Clevedon, on the east bank of the Severn estuary and a dozen miles or so from Bristol, has seen its fair share of famous figures over the years.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, the Victorian Poet Laureate, was a regular, and in 1795 Samuel Taylor Coleridge, pictured below by artist Peter Vandyke, wrote his poem The Aeolian Harp at the Somerset seaside town (and honeymooned there).
Meanwhile, travel writer Jan Morris, who broke the story of Sir Edmund Hillary’s first ascent of Everest in 1953, was born in Clevedon.
This Grade I listed pier is at the center of the action, with performances there by musical group The Barnacle Buoys, with their toe-tapping sea shanties.
It’s also the place for fish and chips at the sleek Glass Box restaurant, a transparent cube that offers great views of the Severn.
Tamara Hinson visits the Somerset town of Clevedon, which lies along the Severn Estuary’s east bank.
Poets’ Walk, a 1.5 mile coastal route, starts at the edge of Marine Lake, winds up a hill then takes in old Tennyson and Coleridge sites.
Among the landmarks along the way are a tower structure built in 1835 so that sugar traders could watch ships arriving from the West Indies, plus an Iron Age fort and a World War II shelter.
Afterwards, refuel at the charming Little Harp pub, which dates back to the 1800s and is perfect for post-hike lunches (excellent squid with lemon). On colder days, the most sought-after spot is next to the roaring fire.
End of the pier display: Clevedon is home to a Grade I listed pier (seen here)
Tamara says the pier is ‘the heart of the action, with performances there by the musical group The Barnacle Buoys’
Above, Glass Box restaurant – ‘the place for fish and chips’
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a fan of Clevedon, Tamara reveals
Hill Road, close to the pier, is lined with cafes and independent shops such as Gems, a gift shop packed with marine life-themed pottery.
Another top attraction is the Curzon cinema, with its glorious sunburst art deco arch (look out for marks in the concrete from a Second World War bomb).
Opened in 1912, the Curzon proudly claims to be one of the world’s oldest continuously operating cinemas. It is also a venue for stand-up gigs and concerts.
In the mystically inspired The Aeolian Harp, Coleridge mused about ‘twilight elves’ arriving on ‘journeys on gentle storms of Fairy-Land’.
Unfortunately I didn’t see any of them.
WHERE TO STAY: The Moon And Sixpence is a seafront hotel near the pier with five rooms (Room 4, on the first floor, has beautiful sea views).
The menu is packed with hearty comfort food, including a delicious homemade steak and beer pie. Double from £90 B&B (moonandsixpenceclevedon.co.uk).
Tamara is staying at The Moon And Sixpence (pictured), a five-room seafront hotel near the pier
