North Somerset

Rural Somerset © Melanie Cook Weston super Mare is part of North Somerset, a county located in the South West of England. Historically North Somerset was part of the county of Somerset but is now administered independently. From 1974 to 1996, it was the Woodspring district of the county of Avon (named after Woodspring Priory, an isolated mediaeval church near the coast just north of Weston-super-Mare).

The district was formed on April 1, 1974 from the municipal borough of Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon and Portishead urban districts, Long Ashton Rural District, and part of Axbridge Rural District. North Somerset's boundary stretches from the Severn Estuary and River Avon to the Mendip Hills with over 25 miles of coastline and areas of outstanding natural beauty.

More than two thirds of the district is rural. Most of North Somerset residents live in the main towns of Weston-super-Mare, Portishead, Clevedon and Nailsea. Over 5 million tourists visit North Somerset each year, most travel down the M5 motorway which links North Somerset to Bristol, Birmingham London and the rest of the UK. Interesting geographical features include Brean Down, Bristol Channel, Mendip Hills and Sand Bay.

Towns and villages include: Abbots Leigh, Backwell, Banwell, Barrow Gurney, Blagdon, Bleadon, Bourton, Brockley, Burrington, Butcombe, Chelvey, Christon, Churchill, Clapton in Gordano, Claverham, Clevedon, Cleeve, Congresbury, Downside, Dundry, East End, East Rolstone, Easton in Gordano, Failand, Farleigh, Felton, Flax Bourton, Ham Green, Hewish, Hutton, Icelton, Kenn, Kewstoke, Kingston Seymour, Leigh Woods, Locking, Long Ashton, Lower Langford, Lower Failand, Loxton, Lulsgate Bottom, Maiden Head, Milton, Nailsea, North End, Portishead, Pill, Portbury, Puxton, Redcliff Bay, Redhill, Regil, Rickford, Sandford, Sheepway, Sidcot, St George's, St Mary's Grove, Tickenham, Uphill, Upper Town, Walton in Gordano, West Wick, West Hill, West End, West Town, Weston in Gordano, Wick St Lawrence, Winford, Winscombe, Woolley, Worle, Wraxall, Wrington, Yatton and Weston-super-mare.