Ask any of the family for the best walks near Weston-super-Mare and you will get a different answer, because there are so many good ones. Coastal headlands, wooded hills, flat old railway lines and the Mendips are all within half an hour of the farm. This guide picks eight routes we walk ourselves, with rough distances and the practical details you need. None of them require special kit, just decent shoes and an eye on the weather.
In this guide
The best walks near Weston-super-Mare on the coast
1. Sand Point and Middle Hope (2 miles, easy)
Start at the National Trust car park at the end of Sand Bay and follow the path along the ridge to the tip of the headland. The views take in the whole of Sand Bay, Weston in the distance and the Welsh coast across the water. Return along the shore at Middle Hope if the tide allows. It is a five-minute walk from our cottages to the start, which is why so many guests do it before breakfast.
2. Monks’ Steps and Weston Woods (3 miles, moderate)
From St Paul’s Church in Kewstoke, climb the ancient stone stairway known as the Monks’ Steps up through the trees onto Worlebury Hill. At the top, wander through Weston Woods to the stone ramparts of Worlebury Hillfort, an Iron Age fort with glimpses of the sea. Come back down to the village the same way or drop into Weston for a coffee on the seafront.
3. Weston seafront from Knightstone to Uphill (4 miles, easy)
Flat, paved and impossible to get lost on. Start at Knightstone Island, pass the Grand Pier and follow the promenade south to Uphill, where the old church sits on its hill above the River Axe. A café at Uphill marina makes a good turning point, and the bus runs back into town if you have had enough.
4. Brean Down (3 miles, moderate)
The National Trust headland across the River Axe from Uphill. A steep flight of steps from the beach car park leads onto the ridge, then it is an easy walk out to the Victorian fort at the end with the Bristol Channel on both sides. Keep dogs on leads near the goats and the cliff edges. Twenty-five minutes from the farm by car. Our Brean Down walk guide has the full route.
The best walks near Weston-super-Mare in the hills
5. Crook Peak and Wavering Down (5 miles, moderate)
The western end of the Mendip Hills has the most dramatic skyline in the area. From the car park at Kings Wood near Cross, climb to the rocky summit of Crook Peak, then follow the ridge over Wavering Down. On a clear day you can see Glastonbury Tor, both Severn bridges and the Quantocks. About twenty minutes from the farm.
6. Cheddar Gorge cliff-top loop (4 miles, strenuous)
A circular walk along both rims of Britain’s biggest gorge, with a steep climb up Jacob’s Ladder at the start. The views straight down into the gorge are spectacular. Save it for a dry day, as the limestone gets slippery, and reward yourself with cheese in the village afterwards.
7. Burrington Combe and Black Down (4 miles, moderate)
Park at Burrington Combe, find the Rock of Ages cleft that inspired the hymn, then climb onto Black Down, the highest point of the Mendips at 325 metres. The top is open heathland with huge views across Somerset. It can be windy, so bring a layer even in summer.
8. The Strawberry Line (any distance, easy and flat)
An old railway line turned into a traffic-free path from Yatton to Cheddar. It is completely flat, well surfaced and perfect for buggies, bikes and dogs, passing orchards, wetlands and the village of Axbridge on the way. Walk as far as you like and turn round. The Strawberry Line website has maps and access points.
Choosing between the walks near Weston-super-Mare
With eight routes on the list, the obvious question is which walks near Weston-super-Mare to do first. If you have one afternoon, do Sand Point: it is short, it is spectacular and it starts at the end of our lane. If you have a full day and the weather is dry, do Cheddar Gorge, because the cliff-top loop is the most dramatic walk in the county. If you have a buggy, a bike or someone who does not do hills, do the Strawberry Line and stop for lunch in Axbridge.
Dog owners should start with Sand Bay and Uphill, then Brean Down on a lead. Families with children who need a summit to aim at should do Crook Peak, where the rocky top feels like a real mountain to a seven-year-old. And anyone who just wants a gentle stroll with a coffee at the end should walk the seafront from Knightstone to the pier and back.
Walks near Weston-super-Mare by season
Spring
Sand Point and Brean Down are covered in wildflowers from April, with cowslips, thrift and orchids on the limestone. Bird migration brings waders to the Axe estuary at Uphill. The Mendip tops are still cold, so save Black Down for a bright day.
Summer
Long evenings mean the coastal walks near Weston-super-Mare are best done after tea, when the crowds have gone and the light is golden. Cheddar Gorge is busy in the day but empty by six. Carry water on the Mendips, where there is little shade.
Autumn
Weston Woods above Kewstoke turns gold and the Monks’ Steps walk is at its most beautiful. The Strawberry Line orchards are heavy with apples. Autumn is also cider season, and Thatchers at Sandford is on the way home from most of the Mendip routes.
Winter
The coast is bracing and empty, and the low winter sun makes the views from Sand Point and Brean Down sharper than at any other time. The limestone gorges can be icy, so keep to the coast and the Strawberry Line after a frost.
What to bring
- Walking shoes with grip for anything on limestone; trainers are fine on the coast and the Strawberry Line.
- A windproof layer. The headlands and the Mendip tops are exposed even in summer.
- Water and a snack. Sand Point, Brean Down and Black Down have no cafés at the top.
- A downloaded map. Signal is poor in Cheddar Gorge and Burrington Combe.
- A dog lead, poo bags and a towel if you are bringing the dog.
- Tide times if any part of the route touches the beach.
Longer routes for keen walkers
If eight walks near Weston-super-Mare are not enough, the West Mendip Way runs thirty miles from Uphill to Wells across the whole ridge, and it can be done in sections using the bus. The Mendip Ring and the Strawberry Line extensions add more. Along the coast, the England Coast Path is being joined up between Brean and Clevedon, and the section from Uphill through Weston to Sand Bay and Sand Point is already a fine full-day walk from the cottage.
For serious mileage, combine Crook Peak with Cheddar Gorge along the ridge, a route of about ten miles with two summits and a gorge in the middle. It is the best long day in the hills, and Cheddar has plenty of pubs at the end of it.
After the walk
Every route above ends within twenty minutes of a good pub or café. Cheddar and Axbridge have the most choice, Sandford has the Railway Inn beside Thatchers, Uphill has the marina café, and Kewstoke has The Old Manor Inn a short walk from the cottages. Back at the farm, every cottage has a log burner or a garden, depending on the season, and a hot shower for muddy walkers and muddy dogs alike.
Walking tips for this corner of Somerset
- Tides matter on the coastal routes. The Bristol Channel has a huge range, so check times before walking on the shore.
- Limestone is slippery when wet. Cheddar Gorge and Burrington Combe are better after a dry spell.
- Livestock graze on Sand Point, Brean Down and the Mendips. Keep dogs close and close the gates.
- Buses link Weston with Uphill, Sand Bay and Cheddar, so you can do linear walks without two cars.
- The National Trust and the Mendip Hills National Landscape publish free route maps for most of these.
Stay in the middle of it all
Our cottages in Kewstoke sit between the coast and the hills, with Sand Point at the end of the lane and the Mendips twenty minutes away. All of them are dog friendly with enclosed gardens and a drying room-sized porch for muddy boots. See the cottages, or browse our experiences page for more places to explore between walks.