Wikipedia
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. The town has a population of 21,281 according to the United Kingdom Census 2011.
The town is situated amongst a group of small hills including Church Hill, Wain's Hill (which is topped by the remains of an Iron Age hill fort), Dial Hill, Strawberry Hill, Castle Hill, Hangstone Hill and Court Hill which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest along the Severn estuary. Clevedon was mentioned in the Domesday Book but grew in the Victorian era when it became a popular seaside resort. It was served by a short branch line from the main railway at Yatton, between 1847 and 1966. The Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway, which opened in 1897 and closed in 1940 also served the town,
The seafront has ornamental gardens, a Victorian bandstand, and other visitor attractions. Salthouse Field has a light railway running round the perimeter and is used for donkey rides during the summer. The shore is a mixture of pebbled beaches and low rocky cliffs, with the old harbour at the western edge of the town at the mouth of the Land Yeo. The rocky beach has been designated as the Clevedon Shore geological Site of Special Scientific Interest. Clevedon Pier, opened in 1869, is one of the earliest surviving examples of a Victorian pier the United Kingdom. On October 17, 1970, two outward spans collapsed when the seventh set of legs from the shore failed during a routine insurance load test. After protracted considerations a trust was formed and the pier and its terminal buildings were restored and reopened on May 27, 1989, when the Waverley paddle steamer berthed and took on passengers. Other landmarks include Walton Castle, Clevedon Court the Clock Tower and the Curzon Cinema. Clevedon's light industry is centred mainly in industrial estates including Hither Green Trading Estate near the M5 motorway junction. It is a dormitory town for Bristol. The town is home to educational, religious and cultural buildings and sporting clubs.
Clevedon was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate from 1987 to 1993 and then from 2002 to 2008. For the first six-year period the electorate was represented by Warren Kyd. For the second six-year period, the electorate was represented by Judith Collins.