Spring is here: the days are getting longer, the nights are getting warmer and there’s a bucket load of bank holidays on the horizon. We’ve all got an eye out for day trips from Bristol, but nothing is as unbeatable as a beach trip. There are plenty of beaches near Bristol too, most you have probably heard of, but what about Kilve Beach?
Everyone else will be heading to Clevedon and Weston-Super-Mare this spring, or making the much longer drive towards Dorset or Devon. But you can skip the crowds and long journeys by heading to the heart of the Quantocks. Here you’ll find Kilve Beach, halfway between Minehead and Bridgwater.
You won’t find any sandy shores, unfortunately, so maybe don’t pack the suntan lotion and swimming costumes just yet. But Kilve Beach is still no less breathtaking. The English poet Wordsworth once noted “Kilve’s delightful shore,” while it is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Visitors will also discover endless ammonite fossils in the cliffs, while rock pools along its shoreline are ripe for investigating. Just note that removing fossils from the cliffs and bedrock is prohibited. But don’t let that put you off! The sunset-facing beach will leave you awe-struck as you stand upon history billions of years old.
To fuel up on snacks afterwards, Chantry Tea Gardens is a special spot in the Quantocks (and only a very short walk from the beach). Who knew cream tea made the perfect pitstop meal when walking the coastline? But if you’d rather bring food yourself, despite being fairly sandless, some patches of grass around Kilve Beach do provide some picnic opportunities. Perfect for a lazy day outside of Bristol.
Kilve beach is less than an hour and a half away when driving from Bristol. Just mindful of nearby parking.