Eight miles south west of Bristol, Nailsea is a North Somerset town with an enviable position close to the city and the sea.
Once home to the world famous Nailsea Glassworks in the 18th century, walk around the town today and you’ll still spot references to its ‘glassblowing’ heritage.
Surrounded by countryside, Nailsea is now a popular commuter town for people working in Bristol, Weston-super-Mare and Clevedon.
It also shares a railway station with nearby Backwell village, with regular trains to and from London.
The old High Street is still a busy spot with a wide range of amenities, and there are large Tesco and Waitrose stores, too.
Built in the late 1960s, the Crown Glass Shopping Centre and Colliers Walk remain bustling areas for shoppers and the town also has a reputation among vintage bargain hunters for having a large number of excellent charity shops.
We visited Nailsea this week to see for ourselves why this town near Bristol is such a popular place.
1. Historic inn
Set back from the High Street with its own car park, The Royal Oak is one of Nailsea’s oldest pubs and still a community hub.
2. High Street
The old High Street is still a busy place with a range of shops and businesses including a large hardware store, a shop selling car parts and a pharmacy.
3. Heritage
This sculpture of a glassblower by Vanessa Marston is outside the Tesco store, near the site of the Nailsea Glassworks, which was the town’s main employer between 1788 and 1873.
4. Past times
These colourful old buildings on the High Street are a reminder of how Nailsea used to look.