Photo of Portishead Open Air Pool, a lido near Caldicot, Somerset, south west England.

Portishead Open Air Pool© Rick Crowley / Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Beaches & swimming in SomersetSomerset, England

18 beaches and swimming spots in the Albion Guide across Somerset — see the full beaches and swimming spots directory, or everything to explore in Somerset.

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Portishead Open Air Pool

Lido near Caldicot

A 33 m heated pool on the Portishead seafront, saved by a community campaign in 2008 and run by a local charity since.

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Kilve Beach

Beach near Holford

A rocky, fossil-rich foreshore of grey lias ledges on the Quantock coast, backed by a ruined oil retort and old chantry.

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Clevedon Marine Lake

Sea pool near Congresbury

A walled sea-water lake of 1929 beside the beach at Clevedon, topped up by the big tides and free to swim all year.

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St Audrie's Bay

Cove near Watchet

A secluded Quantock-coast bay of fossil-strewn ledges reached down cliff steps, with a small waterfall spilling onto the beach at low tide.

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Greenbank Pool

Lido near Glastonbury

A Grade II-listed 1937 lido in Street, given to the town by the Clark shoe family and heated to about 30°C.

Marine Lake, Weston-super-Mare

Sea pool near Weston-super-Mare

A 1929 tidal lake held in by the Knightstone Causeway, so Weston has water to swim in even when the tide is far out.

Porlock Weir

Coastal | Excellent ★★★ near Porlock

A tidal harbour and lime kilns where a submerged prehistoric forest shows at low tide.

Berrow North of Unity Farm

Estuary | Good ★★ near Weston-super-Mare

A tidal estuary swimming spot rated good for water quality.

Brean

Estuary | Excellent ★★★ near Weston-super-Mare

A tidal estuary swimming spot with excellent water quality.

Clevedon Beach

Estuary | Good ★★ near Congresbury

A tidal estuary swimming spot rated good for water quality.

Dunster Beach

Coastal | Poor near Dunster

A coastal swimming spot, currently rated poor for water quality.

Minehead Terminus

Coastal | Sufficient ★ near Dunster

A coastal swimming spot with a sufficient water-quality rating.

River Frome at Farleigh Hungerford

River | Poor near Iford

A river swimming spot, currently rated poor for water quality.

River Tone at French Weir Park

River | Poor near Taunton

A river swimming spot, currently rated poor for water quality.

Weston Main

Estuary | Poor near Weston-super-Mare

A tidal estuary swimming spot, currently rated poor for water quality.

Weston-super-Mare Sand Bay

Estuary | Poor near Congresbury

A tidal estuary swimming spot, currently rated poor for water quality.

Weston-super-Mare Uphill Slipway

Estuary | Poor near Weston-super-Mare

A tidal estuary swimming spot, currently rated poor for water quality.

Blue Anchor West

Coastal | Poor near Dunster

A coastal swimming spot, currently rated poor for water quality.