Air Like Wine Walking Tour

Walk it yourself or join a guided tour

You can follow the route at your own pace — or experience it with a local guide.

Join the guided version

• When: Saturdays in August, 10:30am
• Meeting point: Outside the Grand Pier
• Cost: Free

Look out for Tony, usually in a bright Visit Weston T-shirt or carrying a yellow umbrella.

Expect extra stories, local insight and a slightly different route that brings the town to life in new ways.

What makes this walk special?

This walk brings together:

• Victorian wellness and seaside traditions
• Wartime secrets and scientific breakthroughs
• Street art, music history and modern culture

Stories you wouldn’t expect

• A beach once reserved exclusively for women
• The debate behind Weston’s “Carrot” sculpture
• An Olympic legend who once ran a local pub
• A hidden hill fort and wartime connections (optional stops)
• Home of the original Booze Cruise

Optional detour: take the high ground

For those with a little extra energy, a short climb leads to Worlebury Camp—an Iron Age hill fort with sweeping views across Weston and the Bristol Channel.

Nearby, a site linked to Dwight D. Eisenhower adds another layer of history to the landscape.

Why “Air Like Wine”?

In Victorian times, Weston was promoted as a health retreat where the sea air was said to be as invigorating as a fine glass of wine.

Visitors came seeking rest, recovery and renewal.

Today, that same sense of escape still lingers—especially when you explore the town on foot.

Good to know

• Mostly wheelchair and pushchair friendly (one stepped section)
• Dogs welcome on leads (not inside the museum)
• Comfortable footwear recommended
• One busy road crossing—please take care

Start your journey

Whether you follow every stop or simply dip in and out, the Air Like Wine Walking Tour offers a fresh way to experience Weston-super-Mare—one that rewards curiosity, exploration and a sense of discovery.

The full self guided tour

1. The Tropicana – From glamour to global art

Your journey begins at one of Weston’s most recognisable landmarks.

Opened in 1937 as a vast open-air lido—with Europe’s highest diving stage—the Tropicana later became known for beauty contests, with Diana Dors placing here in the 1940s.

After closing in 2000, it found global fame in 2015 as the home of Dismaland, Banksy’s dark, satirical “bemusement park,” and then after that as home to the SEE Monster – a giant art installation featuring a retired oil rig.

2. Revo Pier & views beyond

This short, modern pier, which is the newest purpose-built pier in England, gives Weston a rare claim—one of only two UK towns with three piers.

From here, look out across the channel:

• Brean Down – a dramatic headland used to test early “bouncing bomb” prototypes during WWII
• Flat Holm – where Guglielmo Marconi made the first wireless transmissions across water
• Steep Holm – a fortified island still lined with Victorian gun batteries

3. The Grand Pier – Weston’s showstopper

First opened in 1904, rebuilt twice after major fires, and still at the heart of Weston’s seaside experience.

Originally intended as a ferry landing point, it quickly evolved into something more familiar—arcades, rides and classic seaside fun.

4. Regent Street – Weston’s street art trail

Turn inland and you’ll start to notice colour appearing on the walls.

Look out for:

• A giant tiger
• An oriental street scene
• Hidden donkeys and underwater murals

This is just a glimpse of Weston’s growing street art scene — there’s much more to discover if you look closely.

5. Silica – The great “Carrot” debate

At Big Lamp Corner stands one of Weston’s most talked-about landmarks.

Officially called Silica, this 30-metre tower of glass prisms lights up at night in shifting colours. Locals, however, tend to call it “The Carrot”… or “The Parsnip.”

Love it or not, it’s become part of Weston’s identity.

6. The Plaza Cinema – A stage for legends

Originally opened in 1935, this venue once hosted a wave of 1960s music acts—including six nights from The Beatles.

It’s also home to one of the UK’s last working Compton pipe organs—still rising from the floor for live performances.

7. Olea & an Olympic legacy

This spot is linked to Paolo Radmilovic — a four-time Olympic gold medallist who once ran a pub here.

Known locally as “Raddy,” his achievements stood unmatched for decades.

8. Knightstone Island – Air Like Wine

This is where the tour gets its name.

In the 19th century, Weston was promoted as a health retreat where the sea air was said to be as invigorating as wine.

Edward Long Fox established a recuperation centre here, helping cement the town’s reputation for wellbeing.

9. Anchor Head Cove – A different kind of beach

Hard to imagine now, but this quiet cove was once reserved for women only.

Victorian ideas of modesty led to strict beach segregation—and the use of bathing machines, which allowed swimmers to enter the sea unseen.

10. Birnbeck – The Beatles Rock

This is where The Beatles posed for a now-famous photograph in 1963.

A small plaque marks the spot—and visitors still recreate the image today.

11. Birnbeck Pier – Gateway to the past

The only pier in the UK that links directly to an island.

In its heyday, it welcomed paddle steamers — including Sunday visitors from Wales taking advantage of more relaxed English licensing laws thus earning the title of being home to the original Booze Cruise.

It later played a secret role during wartime testing.

12. Optional: Worlebury Hill Fort

A steep climb rewards you with one of Weston’s best viewpoints.

Worlebury Camp dates back to the Iron Age and offers sweeping views across the town and coastline.

13. Optional: Eisenhower’s wartime base

Nearby, a blue plaque marks the site where Dwight D. Eisenhower stayed in 1944 while preparing for D-Day.

14. Alfred Leete – The poster that rallied a nation

Artist Alfred Leete, creator of the famous “Your Country Needs YOU” poster, grew up in Weston.

His work became one of the most recognisable images of World War I.

15. Jill’s Garden – A local tribute

Created by Alan Titchmarsh and the BBC’s Ground Force team, this peaceful space honours broadcaster Jill Dando, who grew up in Weston.

16. Weston Museum – A Banksy ending

Your walk ends with a piece of modern cultural history: Banksy’s Pinwheel, created for Dismaland.

While you’re here, explore the museum further — including a recreated Victorian cottage and courtyard café. Please note the museum is closed on Sundays and Mondays.