Clevedon A Broadchurch walk


Clevedon Pier

2020 is the Chinese year of the rat. Unfortunately, this may not be a good omen. To paraphrase Robbie Burns, the plans of rodents and men often go wrong.  We had planned a walk to try to take a photograph of the last sunset of the decade as it set over Clevedon pier.

However, when our walking group met at the Salthouse car park close to the Clevedon seafront on New Year’s Eve the sky was looking very grey and the Welsh coast in the stock photo above was shrouded in mist.

Clevedon is a small town at the mouth of the Severn estuary about 17 miles from Bristol.  The grade 1 listed pier was built so that rail passengers could catch a ferry to South Wales and avoid the long journey via Gloucester.

Clevedon and Broadchurch

The town found fame recently as the setting for many of the scenes from the television drama Broadchurch starring David Tennant, Olivia Coleman and Jodie Whittacker the present Doctor Who. Alas, the beautiful sandy beach and stunning cliffs in the television series are in Dorset. Broadchurch series one was nominated for seven BAFTAs. For those who don’t know the series, the small coastal town of Broadchurch is torn apart when Jodie’s young son is murdered. Olivia Coleman and David Tennant play the detectives investigating the murder.  Olivia Coleman’s son was best friends with the murdered boy and she finds that the suspects include members of her own family and some of her friends. If anyone has not seen the series I thoroughly recommend it. Series 2 was not as good but series 3 which stared Julie Hesmondhalgh as a rape victim and Lenny Henry as a possible suspect was also very good.

Our walk

Our three mile walk took us past many of the locations used in the television series. The Salthouse playing field has its own small beautifully maintained station and a small train that has been giving children rides since I was a child. However, the skateboard park which featured in series 1 is newer. Our walk took us past the marine lake scene of the boat burning.  Almost a hundred years ago the lake was made by enclosing part of the beach to provide safe bathing. The water is replenished at high tides. When we visited a few brave swimmers were preparing for the traditional New Year’s Day swim. The video at the bottom of the post shows them using the Marine Lake which was an early example of an infinity pool.

  The tide was out exposing pebbles, mud and some of the rocks I enjoyed scrambling over as a child.

St. Andrews church is hidden in the valley
St. Andrew’s church and graveyard featured many times in Broadchurch.

We climbed some steps into woodland before following part of the Coastal path which should have given us beautiful views across the Bristol Channel to the Welsh hills.  Poet’s walk path led us to St. Andrew’s church which was used as the church in Broadchurch. The scenes in the graveyard being particularly memorable. This is Clevedon’s oldest church dating from the 12th century and is dedicated to the patron saint of fishermen. It still has a sanctuary ring on the door, anyone touching it could claim sanctuary.

Further up the hill, we saw the ditches of an iron age fort. This used to be Clevedon golf course but is now being returned to nature.  You can still see a stone pillbox that was part of the defense during the second world war. On the other side of the hill are the remains of a Tudor harbour where the Yeo rivers discharge into the sea.

The Victorian bandstand #Clevedon
The Victorian bandstand

We returned along the seafront and after a drink in the Moon and sixpence climbed Hill Road which was used as the main high street in Broadchurch. The old Seeley’s shop became the newspaper office for the Broadchurch Echo and number 22, a former Lloyd’s Bank branch became Trader’s hotel where David Tennant’s character stayed. 

We had planned to photograph the pier at sunset but it was still too cloudy. The pier partly collapsed in the 1970’s during an insurance stress test. However, after a long campaign, it has been loving restored.

Practicalities

Walk  3 miles grade easy

getting there

Bus from Bristol bus station

Car junction 20 M5

Salt House carpark next to the Marine Lake BS21  7TU (£4.00 for four hours).

As always, I love to read your comments.

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4 responses to “Clevedon A Broadchurch walk”

  1. Our English seaside towns are so nostalgic, aren’t they, Anne? And almost interchangeable, some of them. I’ve never been to Clevedon but I can easily recognise it in Scarborough, Whitby and Filey… the seaside towns of my childhood. And the weather…? Well, sometimes it was great! 🙂 🙂 Thanks for the memories!

  2. I love Broadchurch and we have been to lots of locations in and around West Bay but have not made it to Clevedon yet

  3. Happy New Year! I didn’t realise that 2020 was the year of the rat? I was born in 1972 – year of the rat – so I’m hoping it’ll be lucky for me?!