Kewstoke village is where our family has lived and worked since 1988, so we are biased. But we are also fairly sure that anyone who spends a weekend here will understand why we never left. Tucked between Worlebury Hill and the sea, two miles north of Weston-super-Mare, Kewstoke has a beach, a headland, a medieval priory, a good pub and almost no traffic. This is our guide to the village, written for guests who want to know what is on the doorstep.
In this guide
Where Kewstoke village is and how to get here
Kewstoke sits on the northern side of Worlebury Hill, the wooded ridge that separates it from Weston-super-Mare. The village runs along Kewstoke Road towards Sand Bay, with the older part clustered around St Paul’s Church. It is about ten minutes by car from Weston town centre and junction 21 of the M5, and the number 1 bus links it to the seafront.
Our cottages are on Lower Norton Lane, a quiet lane on the edge of the village with fields on one side and the woods on the other. Everything below is within a short walk or a five-minute drive.
1. Sand Bay beach
The village beach is a long, quiet crescent of sand backed by dunes and the hill. At low tide it stretches out for hundreds of metres, and it is dog friendly all year. There is a promenade for an easy stroll, a chip shop at the northern end and, on a summer evening, some of the best sunsets on the Somerset coast.
2. Sand Point and Middle Hope
Where the road ends at the top of Sand Bay, the National Trust headland begins. A short walk along the ridge takes you to the point with views across the Bristol Channel to Wales and back over Weston. Sand Point is a five-minute walk from our cottages and the first thing most guests do after unpacking.
3. Woodspring Priory
Hidden in the fields beyond Sand Point is Woodspring Priory, a 13th-century priory founded in memory of Thomas Becket. It is now looked after by the Landmark Trust and can be visited on certain days, but even from the footpath the church tower rising out of the farmland is a lovely sight. A fifteen-minute walk from the village.
4. The Monks’ Steps
Beside St Paul’s Church a stone stairway climbs steeply through the woods to the top of Worlebury Hill. Local legend says the monks of Woodspring used it on their way to Weston. It is a short, sharp climb with a real sense of history, and it links Kewstoke village to the miles of paths through Weston Woods at the top.
5. Weston Woods and Worlebury Hillfort
The hill above the village is covered in mature woodland, criss-crossed with paths and bridleways. Among the trees are the stone ramparts of an Iron Age hillfort, one of the largest in the region. It is a cool, shady walk on a hot day and the perfect place to get dogs tired.
6. The Old Manor Inn
The village pub sits on Kewstoke Road a short walk from the cottages. It is a proper local with food, a garden and a warm welcome for guests who have just come off the beach. Our experiences page has the details.
7. St Paul’s Church
The parish church is Norman in origin and famous for the Kewstoke reliquary, a small wooden cup found in the church wall in the 19th century that some believe once held a relic of Thomas Becket. The churchyard is a peaceful spot and the starting point for the Monks’ Steps.
8. Weston-super-Mare on the other side of the hill
For everything the village does not have, Weston is ten minutes away. The Grand Pier, the Marine Lake, the museum, cafés and restaurants along the seafront, and two miles of beach. The best bit about Kewstoke village is coming home to the quiet afterwards. See our family guide to Weston for ideas.
9. The countryside beyond
Kewstoke is a good base for the whole of North Somerset. The Mendip Hills, Cheddar Gorge and Thatchers cider farm are all within half an hour, Clevedon and Bristol are up the M5, and Wells and Glastonbury are under an hour. Our experiences page lists more than thirty places we send guests to.
A day in Kewstoke, hour by hour
Start with a walk to Sand Point before breakfast, when the light is on the water and the only other people are dog walkers. Come back through the village past St Paul’s Church and have breakfast in the cottage garden. Mid-morning, cross the hill into Weston for the pier and the shops, or stay in Kewstoke and climb the Monks’ Steps into Weston Woods. Lunch at The Old Manor Inn. In the afternoon, Sand Bay beach at low tide with a kite or a dog, then fish and chips on the sea wall as the sun goes down over the Bristol Channel.
That is the Kewstoke day most of our guests end up having, whether they planned it or not. It is a village that rewards slowing down.
Kewstoke for walkers
The village is a walker’s base as much as a beach base. Sand Point and Middle Hope give a two-mile headland walk. The Monks’ Steps and Weston Woods give a three-mile woodland loop with an Iron Age hillfort in the middle. Beach Road along Sand Bay is a flat two-mile promenade. Footpaths across the fields lead to Woodspring Priory and on towards Wick St Lawrence. Our best walks guide has all of them with distances.
Kewstoke for families
Children like Kewstoke because it is safe and simple: a beach with rock pools, a headland to explore, woods to build dens in and a village where you can walk to the pub without crossing a main road. The cottages have enclosed gardens with picnic benches and barbecues. Puxton Park, the big farm attraction, is ten minutes away, and Weston’s pier and Marine Lake are the same. Our family guide to Weston lists the rest.
Kewstoke for dog owners
This is dog country. Sand Bay is dog friendly all year, Sand Point and the woods are full of paths, and every one of our cottages has an enclosed garden and welcomes dogs. The village pub has dog bowls outside. Within a short drive there are half a dozen more dog friendly beaches, from Uphill to Brean, covered in our dog beaches guide.
Getting around from Kewstoke
- The number 1 bus links Kewstoke and Sand Bay with Weston seafront and the railway station.
- Weston-super-Mare station has direct trains to Bristol in about thirty minutes and to Bath, Taunton and Exeter.
- Junction 21 of the M5 is a ten-minute drive, with Bristol forty minutes north and Exeter an hour south.
- Bristol Airport is around thirty-five minutes by car.
- Cheddar, Wells and the Mendip villages are twenty to forty minutes inland by car or bus.
Practical notes for a stay in Kewstoke
The village has a pub and a church but no shop, so stock up in Weston on the way in or use the big supermarkets ten minutes away, most of which deliver to the cottages. The nearest petrol station is on the Weston side of the hill. Mobile signal is good in the village and patchy on the headland. The lanes are narrow in places and shared with walkers and horses, so drive gently.
Kewstoke is quiet at night. There is no street lighting on Lower Norton Lane, which means the stars on a clear night are remarkable, and it means a torch is useful for the walk back from the pub.
A little history
The name Kewstoke probably comes from a Celtic saint called Kew, with the Old English “stoke” meaning a settlement. The village appears in the Domesday Book, and the farm we live on has stood on Lower Norton Lane for centuries. The 450-year-old fireplace in our own farmhouse still warms guests today. You can read the family’s side of the story on our Our Story page.
Staying in Kewstoke
We have five cottages at the farm, sleeping from two to ten, all dog friendly with enclosed gardens and private parking. Sand Bay and Sand Point are a few minutes away on foot. Browse the cottages, or get in touch if you would like advice on which one suits your group. We have lived in Kewstoke village long enough to have an opinion on everything.
For public transport and local services, North Somerset Council covers the village, and the National Trust looks after the headland.