Weston-super-Mare
Explore hidden histories, historic photos, and things you never knew about Weston-super-Mare from the collections and archives of Historic England.
Discover your local listed buildings and places
Introducing some of Weston-super-Mare's most historic sites, included in the National Heritage List for England. Some of these captions have been summarised by AI. Click through for the official List entry.
Weston-Super-Mare Odeon Cinema
Weston-Super-Mare
Cinema with integrated parade of shops (shops vacant 2017). 1935 designed by by T Cecil Howitt and constructed by C Bryant & Son Ltd for the Odeon cinema chain.
Weston-super-Mare Library
Weston-Super-Mare
Public library, 1900, by local architect Hans Fowler Price (1835-1912) with SJ Wilde and PG Fry.
Grove Park
Weston-Super-Mare
Grove Park in Weston-super-Mare was developed from pleasure grounds by A E Collins in 1890-1891, featuring a bandstand, war memorial, formal gardens, and rock gardens.
The Royal Hotel, including attached North Range and rear …
Weston-Super-Mare
Hotel; early C19 and substantially enlarged in around 1850, the mid-C19 work attributed to SB Gabriel and JH Hirst. Also attached mid-C19 stable and coach house range; altered late C19.
16-18 South Parade and rear boundary wall
Weston-Super-Mare
Former bank, now café-bar and offices, built probably in the late 1860s for the Stuckey Banking Company Ltd; altered and extended to rear in 1929. Further late-C20 alterations.
Weston-super-Mare Railway Station
Weston-Super-Mare
Railway station, designed in 1875-1876 by Francis Fox for Bristol and Exeter Railway and completed in 1884 for the Great Western Railway.
Grove Park War Memorial
Weston-Super-Mare
A war memorial and sculpture of 1922 by Alfred Drury RA, with 1940s memorial plinths to the north.
Disused signal box north-east of Weston-Super-Mare Railwa…
Weston-Super-Mare
Decommissioned signal box, built around 1866 for the Bristol and Exeter Railway, extended in the early C20.
Motte at Castle Batch
Weston-Super-Mare
The motte at Castle Batch is a rare surviving medieval fortification offering insight into Norman architectural strategies without an accompanying bailey.
Worle War Memorial
Weston-Super-Mare
War memorial of 1922, with further inscriptions added after the Second World War and in 1993; gates replaced in 1959.
Weston-super-Mare through time
This timeline shows the first period of use for buildings and places on the National Heritage List for England, just one of the details recorded for every list entry. Click around to see how Weston-super-Mare changes over time.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Aerial photos of Weston-super-Mare
Aerial photography helps reveal secrets of England's changing landscapes that are impossible to see from the ground.
Weston-Super-Mare
View over Weston-Super-Mare and the Grand Pier, Weston-Super-Mare, 1920
Weston-Super-Mare
Worlebury Hill and the sea front, Weston-super-Mare, 1954
Weston-Super-Mare
Clarence Park and houses on Beach Road, Weston-super-Mare, 1928
Weston-Super-Mare
The Swimming Pool (Tropicana) under construction, Beach Lawns and the town, Weston-super-Mare, 1936
Weston-Super-Mare
The Royal Crescent and environs, Weston-Super-Mare, 1930
Weston-Super-Mare
View over Weston-Super-Mare with Glentworth Bay and Birnbeck Island Pier, Weston-Super-Mare, 1920
Weston-Super-Mare
View over Weston-Super-Mare and the station, Weston-Super-Mare, 1920
Weston-Super-Mare
View over Weston-Super-Mare, Weston-Super-Mare, 1920
Weston-Super-Mare
Weston Bay and the town, Weston-super-Mare, 1949
Weston-Super-Mare
The Grand Pier Pavilion, Weston-Super-Mare, 1928
Weston-super-Mare in the Historic England Archive
The Historic England Archive cares for over 15 million images, dating from the 1850s to the present day. Discover stunning images of Weston-super-Mare's past.
