Brean Down Fort and Brean Sands, Somerset

Brean Down sticks out into the Bristol Channel providing a clear division between the sands of Weston-super-Mare and the extensive rolling sand dunes and vast expanse of mudflats below on the sandy beach that runs from Burnham-on-Sea, through Berrow to Brean. The fort sits at the very end of the promontory, perched in eerie isolation looking out over the muddy, churning sea that is the Bristol Channel. The whole headland is a site of special scientific interest for the natural history and a scheduled ancient monument.

History of Brean Down Fort

Brean Down has been a site of importance since the Stone Age and even before this time mammoths and woolly rhinos roamed the headland area. On the south side of the headland are ancient field systems and the remains of a Roman temple. More recently an Iron Age fort was built onto the headland and the banks and ditches remain today.

On the headland are the ruins of Brean Down Fort, a Palmerston Fort, built to defend the country against a possible Napoleonic invasion. Across the Bristol Channel is a similar fort at Mumbles Lighthouse, as well as on Steep Holm Island both with a slightly different layout but built with the same intention to protect the Bristol Channel. The fort is ruined but many of the building remain and it is easy to imagine it bustling with soldiers.
During the Second World War the fort again protected the Bristol Channel and the machine gun platforms are still in place. It was mainly used for training and even today is a landmark and turning point for flight training.

Brean Down marks the end of the Mendip Hills that run from Wells in the east and is the start of great 50km walk.

Walking and Exploring Brean Down Fort

This is a 5km circular walk with 152metres of ascent which is mainly covered with the steps up onto the down. The walk from the parking at the end of the road is tough at the start; a flight of steps, winding up the side of the hill.

As you get closer to the top the view out across the Somerset Levels and the Bristol Channel opens up and the halfway point is worth a break to take in the view, if it’s clear. From the top of the steps it is either a walk along the ridge or drop down onto the main path and follow this along the north side towards the fort. There is a path from the parking which is good for pushchairs and those who can’t manage the steps but this winds along and is a bit of a drag.

Once on the Down, it can be either stunning with views to Cardiff and South Wales or blowing a hoolie with thick fog. Just be careful as there are steep cliffs and goats, not a good combination for dogs. The path across the headland to the fort is visible and follows the centre of the down.

The fort is entered over a bridge and the initial buildings are imposing, with swallows flitting in and out it is a strange morphing of man and nature. The structures are all empty now, but the ornate brickwork, rusting metal and historical graffiti all add to the feel of history being within your grasp. The mountings for the guns are all still in place and the rusting doors remain in the storage areas.

There are a lot of nooks and crannies on the fort and it is possible to explore just below the main fort at the end of the headland in the lookout. The whole fort has an unusual feeling and at sunrise and sunset it is stunning.

The walk back from the fort gives stunning views over Weston and a visit to the trig point gives a good pause before heading back down the steps or around on the road.

Wildlife at Brean Down

As you walk up onto the down it will be difficult to miss the goats that graze across the headland. They are often found down the steep slopes enjoying the short grasses that cover the entire area. In the spring the area is a wash of blue with wild bluebells and later in the year the yellow gorse flowers. There are a few trees and these have interesting shapes, blown by the endless winds that funnel up the Bristol Channel. The area has three rare plants that thrive on the windswept hillside – white rock rose, dwarf sedge and Somerset hair grass and peregrine falcons nest on the cliffs of the headland.

Brean Sands and Village

Brean is a small village that forms a ribbon along the coast away from Brean Down towards Berrow and Burnham-on-Sea. In the village, there is the small and quite pretty church of St Bridget that has origins in the 13th and 15th Century and was rebuilt in 1882. St Bridget was abbess of Kildare in Ireland and this may indicate links back to Ireland in the past.

The village is also home to Brean Leisure Park a mad and vibrant place a million miles from the small village and ancient fort. Brean Sands stretch from the headland at Brean Down towards Burnham-on-Sea. The sand is firm and compact and ideal for walking. Care should be taken as this beach has the second-highest tidal range in the world, only beaten by the Bay of Fundy in Canada.

The tide goes out for miles and the sand gives way to dangerous mud flats. When the tide comes in it is fast and if you are on the mud flats you will not be able to beat the rising water levels.

Getting to Brean Down

Brean Down Fort is located at the far end of Brean and Berrow Sands. The road heads out from Burnham-on-Sea, hugging the coast. It passes through the holiday villages at Berrow and Brean before terminating in a National Trust pay and display car park. From the Brean Down car park the path is a continuation of the road. There are either steep steps to the top of the hill or a well-made road that snakes around the headland.
To get here from Weston-Super-Mare you need to take the A370 from the town as there is no way across the River Axe at Brean Down.

• Brean Down National Trust Car Park, Warren Road, Brean, TA8 2RS
• Find on Google Maps
• Brean Down Website