Portishead Pier

The pier at Portishead juts out into the Bristol Channel like a concrete finger, and it's one of those viewpoints that actually delivers. You get proper 360-degree views across the water toward Wales on a clear day, and the industrial heritage of the docks behind you tells the story of what this place once was. It's a straightforward walk - the pier itself is accessible and takes maybe twenty minutes if you're not rushing, longer if you want to sit and watch the light change across the water.

Who'll get the most from it? Photographers, definitely. People who like industrial history without the museum feel. Kids find it fun for about an hour - there's enough going on with boats and the expanse of water to keep them interested, though it's not a playground. Walkers should factor it into a longer ramble around the seafront rather than treat it as a destination in itself.

The town of Portishead sits right there, so you can grab food or a coffee after. If you're staying at Somerset Glamping six miles inland, this makes a decent half-day excursion to break up a park-based holiday. The pier's free, and there's no time limit on how long you linger. Go on a breezy day when the light's good - I've seen it look genuinely dramatic when storm clouds roll in off the channel. On a flat, grey afternoon it's less inspiring, but still worth the short drive from Bristol.