Idyllic UK town is home to one of Europe's longest stretches of golden beaches
A little-known idyllic town located just one hour from Bristol is home to one of Europe's longest stretches of sand and is considered a hidden gem as not many tourists visit it.
Brean, in the West Country, boasts seven miles of golden sand and during low tide, mud flats are exposed. The beach, on the Somerset coastline, is popular with people who enjoy walking outdoors, as well as dog walkers and water sports enthusiasts.
Offering breathtaking views of the Bristol Channel, the beach is also home to a 4th-century Roman temple. Visitors can also explore a 19th-century fort that was originally built to fend off a possible Napoleonic invasion.
The beach is popular with walkers (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Early signs of life in the area date back to 10,000 BC and there is archaeological evidence of extinct animals such as mammoths and woolly rhinos existing in the area, according to Discover Brean. Brean Down Fort was built in the 1860s as one of the Palmerston Forts to protect the ports of the Bristol Channel.
While no shots were ever fired in action, in 1900 there was an explosion caused by a soldier firing into a magazine containing three tonnes of gunpowder, consequently losing his life. The explosion caused considerable damage and the fort was eventually decommissioned in 1901. During the Second World War, the fort was then re-armed as a coastal artillery battery.
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Apart from its fascinating history, those wishing to visit Brean can also admire its strong links with agriculture, thanks to "Celtic" fields on the Down. There are also two churches tourists can visit - St Bridget's Church from the 13th century and Brean Methodist Church, which was first established in the late 1700s.
Brean Down is a promontory sticking out into the Bristol Channel (Bristol Post)Earlier this month, the beachfront Warren Farm Holiday Centre was named Holiday Centre of the Year at the AA Caravan and Camping Awards, BristolLive reports. The family-run site has luxury caravans - with hot tubs - for hire and spacious touring pitches, some with private bathrooms.
The first section of the King Charles III England Coastal Path at Brean Down was recently opened and this is expected to attract even more day-trippers. It is also one of the few places in the West Country where you are allowed to park on the beach, making access easy.
Thanks to its location, Brean is also an ideal base for exploring the West Country. The town is situated between Weston-super-Mare and Burnham-on-Sea.
The fort was re-armed as a coastal artillery battery during WW2 (BUP)TripAdvisor is full of raving reviews of the spot. One happy tourist wrote: "I was staying in Burnham on Sea for 2 nights, a delightful town, I thought although didn't have much time to explore. The beach was beautiful, sand for miles and a great little lighthouse. I went to Brean Down on a blustery day, threatening showers and misty but so glad I did.
"It is an overwhelming experience and I will definitely visit again on a sunnier day. There were quite a lot of steps to encounter but getting up there is worth it and walk right along to the end. I loved Brean Down, so called "natural pier". The views were wonderful even on not such a clear day."
The town is in an ideal location and is a good starting point to visit the West Country (Getty Images)Another said: "It really doesn’t disappoint. The walk out on the peninsula to the fort is fantastic, you get great views of Weston-super-Mare and across the Bristol channel, Cardiff. The fort is interesting, although we were disappointed one of the main blocks is inaccessible, and you can take a different route back to the steps leading to the car park."
A third added: "Good walk around the hills lots of war history to see very steep at the beginning we went the wrong way round really take the steps first hard at the beginning but better after that."
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