Clevedon, what a strange name!
I am always curious about the origin of the name of the place I visit and
Clevedon comes from Old English meaning divided hill.
Maybe many people do not know the history of England but the island was invaded by the Romans for almost 400 years !!
I always believe that I love this side of England because I lived here in one of my previous lives or my ancestors are calling me due to my Italian origins.
Clevedon was, in fact, one of the places where the Romans live. After their departure, the place was part of a huge manor held by John the Dane just before the Norman Conquest in 1066.
At the time of the Domesday Book (1086), it belonged to Matthew of Montaigne and had only a few people living there. The town of today was not built until around 1800 as a seaside resort.
It is a very nice place to visit during Spring and Summertime and hope to go back when this Covid-19 emergency ends.
Clevedon is known for its pier.
It is a seaside pier in the centre of the town on the east shore of the Severn Estuary. It was described by Sir John Betjeman, as “the most beautiful pier in England” and was designated a Grade I listed building in 2001.
There is a small fee to pay if you want to visit the Pier , but it is worthy for its beauty and originality.
It was built during the 1860s to attract tourists and provide a ferry port for rail passengers to South Wales. The pier is 312 m (1,024 ft) long and consists of eight spans supported by steel rails covered by wooden decking, with a pavilion.
The pier opened in 1869 and served as an embarkation point for paddle steamer excursions for almost exactly 100 years. Two of the spans collapsed during stress testing in 1970 and demolition was proposed, but local fundraising and heritage grants allowed the pier to be dismantled for restoration and reassembled. It reopened in 1989.
If you visit this location you must not forget the strong phenomenon of the tide.
The Severn Estuary has one of the highest tidal ranges in the world, up to 48 ft (15 m) second only to the Bay of Fundy in Eastern Canada. The estuary’s funnel shape, its tidal range, and geology of rock, gravel, and sand, produce strong tidal streams and high turbidity, giving the water a notably brown colouration.
The legs of the pier are largely exposed at low tide and hidden at high tide and the landing stage at the end of the pier has several levels to allow boats to dock at all stages of the tide.
During your visit to Clevedon, you can have a walk along the seaside and stop for a fast lunch based on the traditional fish and chip or ice cream.
The smell of the ocean is very distinctive and the colours are bright due to the lack of pollution.
Definitely I advise a weekend in this beautiful location in North Somerset.
lauraartist68 