Sand Bay
Encyclopedia
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
bordered to the south by Worlebury Hill
Worlebury Hill
Worlebury Hill is the name given to an upland area lying between the flatlands of Weston-super-Mare and the Kewstoke area of North Somerset, England. Worlebury Hill's rises from sea level to its highest point of , and the western end of the hill forms a peninsula, jutting out into the Bristol...
and to the north by Middle Hope and Sand Point
Sand Point, Somerset
Sand Point in Somerset is the peninsula stretching out from Middle Hope, which lies to the north of the village of Kewstoke, and the stretch of coastline called Sand Bay. It is owned by the National Trust and is a popular place for walking...
. It lies 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the seaside resort of Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
, and across the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
from South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. It is adjacent to the village of Kewstoke
Kewstoke
Kewstoke is a civil parish and village in Somerset, England, within the unitary authority of North Somerset, located next to the strip of coast called Sand Bay...
.
The north end of Sand Bay has become overgrown with spartina grass
Cordgrass
Spartina, commonly known as cordgrass or cord-grass, is a genus of 14 species of grasses in the family Poaceae. They are native to the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean in western and southern Europe, northwest and southern Africa, the Americas and the southern Atlantic Ocean islands; one or two species...
since the 1950s. This hardy grass was planted to support the banks of a tributary to the Bristol Channel further upstream than Sand Bay. Over the last 20 years the grass has rapidly taken over the north end of the beach and is now beginning to grow in isolated areas of the south end. The grass also began to grow on the beach at Weston-super-Mare, but was removed by the local council.
In the 1980s part of the beach at Sand Bay was raised to prevent flooding by pumping sand from the Bristol Channel up onto the beach. The beach now has two levels, one at the original height near the sea and one bordering the adjacent road at the higher level. The upper beach level has now become covered in grass in many areas (not with the spartina grass – which is found at sea level).
Sea water quality
The beach is often littered with tidal-borne material that washes up from the Bristol Channel, and — like all other beaches in North SomersetNorth Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
— it has never received a European Blue Flag
Blue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
. However, since 2005 and 2006 DEFRA has rated the water quality as good.
The Marine Conservation Society has 'adopted' the beach and since 1999 has carried out four surveys of the beach annually. A 2004 survey reported that the beach had three times the national average quantity of sewage-related debris, with particularly high numbers of cotton bud sticks.
Holiday destination
A Pontins holiday camp was opened in Sand Bay in 1947, remaining with the company until 1999. During its peak of popularity it had 300 chalets spread over 17 acres (6.9 ha). Today it is run by the Holybush Hotel group under the name of Sand Bay Holiday Village. With cabaret, tea dances, comedy and music, it remains a popular destination. In 2008, The company has rebranded to Martyn Leisure Breaks and is now known as Sand Bay Leisure Resort. It is still owned by the same owner and the holiday breaks are the same but now with an uplifting more modern image.There are several static caravan parks in the Sand Bay / Kewstoke area.