Weston-super-Mare | Seaside Resort, Victorian Architecture, Beach | Britannica (original) (raw)

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Weston-super-Mare, town, North Somerset unitary authority, historic county of Somerset, southwestern England. It is situated on a sandy bay of the Bristol Channel between the promontory of Brean Down (now owned by the National Trust) and Worlebury Hill at the western end of the Mendip Hills.

Weston-super-Mare has a fine beach, and it developed in the 19th century as a popular resort. The town’s historic pier, a leading tourist attraction, was destroyed by fire in 1930 but was rebuilt and reopened three years later. In 2008 the pavilion at its end again burned down, but it was replaced by a new structure that opened in 2010. Pop. (2001) 71,758; (2011) 76,143.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kenneth Pletcher.