134 Somerset
Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. The county town is Taunton, situated at 51°00′49″N, 3°06′23″W. Prior to 1974, Somerset adjoined the counties of Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north east, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south east and Devon to the southwest. The county is bounded to the north by the coast of the Bristol Channel.
The name is pronounced as though spelt Summerset. Some local people pronounce it Zummerzet as per the local West Country Accent. The name derives from Somersæte, meaning land of the summer people. The name continues in the motto of the county, Sumorsaete ealle, meaning “all the people of Somerset” in Anglo-Saxon.
Somerset is a largely rural county famous for its rolling hills and downland, the large flat Somerset Levels, and the Exmoor National Park which straddles the border with Devon. The town of Glastonbury is famous in mythology. The north of the county is administratively independent and includes the city of Bath, a World Heritage Site famous for its Roman history and Georgian architecture. The popular sea-side resort Weston-super-Mare lies on the Bristol Channel coast.
Source: wikipedia.org
127 Landscapes of England - Brean - Somerset
Landscapes Of England: Brean by Steven Cronin
As a child I can remember thinking of Brean as the most boring place on earth. The bright lights of Blackpool were much more exiting. Countless arcades and video games would ebb away your time, as well as your money. The possibilities were endless.
Age helps you appreciate the finer details in life. Suddenly Brean had become a beautiful stretch of coastline boasting windswept sand dunes and several miles of golden sands.
So the funfair may have grown and its visitors gotten younger, but Brean retains an inner calm, somewhere for the weekend to relax and recharge your batteries, run dangerously low by the rigours of city life.
And what a wonderful, panoramic view that unfolds before you. To the left, reaching out towards the horizon lies the rugged coastline of north Devon. Gazing straight ahead over the Bristol Channel, your eyes are drawn towards the south coast of Wales.
On a clear day, with the aid of binoculars, you can make out the Cardiff docks. Nearby is the magnificent Millennium Stadium, pride of the nation and home to the Welsh rugby team and many other great sporting events.
The summer months bring a large influx of tourists and are busy days for beach patrol. The flat sands leave a huge area of beach exposed at low tide, revealing dangerous mud flats.
The warning signs emphasize the danger of walking too far out towards the sea. Lives have been lost in the past, victims of the sinking mud and sand. The lifeguard’s jeep patrolling up and down the beach is a familiar sight in summer.
“Move inland away from the sea,” bellows the coastguard through the jeep’s loudspeakers. It’s incredible the number of people who ignore the warning signs, remaining oblivious to the dangers around them.
The receding tide has exposed a path of shells leading northwards along the shore to Brean Down, a narrow piece of land jutting out into the sea.
The one hundred or so steps to the top are a challenge. An ideal spot for binoculars, the summit of Brean Down casts its eye many miles. The coastlines of South Wales and southwest England feature predominantly in the skyline.
A clear day yields some memorable views. From up here, Brean appears to be carpeted with caravans spread as far as the eye can see. Holiday parks are everywhere; it’s easy to appreciate why Brean is so popular with caravan lovers.
Steven Cronin owns the City Breaks website featuring city break special offers from luxury hotels to budget accommodations. For more information please visit http://www.sargas.co.uk
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