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11 Best Beaches In Somerset and Bristol
Tide matters more than sunshine on this coast. The water here retreats an extraordinary way, and at Brean Beach, Berrow Beach and Weston Super Mare Beach that leaves a long walk out to the sea over ground that is not all firm. Look up the tide before leaving the house. One beach is firm sand and a wide playground at one hour of the day and mudflat at another. Eleven beaches are recorded across Somerset and Bristol. Kilve Beach and St Audries Bay are the rocky end of the list, better for looking than for swimming.
Top beaches in Somerset and Bristol
Showing 1–11 of 11
BeachesClevedon Beach
BeachesSt Audries Bay
BeachesBrean Beach
BeachesUphill Slipway Beach
BeachesBerrow Beach
BeachesWeston Super Mare Beach
BeachesLadye Bay
BeachesKilve Beach
BeachesSand Bay
BeachesBurnham Beach
BeachesBlue Anchour Bay
Take the soft mud warnings on the flatter beaches seriously, keep young children on firm sand, and treat the incoming tide as something that arrives faster than it looks. A cold clear day with a low tide and a bucket often beats a hot crowded one, so do not write off this coast outside the summer weeks.
Beaches in Somerset and Bristol: FAQs
Which of these is best for rockpooling?
Kilve Beach is the obvious answer, with a rocky ledge foreshore that holds water as the sea drops back, and St Audries Bay works on similar ground. Go on a falling tide rather than a rising one, take shoes that can get wet, and accept that the appeal here is looking closely at small things rather than swimming.
Is it safe to walk out towards the water?
Treat that as a no unless you know the beach well. The flat beaches on this stretch have areas of soft mud where firm sand appears to continue, and the tide comes in across a wide, shallow slope. Keep to the marked and used areas, keep children in sight, and turn back well before you think you need to.
What is there when the weather turns?
Nothing on this list, which is worth planning for: all eleven are outdoor and none record indoor space. The seaside towns themselves are where the shelter is, so a beach day here should have a second half in mind before you set out, particularly with young children who will not walk a promenade in the rain for long.
Is a beach day here worth it out of season?
Often more so. Wind, big skies and a huge expanse of sand suit a child with a kite or a football better than a crowded summer afternoon does, and the shoreline is more interesting when there is nobody else on it. Dressed for a hill rather than for a beach, nobody much notices the cold.
Which suits a toddler?
Clevedon Beach is the gentler pick, contained rather than vast, and it is also the single entry our data marks as free to visit. Sand Bay and Uphill Slipway Beach are quieter than the main resort beaches, which helps if the aim is to keep one small person within arm's reach.