCC Mk.4, formerly of theQueen's Flight.[44]
Residential areas outside the town centre include Ashcombe and the Oldmixon, Coronation, and Bournvillehousing estates, built in the mid to late 20th century.
In 1986,Weston General Hospital was opened on the edge ofUphill village, replacing the Queen Alexandra Memorial Hospital on The Boulevard, which was opened in 1928.[45]
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Around 2000, the town saw a growth in residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation treatment centres, with attendant crime and social problems. These problems were highlighted by Weston's councillors and newspapers, and by theMember of Parliament (MP),John Penrose during hismaiden speech in theHouse of Commons in 2005.[46] By 2009, Weston was home to around 11% ofdrug rehabilitation places in the UK, andNorth Somerset Council proposed an accreditation system examining the quality of counselling, staff training, transparency of referral arrangements, along with measures of the treatment's effectiveness and site inspections.[47] By 2012, there had been a significant reduction in the number of rehabilitation facilities in the town, with the number of patient beds having nearly halved.[48]
A structure known asSilica was installed at Big Lamp Corner during 2006.[49] 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 local residents who liken it to a carrot[50] 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.[51]
On 28 July 2008, the pavilion at the end of the Grand Pier was completely destroyed by a fire. Eleven fire engines and 80 firefighters could not contain the blaze, which is believed to have started in the north-east tower of the Pavilion.[52] A competition was held to design a new pavilion, and the project was awarded to the winning architect Angus Meek Architects of Bristol. Construction work began on the pier and new pavilion in 2009, and it was scheduled to reopen in July 2010,[53] after a £39 million rebuilding programme. After continuing problems and setbacks, with the pier not opening until a formal opening ceremony on 23 October 2010, the overall costs reached £51 million. During the same period there was a £34 million redevelopment of the promenade, including refurbishment of the Marine Lake and pedestrianisation of Pier Square. As part of the work, a scour protection apron and splash wall were added as part of flood prevention measures.[54]
In March 2017 Weston-super-Mare was chosen as one of the 10 successful bids for the first phase of the creation of Heritage Action Zones (HAZ) a scheme whereHistoric England works with local partners in places with significant historic environment to use that heritage to help build economic growth and other opportunities in the locality.[55] Over a three-year period the Heritage Action Zone[56] aimed to boost economic growth and researched Weston's heritage and urban development, by reviewing Weston's listed buildings, usingaerial photographs, undertaking a historic characterisation of Weston-super-Mare, its land and sea environs[57] and a report on the architecture of the town, which culminated with the publication of a new bookWeston-super-Mare The town and its seaside heritage.[58]
In November 2021, it was announced that North Somerset Council had agreed to purchase Birnbeck Pier from its owners and planned to restore it with additional funding from theRoyal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI),Historic England, and others.[59]
Newer housing has since been built towards the east of the town in North Worle, Milton, Locking Parklands, Weston Village, Haywood Village and West Wick, nearer to theM5 motorway.Weston-super-Mare has expanded to include the established villages ofWorle,Uphill, and West Wick, as well as new areas such as Locking Parklands and Haywood Village.
Municipal history began in 1842 when a Local Act was obtained for "paving, lighting, watching, cleansing and otherwise improving the Town of Weston-super-Mare in the County of Somerset and for establishing a Market therein" under the jurisdiction of eighteen appointed Commissioners. Town Commissioners gave way to anUrban District Council in 1894, and then in 1937 the town received its Royal Charter as amunicipal borough. In 1974, under theLocal Government Act 1972, it was merged into theWoodspring district of theAvon County Council, and became aCharter trustees town. Weston-super-Mare regained itstown council in 2000, becoming acivil parish.[23] The island ofSteep Holm is part of the civil parish of Weston-super-Mare.
