A walk along Clevedon Pier

One of the things I love most about living in Bristol is that I get to soak up all the big-city buzz, yet I can zip out to the countryside in minutes. The Somerset Levels, the Cotswolds and the Mendip Hills are all nearby, but perhaps my favourite spot of all is Clevedon Pier, just a short drive away on the coast.

It was here that we headed last Sunday for a breath of autumnal sea air, and I couldn’t resist sharing a few photos of this beautiful old landmark. Built in the 1860s, it pokes out into the Bristol Channel, with views across to the shadowy hulk of Lundy island in one direction and the distant mountains of Wales in the other. It was almost demolished after a partial collapse in the 1970s, but a group of locals rallied together to save it, and I’m so glad they did. It’s undergone none of the tacky commercialisation that has blighted so many other piers around the UK, and its graceful arches and uncluttered decks have barely changed since its Victorian heyday. I love strolling out to the end, watching waves swirling around its spindly legs and imagining parasol-toting ladies and top-hatted gents treading the same boards all those years ago.

If you’re ever in the area, do take time to stop by. Even on a cold, blustery day, it’s a wonderful place for a wander.

Photography by Abi Dare