John Laing Collection
Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset
Date created: 14 May 1955
Children and adults sitting in trailer carriages of the Golden Arrow Train on the Grand Pier during a Laing staff trip to Weston-Super-Mare
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset
Date created: 1900 - 1907
EXTERIOR WITH MAN AT ENTRANCE AND FLOWER BED IN THE FORM OF A ROLL OF CARPET IN FOREGROUND
John Laing Collection
Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset
Date created: 14 May 1955
People disembarking from a boat during a Laing staff trip to Weston-Super-Mare
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
North Somerset
Date created: 01 Jan 1903 - 01 Jul 1908
VIEW SHOWING FOUNTAIN
John Laing Collection
Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset
Date created: 14 May 1955
People driving bumper cars at an amusement park during a Laing staff trip to Weston-Super-Mare
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
North Somerset
Date created: 1900 - 1905
GENERAL VIEW
John Laing Collection
Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset
Date created: 14 May 1955
People driving bumper cars at an amusement park during a Laing staff trip to Weston-Super-Mare
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
North Somerset
Date created: 1908 - 1913
VIEW SHOWING THE FLORAL CLOCK
John Laing Collection
Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset
Date created: 14 May 1955
People driving bumper cars at an amusement park during a Laing staff trip to Weston-Super-Mare
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
North Somerset
Date created: 1900 - 1906
GENERAL VIEW WITH PEOPLE NEXT TO FOUNTAIN
John Laing Collection
Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset
Date created: 14 May 1955
People driving bumper cars at an amusement park, with stationary cars in the foreground and spectators around the edge of the arena, during a Laing...
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
North Somerset
Date created: 1905 - 1913
GENERAL VIEW WITH PEOPLE GATHERED AROUND THE FOUNTAIN
Stories about heritage in your local area
Historic England publishes news, blogs, research, videos, and podcasts celebrating England's rich heritage. Discover the stories we have about Weston-super-Mare.
A Brief Introduction to the History of the Railway in England
Mentions Weston-super-Mare Railway Station, Disused signal box north-east of Weston-Super-Mare Railway Station
Discover when the first steam train was invented in England, and when the world's first public railway opened in Stockton and Darlington in 1825.
Weston-super-Mare: the Town and its Seaside History
Mentions The Thatched Cottage, The Royal Hotel,
From a small village to a popular seaside resort, Weston has a distinct architecture and seaside history.
Mentions Weston-Super-Mare
In The Women of Number 11, writer and poet Rebecca Tantony used online conversations, socially-distanced conversations as well as the sights and...
Weston-super-Mare | The Women of Number 11 | story by Rebecca Tantony
In The Women of Number 11, writer and poet Rebecca Tantony used online conversations, socially-distanced conversations as well as the sights and sounds of Weston-super-Mare to conjure the lives of the women across the ages. You can download the ebook of all the stories at HistoricEngland.org.uk/highstreettales Made in conjunction with New Writing North and Literature Works, and the series was produced by Sonderbug Productions with thanks to Darren Hayman for use of his song Pram Town. High Street Tales is part of Historic England’s high street cultural programme; four years of nationwide cultural activity helping to make high streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time. The programme is run by Historic England, in partnership with Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. Follow us on social @HistoricEngland and use the hashtag #HighStreetTales.
Mentions Weston-Super-Mare
The west end of Weston-super-Mare's High Street is characterised by a unique and unusual group of 20th-century buildings.
Walker & Ling: Weston-Super-Mare's Iconic Department Store
The west end of Weston-super-Mare's High Street is characterised by a unique and unusual group of 20th-century buildings. Walker & Ling, a department store that first opened its doors in 1892, has been restored to its former glory in May 2021.
Value of Heritage-led Regeneration for England’s High Streets Revealed by New Independent Evaluation
Mentions Weston-Super-Mare
Led by Historic England, the High Street Heritage Action Zone programme unlocked the potential of 67 historic high streets across England.
