Clare Gladstone takes a look at one of the jewels of North Somerset’s crown – the coastal town of Clevedon

Clevedon’s restored Grade I Listed Victorian Pier is one of the finest in the country and it is no wonder Sir John Betjemen declared it ‘The most beautiful pier in England’.

The 19th century pier is a marvellous feat of engineering as it stretches 850 feet out into the Severn Estuary. Visitors come from far and wide to marvel at the beauty of one of North Somerset’s most recognisable landmarks.

The Clevedon Pier & Heritage Trust has been working to improve visitor facilities and to help cement the pier’s place in history. While structurally stunning and historically important, the pier lacked visitor facilities to allow it to generate the estimated £100,000 a year it would need to become self-sufficient.

But since the completion of the £2.2million visitor centre, with money raised through grants, special events and selling shares, the pier now has an educational room looking out to sea, as well as toilets, a tea room and a shop. The pier and the new Porthole Room can now be hired for functions, including weddings.

As well as the pier, Clevedon’s seafront offers the ideal place for a stroll along the promenade with its pebbled beach, marine lake, ornamental gardens and Victorian bandstand, as well as a light railway and mini-golf close by.

While you’re there...

Explore the beautiful terraced gardens of Clevedon Court and marvel at the display of Nailsea glass inside the medieval manor. Home to the lords of the manor of Clevedon for centuries the house now belongs to the Elton family and is looked after by the National Trust.

or spend an evening at...

Curzon Cinema & Arts: Clevedon’s historic cinema has been in continuous operation since 1912 and was saved by the local community in 1996. Independent and traditionally run, the Curzon shows a wide range of films including the National Theatre Live shows as well as hosting live comedy and music.

Did you know…?

The steel work of the legs and curved sections of Clevedon Pier is made from old railway lines. When the pier was being built, the type of lines used for railways was changing, meaning a lot of secondhand railway lines were available – perfect for the pier.