Before 1 April 1974, Weston-super-Mare came under the administration ofSomerset County Council. When Avon was split up in 1996, it became the administrative headquarters of theunitary authority ofNorth Somerset, one of the successor authorities, which remains part of theceremonial county of Somerset.[60]
There are 11electoral wards in Weston.[61]
TheMP for theWeston-super-Mare parliamentary constituency isDan Aldridge of theLabour Party, who won the seat fromJohn Penrose of theConservative Party in the2024 general election.[62]
The mainly flat landscape of Weston is dominated byWorlebury Hill, 109 metres (357 ft),[63] which borders the entire northern edge of the town, andBleadon Hill, 176 metres (577 ft)[63] which together with theRiver Axe, andBrean Down atUphill form its southern border. In the centre of the town isEllenborough Park aSite of Special Scientific Interest due to the range of plant species found there.[64]
The beach ofWeston Bay lies on the western edge of the town. The upper part is sandy, but the sea retreats a long way at low tide, exposing large areas of mud flats (hence the colloquial name of Weston-super-Mud).[65] The tidal range in this part of theBristol Channel is great, and since beach and mud flats are on a gentle slope, it is inadvisable to try to reach the sea at low tide, as the sand gives way to deep mud which has often resulted in loss of life over the years. Driving on the beach is permitted in certain areas, but occasionally the drivers are caught unawares as they drive too close to the sea and break through the sand into the underlying mud, and are then stuck.
The tidal rise and fall in theSevern Estuary and Bristol Channel can be as great as 14.5 m (48 ft),[66] second only toBay of Fundy inEastern Canada.[67][68] 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 ofcadmium and to a lesser degree residual pesticides and hydrocarbons.[69]
Just to the north of the town isSand Point which marks the lower limit of theSevern Estuary and the start of theBristol Channel. It is also the site of theMiddle Hope 84.1-hectare (208-acre)biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest.[70]
The town's suburbs include Ashcombe, Bournville, Coronation, Ebdon, Haywood Village,Hutton,Locking, Locking Parklands, Mead Vale, Milton, Oldmixon,St. Georges,Uphill, West Wick,Worle andWorlebury.
Along with the rest ofSouth West England, Weston has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country.[71] The annual mean temperature is approximately 11 °C (52 °F).Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea temperatures. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 22 °C (72 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 2–3 °C (36–37 °F) are common.[71] In the summer theAzores high pressure affects the south-west of England, howeverconvective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine. Annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours.[71] In December 1998 there were 20 days without sun recorded at Yeovilton. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused byAtlantic depressions or byconvection. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which is when they are most active. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 900 mm (35 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.[71]
| Climate data for Weston-super-Mare (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1959–1971, 1985–1994) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.0 (57.2) | 15.6 (60.1) | 21.1 (70.0) | 22.7 (72.9) | 26.0 (78.8) | 30.2 (86.4) | 28.7 (83.7) | 29.4 (84.9) | 28.3 (82.9) | 25.6 (78.1) | 17.1 (62.8) | 15.9 (60.6) | 30.2 (86.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.5 (47.3) | 9.3 (48.7) | 11.2 (52.2) | 14.0 (57.2) | 17.2 (63.0) | 20.1 (68.2) | 21.9 (71.4) | 21.5 (70.7) | 19.4 (66.9) | 15.1 (59.2) | 11.8 (53.2) | 8.9 (48.0) | 14.9 (58.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.7 (42.3) | 6.0 (42.8) | 7.6 (45.7) | 9.7 (49.5) | 12.6 (54.7) | 15.8 (60.4) | 17.7 (63.9) | 17.3 (63.1) | 15.1 (59.2) | 11.7 (53.1) | 8.5 (47.3) | 5.9 (42.6) | 11.1 (52.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.8 (37.0) | 2.7 (36.9) | 4.0 (39.2) | 5.3 (41.5) | 8.0 (46.4) | 11.5 (52.7) | 13.5 (56.3) | 13.1 (55.6) | 10.8 (51.4) | 8.2 (46.8) | 5.2 (41.4) | 2.8 (37.0) | 7.3 (45.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −11.4 (11.5) | −7.9 (17.8) | −9.0 (15.8) | −4.5 (23.9) | 0.2 (32.4) | 1.9 (35.4) | 5.9 (42.6) | 4.2 (39.6) | 0.4 (32.7) | −4.0 (24.8) | −7.2 (19.0) | −8.1 (17.4) | −11.4 (11.5) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 93.4 (3.68) | 63.4 (2.50) | 53.9 (2.12) | 60.2 (2.37) | 53.7 (2.11) | 65.7 (2.59) | 73.3 (2.89) | 77.9 (3.07) | 91.2 (3.59) | 96.3 (3.79) | 112.3 (4.42) | 98.7 (3.89) | 940.0 (37.01) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 13.5 | 10.1 | 11.2 | 10.5 | 9.1 | 9.4 | 10.3 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.4 | 133.8 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 55.0 | 76.2 | 116.1 | 167.5 | 196.3 | 193.4 | 206.6 | 185.0 | 140.5 | 97.2 | 60.3 | 44.9 | 1,538.8 |
