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The pretty
coastal village of Kewstoke lies 3 km north of Weston-super-Mare,
overlooking Sand Bay.
To the
north is the headland of Sand Point (also known as Middle
Hope) and to the south, Worlebury Hill.
Kewstoke
stands in a peaceful, rural area and from here there are fine
views up and down the Severn Estuary and over Woodsprung Priory,
set in the lee of Sand Point.
The parish
church of St Paul's, founded by the Normans, is a pleasing
mixture of architectural styles, mainly dating from the 13th
- 15th centuries. Opposite the church is Monk's Hill, where
the ancient St Kew's Steps link the sea below the village
with Worlebury Hill camp in Weston Woods.
Sand
Bay, bordered to the north by Sand Point, has views up
and down the Severn and over Woodsprung Priory, sheltering
in the lee of Sand Point. The local geology, boasting nationally
important volcanic rocks, has attracted visitors for over
200 years.
Sand
Bay is noted for its bird population, sand dune communites
and saltmarsh. Since the 1950s the northern end of the bay
has become overgrown with spartina grass, originally planted
to protect a tributary of the Bristol Channel further upstream.
In the
1980s the level of one part of the beach was raised to prevent
flooding by pumping sand from the Bristol Channel. As a result
the beach now has two levels, the original height near the
sea and the higher level beside the road. Sand Bay is a popular
bathing beach with good water quality.
However,
because debris regularly washes in from the Bristol Channel,
it has never received a European Blue Flag.
Sand
Bay is a family holiday destination with a holiday camp (Sand
Bay Holiday Village) and several static caravan parks.
Sand
Point and Middle Hope form a large headland reaching out
into the Bristol Channel to the north of Kewstoke. Owned
by the National Trust, the headland boasts the largest complete
set of Black Rock Limestone in the South-West and supports
rare wildlife including the Cheddar Pink, Somerset Hair Grass
and an introduced colony of Glanville Fritillary butterfly.
Good
coastal walks along this promontory, which also has archaeological
sites dating from the Bronze Age to World War II. A line
reaching from Sand Point to Lavernock Point in South Wales
marks the lower limit of the Severn Estuary and the start
of the Bristol Channel.
On clear
days there are views across the Bristol Channel to South Wales
and towards Clevedon, the Second Severn Crossing and the Severn
Bridge.
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Kewstoke
Woodspring Priory, Kewstoke
