Weston-super-Mare

Understand

1 Tourist Information Centre, Winter Gardens Royal Parade, BS23 1AJ (follow signs for sea front from J21, M5), ☏ +44 1934 417117, fax: +44 1934 641741, [email protected]. 9:30AM-5PM. Accommodation booking, discount tickets, travel information, maps, tourist leaflets Visit Weston-super-Mare website

Getting there

By rail Weston is accessible by train. 1 Weston-super-Mare station lies on the mainline from Bristol to the South West. An off-peak return ticket from Bristol to Weston-super-Mare costs £7.50. Direct trains are available from Bristol Temple Meads, London Paddington, Birmingham New Street, Gloucester, Cardiff Central, Taunton and Exeter St David's, with connections from all parts of England, Wales and Scotland.

By coach or bus National Express coaches connect to most parts of Britain. Buses connect directly with Bristol, Bath, Bridgwater, Taunton and Glastonbury.

By bike Weston-super-Mare is on the National Cycle Network and connected by Route 33 which connects it to Burnham-on-Sea, where route 3 continues to Bridgwater and Taunton to the south. Route 26 from Cheddar to Clevedon passes by Weston-super-Mare about 5 km to the west, which presents a possible connection opportunity to Clevedon, Portishead, and Bristol. Nailsea and Long Ashton can also be reached, the area is reasonably flat and easily for cycling.

By air The nearest airport is 2 Bristol Airport (BRS IATA). It is possible to get an airport bus to Temple Meads or Parson street railway stations in Bristol and take a train to Weston from there. Bus 121 runs direct, but slowly and infrequently. The quicker but more expensive option would be to take a taxi (£25).

Getting around

Most of the major attractions lie within easy walking distance of the railway and bus stations. There are local bus services within the town provided by First Bus Taxi services are located centrally, and a trip from the town centre to the outskirts can be expected to cost around £5. There are also two smaller rail stations that alight in more residential areas, 3 Weston Milton and 4 Worle, which are serviced approximately every half hour.

See

Architecture

1 The Grand Pier, Marine Parade (follow signs for sea front from J21, M5), ☏ +44 1934 620238, [email protected]. M-F 10AM-4PM, Sa Su 10AM-5PM. The Pier suffered a devastating fire in 2008, but in October 2010 the £39-million rebuilt pier opened to the public. The Grand Pier includes multiple attractions including a Go-Kart Track, Robo Coaster and Ghost ride. Food and drinks are available and there is also a themed bar. £1. 2 The Wheel of Weston, Beach Lawns, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1AT (2-minute walk from town centre, on the seafront, due to its size very easy to find), ☏ +44 1934 620058. 10AM-8PM. The Wheel of Weston is a 40-m-high observation wheel which 30 pods are attached. Each pod can take 8 people, brilliant views of surrounding area on clear day. Adult £6.50, child (14 years and under) £4.00.

3 Tropicana, Marine Promenade. When it opened in 1937, this lido was the largest open-air swimming pool in Europe. Erected in art deco style, it was rebranded as the Tropicana in 1983 and received upgrades such as a wave pool and water slide. But as the infrastructure aged, visitor numbers declined, and Tropicana was closed in 2000. The facility was neglected and deteriorated quickly, and after a decade of disrepair the infrastructure had become unsafe. The city council announced that Tropicana would be demolished to make room for a new project. Lack of funding and planning permissions delayed the project, until artist Banksy curated an art exposition in Tropicana in 2015, attracting international attention. The city council committed an investment of half a million pounds to render the site safe until a new use for it can be found. The Tropicana's impressive sea wall and art deco facade are a modern day relic of the lost glory of Weston-super-Mare. (updated Aug 2020)

4 Birnbeck Pier (get off at bus stop Birnbeck Pier). Pier in Victorian architectural style, connecting the shore to Birnbeck island. The pier was constructed between 1864 and 1867 wh

Do

Theatres and cinemas 1 Playhouse Theatre, High Street, ☏ +44 1934 645544. A 658-seat theatre hosting summer variety, concerts, dance, films, drama, local amateur productions and a Christmas pantomime. £4-20. 2 The Winter Gardens, Royal Parade, ☏ +44 1934 417117. Ballroom dancing, conferences, farmers' markets, fairs, wrestling in a pavilion opened in 1927. free-£12.00. 3 Odeon Cinema, The Centre, High Street (5 minutes from railway station), ☏ +44 871 22 44 007. Daily noon-10PM, occasional late screenings. A 4-screen miniplex showing main feature films, online booking available. £3.25-8.10. 4 The Blakehay, Wadham Street (just off High Street), ☏ +44 1934 645493. A 200-seat community theatre and arts venue, with a programme of plays, concerts, puppet theatre, films and dance performance.

Events Weston Air Festival was held on the sea front, with air displays and static exhibitions, on the same June weekend as Armed Forces Day. The 2023 festival was cancelled as the council were unable to pay a £135,000 subsidy, and the future is uncertain. 1 Sand Sculpture Festival: , The Beach, ☏ +44 1934 888800. Daylight hours only. Spectacular sculptures by artists from around the world. The largest may be as high as 10 feet tall and use up to 20 tons of sand. April-November. Free. (date needs fixing) 2 Weston Beach Race: , The Beach (Follow seafront signs from J21 of the M5), ☏ +44 1873 840640, [email protected]. An annual extravaganza of motorcycle stunts and races over a specially constructed sand course in early October. £4-16/day in advance. (date needs fixing) 3 Weston Illuminated Carnival: 12 November 2021, town centre and seafront, ☏ +44 1934 629888, [email protected]. 7-10PM. Part of the Somerset carnival season, November annually. 2020 editions was cancelled because of the Corona virus pandemic. free, donations collected. (date needs updating)

Leisure parks 5 The Campus, Highlands Lane, Locking Castle (travel along Elmham Way in Weston-super

Buy

High Street (three minutes from sea front). Main shopping centre. 1 Sovereign Shopping Centre, High Street, Salisbury Terrace, BS23 1HL (just off High Street), ☏ +44 1934 644111. 38 shops and a cafe. A bit outdated, but looks nicer inside than its scruffy look on the outside. In Aug 2020, many shops are still closed because of the coronavirus.

Eat

There are many fish and chip shops, cafes and other fast food outlets in and around the High Street and sea front. Also a small number of Indian and Chinese restaurants and take-aways.

1 Yo-Ji, 25-27 St James Street, BS23 1ST, ☏ +44 1934 620800. 11AM-3PM, 5-10:30PM. Japanese restaurant serving fine cuisine and sushi 2 Old Thatched Cottage, 14 Knightstone Road, BS23 2AN, ☏ +44 1934 621313. Situated in the oldest building in Weston is this family-run restaurant specialising in steak and fish. 3 Bengal Raj, 8-20 Boulevard, BS23 1N