| Source 1:Met Office (precipitation days 1981–2010)[72] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Starlings Roost Weather[73] | |||||||||||||
The population of Weston-super-Mare is 82,418 according to theUnited Kingdom Census 2021. 17,602 (21%) are aged over 65. 73,147 (89%) were born in the United Kingdom and 77,951 (95%) declare themselves as white.[74][75]
In 1831 the town's population was 1,310. The town had approximately 36,900 households in 2021 but in 1801 there were just 138 while in 1829 there were 250.[76][77][78]
Since the 1970s, Weston has suffered a decline in popularity as a holiday destination, as have most British seaside resorts,[79] due to the advent of cheap foreign holidays and the demise of the traditional "works holidays" of heavy and manufacturing industries elsewhere in UK. The town had become a centre of industries such ashelicopter production, and maintenance at theGKN Westland factory until its closure in 2002,[80] however the company still retains a design office under the name GKN Aerospace Engineering Services at the Winterstoke Road site. Road transport links were improved with theM5 motorway running close by, and the town now supports light industries and distribution depots, includingLidl's distribution centre for its southern based stores, and is also adormitory town forBristol.[81] Vutrix, one of the largest semiconductor and video/audio distribution equipment companies in the television broadcasting industry, is based in the town.[82] Two of the town's largest employers are the local council andWeston College, which has recently begun to offeruniversity degrees as a secondary campus ofBath Spa University.[83]
Weston-super-Mare is a tourist destination, with its long sandy beach,Helicopter Museum,[84]Weston Museum,Grand Pier and seasonal Wheel of Weston.[85] A 2009 survey byVisit England placed the Grand Pier in the top ten free attractions in England.[86] However, as of 2014, the pier charges for admission. On the Beach Lawns was aminiature railway operated by steam and diesel locomotives, which closed in 2012.[87] ThePaddle SteamerWaverley andMVBalmoral offer day trips from Knightstone Island to various destinations along theBristol Channel andSevern estuary.[88]
Since the 1970s the number of visitors staying for several nights in the town has decreased, but the numbers of day visitors has increased.[89] In 1995 there were 4 million visitors but by 2005 this had risen to 5.3 million.[90] In 2007 69% of visitors to the resort were day visitors, compared to 58% in 2005.[91] The 2005 survey showed that day visitors stay in Weston-super-Mare for an average of six hours whilst overnight visitors stay for an average of five nights. The largest percentage of visitors (22%) were from theWest Midlands. Weston was found to attract two distinct groups: "grey tourists" over the age of 60 and families with young children.[90]
TheArt DecoTropicana, once a very popular lido on the beach, suffered years of neglect before closing to the public in 2000, and despite a number of attempts to reopen it, permission was given to demolish it in 2012.[92] However, the complex reopened in 2015 and now serves as an events space, primarily hosting a seasonalamusement park andice rink.[93][94]
In July 2011, North Somerset Council gave planning approval to the £50 millionLeisure Dome,[95] a 210-metre (690 ft)indoor ski slope to be built on the site ofRAF Locking. In 2015 the future of the project was in doubt because of the need for additional funding,[96] and no mention of the LeisureDome proposals appear on the information provided bySt. Modwen Properties, the developers about their plans for Locking Parklands as the site is now known.[97][98][99] It was planned to include a 40-metre (130 ft)climbing wall, avertical wind tunnel for indoorskydiving, indoor surfing, aBMX track, ahealth and fitness club, and a number of shops and restaurants. The ski slope will be the longest in the United Kingdom.
