Weston-super-Mare Masonic Hall

A brief history of Weston-super-Mare

The name Weston is made up of two Old English or Saxon words meaning the west tun or settlement. What is unusual about Weston-super-Mare is that the descriptive part of its name has remained in Medieval Latin and was first recorded by an unknown medieval church clerk, presumably to distinguish it from other Weston’s in the area. Super (with small s) means on or above, and mare literally means "on sea". It is pronounced mair rather than mahrey, however. It is a popular myth that the description was a later Victorian invention.

In the year 1600 Weston was a small village with a very small population, but it had its own manor, held then by William Arthur of Clapton. This manor passed, by marriage, to the Winter family who held it until 1696 when the estate was sold to John Pigott of Brockley. The Pigotts held the manor until the estate was sold off in 1914. The title ‘Lord of the Manor’ was sold in the 1970s and there is nothing left of the estate. The Pigotts built a summer holiday cottage in The Grove, now Grove Park, in the centre of Weston. The Reverend Leeves of Wrington built his own seaside cottage on the dunes, which were then a feature of the bay at Weston, a fragment of this cottage still survives as The Old Thatched Cottage Restaurant. This, together with Glebe House, once the rectory, are all that remain today of the 18th century village of Weston.

By the middle of the 18th century, doctors began to extol the virtues of drinking, and bathing in, sea-water. King George III tried it at Weymouth in 1789 and so set the fashion. At this time most people bathed naked and for this reason the sheltered and secluded cove at Anchor Head was chosen as Weston's first bathing place for ladies whilst gentlemen often just stripped on the sands and ran down to the water. As modesty prevailed the bathing machine was invented, which was a hut on wheels. The bather entered and, as the machine was drawn down to the sea by a horse, they changed into a bathing dress. They were then able to descend the steps directly into the water, unseen from the beach. Visitors to Weston rented rooms or a whole house, from local people and the first hotel, part or which remains as The Royal Hotel was opened in 1810.

Weston's first guidebook for visitors was written in 1822. It paints a vivid portrait of the village at that time. The population was then 735. One hotel, two inns and a number of lodging houses catered for visitors. There was little organised entertainment but dances would have been held at the Assembly Rooms.

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