SOMERSET COAST PATH
Stage 7: Weston-super-Mare to Clevedon

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Similarly to the previous stage, the majority of this 27km walk was away from the coast on a poorly maintained and rather roundabout route that is soon to be replaced by a better one when the England Coast Path is extended from Brean Down to the Welsh border. I'll therefore take the same approach as I did for the previous stage, leaving a few photos for now and returning once the new path is open.

The route follows the seafront northwards from Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier, passing by Knightstone Island (which is entirely built over) and the large tidal pool of the Marine Lake before rounding Anchor Head and passing by the derelict Birnbeck Pier on the way out of town. The walk then joins a quiet path through the forest on Worlebury Hill to reach Sand Bay. Halfway around the bay the route leaves the coast for its long diversion inland across rather featureless farmland and along narrow lanes to get around the Banwell and Oldbridge rivers. After around 17 kilometres, the path finally returns to the coast at Gullhouse Point, having bypassed about five kilometres of the coast. It's then an easy stroll around the little inlet of Clevedon Pill and following the Poet's Walk over Church Hill to reach the seafront at Clevedon, where the path continues up to Clevedon's historic pier.