'International HeliDays', in association with the Helicopter Museum, are staged at the beach lawns over a long weekend around the end of July, when up to 75 helicopters from Europe fly in for a static display. There are frequent Helicopter Air Experience flights from the Museum heliport. There is also an annual display by theRed Arrows.[100]
Weston Bike Nights are motorcycle meetings on the Promenade each Thursday during the summer. They are organised byThe Royal British Legion Riders Branch to raise money for thePoppy Appeal.[101]
TheBristol and Exeter Railway arrived in Weston-super-Mare on 14 June 1841. This was not the route that serves today'sWeston-super-Mare railway station, but rather a single-track branch line fromWeston Junction, midway between the present dayWorle and Uphill junctions, which terminated at a small station in Regent Street close to the High Street. A second larger station was constructed in 1866 to replace this, when planning permission was gained to create a loop station from the main line. After legal action was taken by residents along the proposed new route through issues of planning blight, the station on the current site was constructed in 1881.[102][103]
Today, the station, which is on a short loop off theBristol to Exeter line, is situated close to the town centre and less than ten minutes walk from the sea front. It has direct services toLondon Paddington[104] operated byGreat Western Railway, and also trains to stations such asBristol Temple Meads,Taunton, Severn Beach andCardiff Central.[105]CrossCountry services run toBirmingham and the North.[106] The station has twoplatforms.[107] Other stations are located atWeston Milton andWorle. During the middle of the day they are served by the local trains between Taunton, Bristol and Cardiff, but during the peak periods London trains call at both stations.[105] Weston Milton station is on the single track loop and therefore has only one platform, while Worle is on the main line and has two side platforms. The Weston loop diverges just to the southwest of Worle station, and the junction is therefore known as Worle Junction.[107]
The 2.9-mile-long (4.7 km)4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) gaugeWeston-super-Mare Tramways network opened on 12 May 1902. The main route ran fromBirnbeck Pier along the sea front to the Sanatorium (now Royal Sands); a branch line ran tothe railway station and on to the tram depot in Locking Road. The fleet originally consisted of 12 double deck cars and 4 open-sided "toast rack" cars. The system was bought out by the competing bus company and closed on 18 April 1937, by which time the fleet comprised 8 double deck and 6 "toast racks".[108] An earlier proposal for the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Tramway to run along the streets of the town to the sea front had failed to materialise, leaving the line as an ordinary railway (theWeston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway) with a terminus in Ashcombe Road.[109]
Weston is close to junction 21 of theM5 motorway, to which it is linked by a dual-carriageway relief road built in the 1990s. This replaced Locking Road as the designatedA370 route and avoided some of the traffic congestion along that narrower urban road.[110]
Most local bus services are provided byFirst West of England.[111] All services call at stops in the Regent Street and Big Lamp Corner area, including some stops in the adjacent High Street. Some town services and those toSand Bay,Wells,Burnham-on-Sea andBristol Airport start from or run via the main railway station. The service toSand Bay is sometimes operated byan open top bus.National Express operate long-distance coach services, mostly from the coach terminal in Locking Road Car Park which is close to the railway station.Bakers Dolphin previously operated a service to London but this was withdrawn in 2013.
The town had abus station on the sea front from 1928 until 1987.[112] After nine months of construction a new "bus hub" consisting of a street lined with bus stops was opened in February 2022.[113] It is situated on Alexandra Parade.[114]
TheWESTlink on-demand bus serves the town.
The nearest operational airport to Weston isBristol Airport, located 15 miles (24 km)[115] away at Lulsgate.
