Landscapes Of England: Brean

As a child I can remember thinking of Brean as the most boring place on earth. The bright lights of Blackpool were much more exiting. Countless arcades and video games would ebb away your time, as well as your money. The possibilities were endless.

Age helps you appreciate the finer details in life. Suddenly Brean had become a beautiful stretch of coastline boasting windswept sand dunes and several miles of golden sands.

So the funfair may have grown and its visitors gotten younger, but Brean retains an inner calm, somewhere for the weekend to relax and recharge your batteries, run dangerously low by the rigours of city life.

And what a wonderful, panoramic view that unfolds before you. To the left, reaching out towards the horizon lies the rugged coastline of north Devon. Gazing straight ahead over the Bristol Channel, your eyes are drawn towards the south coast of Wales.

On a clear day, with the aid of binoculars, you can make out the Cardiff docks. Nearby is the magnificent Millennium Stadium, pride of the nation and home to the Welsh rugby team and many other great sporting events.

The summer months bring a large influx of tourists and are busy days for beach patrol. The flat sands leave a huge area of beach exposed at low tide, revealing dangerous mud flats.

The warning signs emphasize the danger of walking too far out towards the sea. Lives have been lost in the past, victims of the sinking mud and sand. The lifeguard