Unity Beach, Somerset – Review

By Dominic Picksley, June 2025

The heat was firmly on in a corner of Somerset during May half-term as we enjoyed our first-ever visit to Unity Beach, enduring Mediterranean-like temperatures at the vast site at Brean.

We had inadvertently chosen the hottest week of the year to spend a few days in a platinum, dog-friendly caravan at the resort, where the thermometer rarely got below 30 in the daytime, although we were treated to some great sunsets during evening walks on the nearby beach, where our pet dog got the chance to stretch his legs and chase endless balls and sticks, without any real threat of getting his paws wet as the tide was not only out, but it seemed like it was miles out.

Located a stone’s throw from the sands at Bridgwater Bay, adjacent to Brean Theme Park, Unity Beach – the sister park to Skirlington Coast, near Hornsea on the East Yorkshire coast and Seven Lakes, in North Lincolnshire – proved a welcome retreat from the daily grind of work and school, even if the temperatures soared a little too high at times.

It felt more like Cyprus than the West Country as we trekked around the resort, partaking in various activities, walking our dog (but only in the cooler parts of the day) and just enjoying a stroll to the shop… which by about the second day of our holiday had completely sold out of ice and ice creams, such was the clamour to keep cool.

“So much”

There’s so much to get involved with there and although we didn’t have time to do and see everything, we at least ticked off a good amount on the ‘to do’ list and we even had a first-ever session playing one of the, seemingly, fastest-growing sports in the land, padel tennis (and wondered what all the fuss was about).

The park has a swimming pool (1.2m depth), which my daughter Amelia and I used the following morning after our arrival – after a drink in The Wave cafe. But, unfortunately for her, the adjacent water park was being renovated, rendering some of the slides out of action. However, there was still one for her to zoom down and that was better than nothing.

There was a fair bit of building work going on, with a new activity venue being created, along with a play park and splash park, while new car parks are also being introduced. It didn’t spoil our time there, and if anything it showed how much better it will all look when it’s finished.

Currently, some of the activities are being hosted in a marquee, which doubled up as a sauna on our stay. Such was the oppressive heat in there that it was ‘cooler’ to stand outside in the burning heat of the day, rather than sit inside and feel the sweat trickling down your neck and back.

“Competitive axe throwing”

Across the week, we enjoyed three sessions in the activity tent – axe throwing, archery and rifle shooting. Amelia ‘won’ a competitive axe throwing contest between her, my son Ben and I (proving that girls can indeed throw), although he showed us how it was done with a recurve bow and arrows in hand… like an archery club member should do, I hasten to add, although he tried to use the excuse of ‘the targets were too near’ when being a bit wayward early on.

It was my turn to excel in rifle shooting… nope, of course not, he won that one, too, proving that target sports are definitely his ’thing’.

We had booked these activities before heading to the park, along with the swimming, but you can also book while you’re there providing there are any available slots. Some sessions there were just us, others it was pretty full, so best get in there early to avoid disappointment.

Our spacious caravan made for a lovely retreat at the end of the day, sitting on our ‘balcony’ and watching the sun go down… with every window and door open to try and cool it down.

“Great idea”

There’s a tidy little kitchen where you can prepare meals and snacks, but if you fancy a night off then a trip to the Wonky Donkey is definitely in order… and you can take your dog with you as the restaurant has a little pet-friendly corner where you can sit and enjoy a family night out with some good food, safe in the knowledge you’ll not get any funny looks from people wondering why you’ve brought your mutt with you.

There’s also a dog cleaning station located just by the rear entrance where you can wash them down if you had just taken them on the beach. A great idea.

We enjoyed a few meals in the Wonky Donkey, at breakfast times and in the evening, with the latter seeing us choose chicken tikka masala, macaroni cheese, gammon and the piece de resistance, a lovely and sumptuous mixed grill, washed down with various soft drinks and the local tipple. Oh yes, and there was also the huge chocolate sundae we devoured as well.

The ice cream parlour – after chucking a few quid away in the amusements arcade – was also a source of welcome relief in the hot weather, while we also spent an hour one evening playing the aforementioned padel tennis, although I seemed to spend more time off court than on it, due to the amount of times our ball was whacked ‘out of bounds’. The nearby caravans were more in danger than the net was.

“UK’s largest free theme park”

Of course, no trip to Unity Beach is complete without a visit to the theme park, where Ben’s coaster cred count was increased by two thanks to Bulldog and Astro Storm, which was previously Space Invader at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

It does not cost to get in, with the park proudly displaying a billboard saying ‘UK’s largest free theme park’ (although Fantasy Island may have something to say about that boast), with what amounts to a pay-per-ride scheme in operation (you buy a wristband to get a certain amount of credit and each attraction costs between three and six credits). The £5 off vouchers you get for staying at Unity Beach are a welcome addition.

There’s also some lovely lakeside lodges to stay in, a golf course on site, a fishing lake, a fish and chip shop, a pizzeria, a bike pump track, soft play area, and an entertainment complex, meaning you’re never short of things to see, do and eat there.

Four nights’ self-catering in a platinum three-bed caravan sleeping six during July at Unity Beach is from £879. See unityholidays.co.uk