TheUnitary authority of North Somerset, provides support for 78schools, delivering education to approximately 28,000 pupils.[116]
Secondary education is provided byBroadoak Academy,Priory Community School Academy,Winterstoke Hundred Academy,Worle Community School Academy andHans Price Academy. The town's mainfurther education provider isWeston College, and the town's expandinghigher education provision is supplied byUniversity Centre Weston.[83]
Nigel Leat, a teacher at Hillside First School, was jailed indefinitely in summer 2011 forpaedophile offences that happened over a 14-year period. The school's headmaster lost his job in December 2011 due to the incident.[117][118]
The town contains several arts venues.The Playhouse serves both tourists and the local population. TheWinter 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.[119] All Saints Church hosts regular concerts, some of high national standing. This church is also used for recording, especially by theEmerald Ensemble and has featured on BBC TV programmeSongs of Praise.[120]
TheOdeon Cinema was opened in 1935 and is a building in the modernist style designed byThomas Cecil Howitt. It houses the onlyCompton theatre pipe organ in an Odeon cinema outside London and is one of only two working theatre organs left in the country still performing in their original location in commercially operating cinemas. This Compton organ was installed in 1935 and is the only one left in the West Country, the next nearest being theOdeon Leicester Square, London. All other models have been either restored and moved elsewhere, or destroyed.[121] Occasional organ concerts continue to be held at the venue. The building hasGrade II Listed status.[122] The cinema was sold toMerlin Cinemas in 2023 and renamed Plaza Cinema, Weston-super-Mare.[123][124]
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Weston-super-Mare has a small number of live music venues of note.The Electric Banana hosts more established touring rock bands, while theBrit Bar andLegends Bar attract a wide array of local musicians, as well as artists from further afield.[citation needed] TheT4 on the Beach concert had been hosted annually since 2006, up until 2012,[125] byChannel 4 youth programmeT4. Well knownbands andsingers perform four or fewer of their hits. However, artists would have to organise alip sync performance (in which thevocals are mimed) in case they were unable to sing live as the event is being produced for live TV broadcast.[126] Each summer the beach is also used as the venue for theWeston-super-Mare Sand Sculpture Festival.[127]
The town was the subject of a song "Sunny Weston-super-Mare" performed by local bandThe Wurzels.[128] The last scenes ofThe Remains of the Day, aJames Ivory film of 1993, were shot at locations in the town including the Grand Pier and the Winter Gardens.[129]
The Weston Arts Festival takes place each year during September and October using local venues including the Blakehay Theatre, Playhouse, All Saints, and galleries and offering a wide range of cultural events.[130]
Weston is also the 3rd Carnival in the NovemberWest Country Carnival circuit, when a large number of brightly illuminatedfloats called "carts" parade through the streets.
The town's weekly newspaper isThe Weston & Somerset Mercury, which has been serving the population since 1843. It is now owned by publishing companyArchant.[131] There are also two online publicationsThe Weston Echo, andWeston super Mare People.
Local television news programmes areBBC Points West andITV News West Country.
Weston Super Television was an on-linecommunity television channel set up in 2011.[132][133]Its volunteers make and present studio programmes, including interviews with local councillors, musicians and community leaders, as well as filming local events in and around the town.[134]
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The 2011–2013 Sky1 television comedy seriesThe Café was co-written byMichelle Terry who was born in the town and the series was filmed in Weston-super-Mare.[135][136]
In August 2015, the artistBanksy opened the temporary art installationDismaland at the derelictTropicana venue.[137]
The town is served by county-wide radio stations,BBC Radio Bristol,Heart West andGreatest Hits Radio South West.
In late 2019, a new community radio station WaveWSM was also opened with studios in the centre of the town, bringing local internet radio to the town, with presenters and shows local to Weston as well as shows syndicated in from around the UK. The plan Is for a local breakfast show to start in January 2020.
In 2022,See Monster, a retiredgas platform repurposed as anart installation, opened at the Tropicana as part of the national art festivalUnboxed: Creativity in the UK.[138] The installation was purported to be the first of its kind in the world.[138] Its opening was preceded by threedrone light shows by SkyMagic.[139]
Weston has beentwinned withHildesheim in Germany since 1983.[140][141]
TheGrand Pier is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the town. It houses funfair style attractions, a go-kart track, cafes, a fudge factory, and a host of arcade games, and underwent a £34 million re-development after a fire in 2008 destroyed the main pavilion.[142] After a harsh winter which delayed progress, the new pier pavilion reopened on 23 October 2010.[143]
Weston's first pier,Birnbeck Pier, standing on a small island to the north of the bay is currently closed to the public. The current owners,Manchester-based companyUrban Splash purchased the pier in 2006. A competition was held as a means to encourage redevelopment of the site for commercial use. To date, no firm plans are in place, and the future of Birnbeck Pier is uncertain.[144] The pier housesWeston-super-Mare Lifeboat Station.
