13 August 2023 , 16:14
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Just 15 miles from Bristol, Middle Hope Beach is largely untouche d and unspoiled and featured as the backdrop for a recent Jane Austen period drama.
The secluded curved cove is only known to locals in the Bristol area, the curved cove is made up of sandy stretches and pebbles and - when the tide is in - it's possible to swim in the sea. The beach is off the beaten track and is accessible solely by foot, situated off the cliff coastline from Sand Point up past Clevedon and Portishead to the Avon estuary at Avonmouth.
Bristol Live’s Tristan Cork said: “It’s like stepping back in time.” Most people park at the National Trust car park at the far northern end of Sand Bay, the little sister beach to Weston’s grand sands.
Untouched by the 21st century it was the perfect Jane Austen backdrop for a recent period drama.Getting to Sand Bay involves driving through Weston’s inland suburbs, then out across Kewstoke and Norton, before hitting the long straight road sheltered behind Sand Bay’s dunes. At the end of the road, just before the looming Sand Point ridge, is the National Trust car park which often houses an ice cream van.
From there, there are two footpaths heading up onto the hillside before you emerge onto the wide open spaces of the downland. There’s a medieval priory a bit further inland, and the opportunity to turn westwards, heading out to the very pointy bit of Sand Point, for stunning views across the Bristol Channel to North Devon, Cardiff, the Brecon Beacons and up to the two Severn bridges.
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Just around the headland, across a couple of open areas where sheep are likely to be grazing, is Middle Hope beach.
There is nothing there except a couple of spots where the edge of the grassland is cut to create steps, to provide access to the beach itself. Tristan said: “The curving beach is naturally beautiful, with its coarse sand at the back gradually giving way to more sturdy pebbles and then rocks.”
When the tide is in, swimming - or at least paddling - is definitely an option. The rocks go out far enough for it to be shallow enough for safe bathing, with views around the coast to Clevedon and further in the distance, Portishead, beyond.
Cork added: “On a sunny, summer’s day this could be Cornwall or the Gower, and it’s no coincidence this was chosen as a regular outdoor location for the filming of the TV series Sanditon - which sought to complete and adapt Jane Austen’s last, unfinished novel. With nothing of the modern world within view, it was a perfect choice.”