The Commercial Buildings of Redruth, Cornwall
Mentions Weston-Super-Mare
Research into the historic commercial buildings of Redruth to inform the work of the High Street Heritage Action Zone in the town..
The Guildhall, Newport, Isle of Wight
Mentions Weston-Super-Mare
Research into a civic building designed by the eminent late 18th and early 19th century architect John Nash.
Heritage Place-making and Co-operative Connections in Central Rochdale
Mentions Weston-Super-Mare
New research is supporting the Rochdale Heritage Action Zone initiative.
Tourism Research in Historic England
Mentions Weston-Super-Mare
The context for Historic England's research into tourism heritage.
Weston-super-Mare: a Victorian Seaside Town
Mentions Weston-Super-Mare
Research into the historic buildings of Weston-super-Mare from the Victorian period onward.
Introduction to Issue 13
Mentions Weston-Super-Mare
John Cattell, Historic England's National Head of Research introduces highlights of our research focusing on tourism and seaside heritage.
Uncovering Digbeth's heritage
Mentions Weston-Super-Mare
New Historic England research highlights the threatened special character of Digbeth, an inner-city area in Birmingham
Weston-Super-Mare: the View From Above
Mentions Weston-Super-Mare
Historic aerial photographs of this Heritage Action Zone in Historic England’s Archive show Weston at war and peace.
Successful Heritage Regeneration Programme Has Revived Historic Towns Across England
Mentions Weston-Super-Mare
Historic England’s £6 million Heritage Action Zone scheme has unleashed the power of heritage to breathe new life into 10 historic towns.
Heritage and Craft Workers Across England Given a Helping Hand
Mentions Weston-Super-Mare
142 historic sites across England are receiving grants worth £35 million through the government’s Culture Recovery Fund.
High Streets Heritage Action Zones’ Cultural Programme Awards £6 Million Grants
Mentions Weston-Super-Mare
Over 60 High Streets Heritage Action Zones will receive grants totalling £6 million going to local arts organisations for community-led activities.
Weston-super-Mare's social history through photos
Over 10,000 images from the Historic England Archive have been specially selected and re-captioned for teachers, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about their local area.
Odeon Cinema, Weston Super Mare, North Somerset
Period: 1930s (1930 - 1938)
This cinema was built in 1935. It is built of reinforced concrete.
Odeon Cinema, Weston Super Mare, North Somerset
Odeon Cinema, Locking Road, Weston Super Mare, Avon
Period: 1930s (1930 - 1938)
Built in 1935, the cinema opened as an Odeon and closed in June 2023.
Odeon Cinema, Locking Road, Weston Super Mare, Avon
Madeira Cove, Weston-super-Mare, Avon
Period: Edwardian (1902 - 1913)
Crowds of people on the sea front.
Lido, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
Period: 1930s (1930 - 1938)
A new swimming pool, with its elaborate diving board, was opened on the seafront at Weston in 1937.
Lido, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
Grove Park, Weston-super-Mare, Avon
Period: 1930s (1930 - 1938)
General view of flower beds and palm trees. The card bears the coat of arms of Weston-super Mare.
Grove Park, Weston-super-Mare, Avon
Grove Park, Weston-super-Mare, Avon
Period: Edwardian (1902 - 1913)
General view of people around bandstand. Grove Park was originally part of a private estate.
Grove Park, Weston-super-Mare, Avon
Clarence Park, Weston-super-Mare, Avon
Period: Edwardian (1902 - 1913)
A view of a floral coronation crown.
Beach Lawns, Beach Road, Weston-super-Mare, Avon
Period: Edwardian (1902 - 1913)
General view showing Beach Gardens and the Lawns, with a horse drawn vehicle in the foreground.
Beach Lawns, Beach Road, Weston-super-Mare, Avon
Discover more
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