Brean

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Brean
Brean shown within Somerset
Population	600^[1]
OS grid reference	ST296560
District	Sedgemoor
Shire county	Somerset
Region	South West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BURNHAM-ON-SEA
Postcode district	TA8
Dialling code	01278
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
European Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	Wells
List of places: UK • England • Somerset

Coordinates: 51°17′59″N 3°00′38″W / 51.2996, -3.0105

Brean is a village and civil parish between Weston-super-Mare and Burnham on Sea in Somerset, England.

Close to the village is Brean Down, a promontory standing 320 feet (98 m) high and extending 1.5 miles (2.4 km) into the Bristol Channel, on which stands Brean Down Fort, marking the end of Weston Bay.

Land yachts on the beach at Brean

The village is on a strip of land between the sea and the River Axe. It is the home of Brean Leisure Park, a tropical bird garden,^[2] other tourist attractions and several caravan parks. The sandy beach has been used for Land sailing since 1970.^[3]

The Church of St Bridget dates from the 13th century, but is predominantly from the 15th century but was extensively rebuilt around 1882. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building.^[4] The dedication to St Bridget of Ireland, Abbess of Kildare who died in 525, is an indication of a Celtic Christian settlement.^[5]

[edit] References

^ Brean Parish Council web site. Brean Parish Council web site. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
^ Brean Down Tropical Bird Garden. Brean Down Tropical Bird Garden. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
^ Brean Land Yacht Club. Brean Land Yacht Club. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
^ Church of St Bridget. Images of England. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
^ Dunning, Robert. Somerset and Avon. Edinburgh: Bartholomew, 58-59. ISBN 0702883808.