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Knightstone Island housed a theatre, swimming pool and sauna,[145] after having been purchased by the physicianEdward Long Fox in 1830 to create a therapeutic spa with range of hot, cold and chemical baths.[146] After years of disrepair and dereliction, the area has been redeveloped byRedrow Homes. During 2006/2007, luxury apartments and commercial outlets have been built on the site. Consideration has been taken due to thelisted building status of much of the site.[147] Boat trips from here include theWaverley andBalmoral and trips toSteep Holm andFlat Holm islands as well as short trips around Weston Bay.[88]
TheTropicanaoutdoor swimming pool that is located on the southern section of the sea front has not been occupied since 2000.[148] A private developer, Henry Boot, was selected to redevelop the site with a newLife Station leisure complex, which was planned to include a six lane, 25-metre (27 yd) swimming pool, water park, 96-bed hotel, restaurant, eight-screen cinema, 14 retail units, and a 20-lane bowling alley. The redevelopment was beset by delays and controversy.[149] 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.[150] In November 2009, the plans were finally abandoned,[151] leaving the future of the site uncertain. In 2010 the council invited submissions from developers for a new, less ambitious, scheme to redevelop the site with a swimming pool at its heart. A decision on a new scheme was expected towards the end of 2010.[152] The local authority announced on 23 August 2011 that it was giving developers six months to propose plans for a smaller development otherwise they will arrange to demolish the Tropicana.[153]In February 2013, North Somerset Council grantedplanning permission to a consortium of local businesses who intend to build a new swimming pool complex on the site.[154][155] The Tropicana is occupied by an amusement park called Funland during summer months, featuring awild mouse roller coaster and several thrill rides.[156]
The First World War memorial in Grove Park, containing a sculpture byAlfred Drury, was unveiled in 1922, with additions byWalter Cave for the Second World War. It contains the names of 402 men from the area who fell in the First World War. It consists of a winged allegorical figure of Victory holding an olive branch, which stands on an octagonal column. The memorial is a grade II listed building.[157]
Most of the town's churches and chapels are neo-Gothic 19th century structures. The Medieval village church of St John the Baptist was completely demolished in 1824 to make way for a new and larger place of worship.[20] TheCatholicSt Joseph's Church was built in 1858 byCharles F. Hansom and extended in 1893 byAlexander Scoles.[158]
All Saints Church was built between 1898 and 1902 to a design byGeorge Frederick Bodley and completed by his pupilF. C. Eden in the 14th century style so favoured by Bodley. It is a Grade II*listed building.[159] Holy Trinity Church, designed by H Lloyd and opened in 1861, is also Grade II*.[160]
There is aGreek Orthodox Church of St Andrew the Apostle in Grove Road, Milton.[161]Victoria Methodist Church was built in 1935–36 to replace an earlier church of 1899–1900, which was destroyed by fire in 1934.[162]
Football teamWeston-super-Mare A.F.C. play in theNational League South at the purpose-built Woodspring Stadium, which opened in August 2004.[163]Weston-super-Mare A.F.C. are the current holders of the 2022-2023 Southern League Premier South.
There are tworugby clubs in the town;Weston-super-Mare RFC, formed in 1875,[164] andHornets RFC, formed in 1962.[165] Weston play inSouth West Premier league, whilst Hornets play in theTribute South West 1 West league. These are national level 5 and level 6 respectively in theEnglish rugby union system.
Somerset County Cricket Club played first class and one-day matches for one week a season on a pitch prepared atClarence Park, near the sea front. This began in 1914 and continued until the last "festival" in 1996.[166]Weston-super-Mare Cricket Club play atDevonshire Park Ground.[167]
The town is well known amongstmotocross enthusiasts for staging the Westonbeach race every autumn. In addition, races are also held for youth riders,sidecarcross riders andquad bike competitors.[168]
Notable current and former residents of the town include:
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