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The programme, which was one of the first of its kind in England, began in 2017 when North Somerset Council was awarded £800k funding by Historic England.
Weston was originally a small village of fishermen’s cottages. During the 19th century, it developed into a major seaside resort due to its convenient location near Bristol and Bath. In its heyday it attracted several hundred thousand visitors a year, and its range of entertainments, including two piers, made it popular with visitors. More recently, its fortunes have fluctuated due to changes in holiday habits and leisure spending.
Over the last five years, the Great Weston Heritage Action Zone has rekindled public interest in the seaside town’s heritage. It’s also inspired new opportunities for people to get involved – from talks and walks to online tours of the town’s buildings.
Local partners put on several exhibitions at Weston Museum, The Grand Pier and The Sovereign, a recently renovated mix-use space with an attractive café, cycle hub, retail and work space. A series of digital guides and walks were created including a self-guided walk celebrating Hans Price – the town’s Victorian architect – and local volunteers have added new research to the free digital mapping resource Know Your Place. Three years of monthly heritage talks have also been hosted by the Weston-super-Mare Civic Society.
Much of this activity was stimulated by Historic England’s research on the town. This culminated in the publication of a book in 2019 called Weston-super-Mare: the town and its seaside heritage (available as a PDF online). The book was written by Allan Brodie, Johanna Roethe and Kate Hudson-McAulay, North Somerset Council’s Conservation and Heritage Officer. It highlighted the special character of the town, including its piers, entertainments and many Victorian buildings. The research and the book, combined with a strong local appetite for Weston’s story, have enabled over 7,000 people to enjoy and celebrate their town’s heritage.
Rebecca Barrett, Regional Director at Historic England, said: “It’s wonderful to see how, over the past five years, the Heritage Action Zone has brought Weston-super-Mare’s wonderful history to life for people who visit and live in the town. The new research that’s been uncovered, and made accessible to everyone, has helped people to celebrate the town’s special character and history and has given its residents a sense of pride about the place. The programme has also played an important role informing the town’s future development. I’m really looking forward to seeing work progress in Weston’s new High Street Heritage Action Zone, which runs until 2024.”
Councillor Mark Canniford, Executive Member for Business, Economy and Employment at North Somerset Council, said: “The Great Weston Heritage Action Zone has demonstrated that heritage can be a powerful force for levelling up. Without this funding from Historic England, we would not have been able to produce the positive work that we have including the adoption of Weston-super-Mare as a Conservation Area, the introduction of a Shopfront Design Guide policy, and the restoration of Walker & Ling department store on our High Street to name just three projects!
“I’d like to take this opportunity to give some thanks. Firstly, to our Heritage and Design Team for the hard work and dedication that they showed in delivering this programme. Secondly to key partners for their support including Weston-super-Mare Civic Society, Weston-super-Mare Town Council, the town’s businesses and our local community.
“Taking part in this programme has helped us to discover more about Weston’s fascinating history and how the power of our historic environment can be used to help us safeguard its future.”
Councillor John Crockford-Hawley, the council's heritage champion, added: “Love of heritage does not inhibit progress. Understanding the visual, emotional, social, and economic aspects of our architectural story should help create a better future.
“With commendable business and wider community engagement, the Great Weston Heritage Action Zone has highlighted the best of our past and delivered investment to ensure these well-known properties continue to be part of a sustainably cherished future.”
As well as the Great Weston Heritage Action Zone, Weston has a High Street Heritage Action Zone thanks to an additional investment of £1.1m from Historic England in 2020. This work will continue until March 2024.
More information about Great Weston Heritage Action Zone’s achievements can be found in a leaflet available online at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/GWHAZ. General information about the town’s two Heritage Action Zones can be found at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/heritageactionzone.
