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Brean and Berrow

Brean and Berrow

Brean and Berrow sit at the northern end of the Somerset coast which ends with the dramatic backdrop of Brean Down – a historic monument managed by the National Trust and full of history, wildlife and rare plants. Beneath it is Brean beach, the northern end of a seven mile long stretch of sand that begins in Burnham-on-Sea to the south with plenty of open space to explore in between. It is the perfect setting for walks, with circular routes on Brean Down as well as beach routes further south.

  • Brean Down Fort
  • Brean Down View of The Mendips
  • Wreck of the Nornen at Berrow
  • Brean Beach

The sands in Berrow are backed by dunes that are recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Local Nature Reserve to protect their varied habitats. These support a high level of diversity including over 270 plant species.  Just south of the Nature Reserve is the wreck of the Nornen, a wooden barque from Norway which grounded in a storm in 1897, and proved impossible to salvage. Two stark rows of broken timbers are all that remains.

There are footpaths from the coast road to the beach along its length and beach access roads in Brean and Berrow, where sections of the beach are available for beach parking, as well as car parks at Brean Down and Berrow.  The beach is dog-friendly all year round, making it ideal for dog walks too.

Alternatively you can head to the top of Brean Down and take the exhilarating 1.5 mile walk along Somerset’s greatest natural pier. At 97m high, the views from the top are truly spectacular, looking out over the Bristol Channel towards south Wales and Steep Holm, inland over the Somerset Levels and west across the Somerset coast to Exmoor.

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Walks in this area

Where to stay

Please note: this map shows approximate location
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