Clevedon, on the Severn Estuary’s eastern shore and a dozen miles or so from Bristol, has seen its fair share of well-known 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, penned his poem The Eolian Harp at the Somerset seaside town (and had his honeymoon 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 heart of the action, with performances there by musical group The Barnacle Buoys, with their toe-tapping sea shanties.
It’s also the spot for fish and chips at the sleek Glass Box restaurant, a transparent cube offering great views of the Severn.
Tamara Hinson visits the Somerset town of Clevedon, which lies along the Severn Estuary’s eastern shore
Poets’ Walk, a 1.5-mile coastal trail, begins at the edge of Marine Lake, snakes up a hill then takes in old Tennyson and Coleridge haunts.
Among the landmarks along the way is a turreted construction built in 1835 so sugar merchants 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 from the 1800s and is perfect for post-walk lunches (excellent squid with lemon). On colder days, the most sought-after spot is next to the roaring fire.
End of the pier show: Clevedon is home to a grade I-listed pier (seen here)
Tamara says the pier is ‘at the heart of the action, with performances there by musical group The Barnacle Buoys’
Above, Glass Box restaurant – ‘the spot for fish and chips’
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a fan of Clevedon, reveals Tamara
Hill Road, near the pier, is lined with cafes and independent stores such as Gems, a gift shop stuffed with marine life-themed pottery.
Another top attraction is the Curzon Cinema, with its glorious sunbeam-shaped art deco arch (look out for marks in the concrete from a World War II bomb).
The Curzon, which opened in 1912, lays proud claim to being one of the world’s oldest continually operating cinemas. It is also a venue for stand-up gigs and concerts.
In the mystical-inspired The Eolian Harp, Coleridge mused on ‘twilight elves’ arriving on ‘voyages on gentle gales from Fairy-Land’.
I didn’t see any of them, sadly.
WHERE TO STAY: The Moon And Sixpence is a seafront hotel close to the pier with five rooms (Room 4, on the first floor, has gorgeous sea views).
The menu is packed with hearty comfort food, including a delicious homemade steak and ale pie. Doubles from £90 B&B (moonandsixpenceclevedon.co.uk).
Tamara stays at The Moon And Sixpence (pictured), a seafront hotel close to the pier with five rooms