Brean Down Short Walk

Brean Down (National Trust, free entry) is a 2.5km long thin hill / ridge that extends out into the Bristol Channel at the end of a very long (over 10km) and wide sandy beach. It has a small Victorian artillery fort at the end. The ridge is about 100m / 300 ft high, and has great views over the Bristol Channel, and especially of Steep Holme and Flat Holme Islands.

The tide goes out for over a mile here over flat sand, and the beach is hard sand - great for walking on.

The most obvious path up to the ridge is quite steep, but there is a gentler paved path off to your right. Once on top, there is a gentle grassy path to the end, again with a paved alternative.

England Coast Path south : Burnham on Sea

You could start from Highbridge and Burnham Station, and walk along the sandy beach to Bream Down. Its about 20km, including retracing your steps to the bus stop. There is an hourly bus back.

A good option would be to park half way along the beach in Berrow, which has sand dunes, and walk along the beach from there.

England Coast Path north : Weston Super Mare

Danger Do not try and cross the River Axe at low tide - its too dangerous - deep mud.

Warning The River Axe 'England Coast Path' footpath is only open for 2 months a year 16 Apr - 15 Jul only. For the other 10 months of the year it's a tedious inland diversion

Not really recommended - its a 3km / 2 mile inland diversion to cross the River Axe via sluice gate, then the same back to the coast. After the estuary, in Uphill, there is a nice hill with a church and windmill, with a view. Then its a long walk along the hard sand of Weston's sandy beach.

Brean Sands and Berrow Sand Dunes

The long firm sandy beach is great for walking. Further south, near Berrow, are sand dunes, with on street parking behind them.

Brean Down is on the Bristol Channel south of Weston Super Mare (train station), near the M5, about 45 drive from Bristol.

There is an hourly bus - #20 Coaster : Weston Super Mare (station) - Brean - Burnham on Sea. Burnham's station is 3km inland along a riverside path

By car, from north to south (i.e. closest first, but walking north along the beach is pleasent)

• NT car park (members free or £6, TA8 2RS) and a private car park with a cafe (£6, also TA8 2RS), just past the NT car park by the start of the hill
• beach car park (1.5km along the beach from the ridge) £7, or £3.50 after 2:30.
• Very limited free street parking around Bream centre (2.5 km along the beach to the ridge). This is where the bus stops. There is no street parking north of here - the road is too narrow.
• Berrow, free parking but a much longer walk along the beach

There are several beach view cafes, and a (no sea view) pub near the bus stop.

Bream Down has an artillery fort

After the walk, please leave a comment, it really helps. Thanks!

You can also upload photos to the SWC Group on Flickr (upload your photos) and videos to Youtube. This walk's tags are:

National Rail: 03457 48 49 50 • Traveline (bus times): 0871 200 22 33 (12p/min) • TFL (London) : 0343 222 1234

Oct-24 Andrew