Important Dates in the History of Burnham-On-Sea
The ups and downs of the town’s history…
Key historical milestones
1315 St Andrew’s Church consecrated after having been rebuilt
1607 Major flood – read more here.
1770 Burnham brewery built
1772 Burnham Society founded by Richard Locke
1790 Tregunter built
1796 Royal Clarence Hotel built and opened
1800 Round Tower Lighthouse built by Rev David Davies (Beverly Cottage)
1813 Tregunter rebuilt
1830 Spa Baths built by Rev David Davies
1832 High and Low Lighthouse built
1838 Gallery added to St Andrew’s Church
1841 Manor House built
1843 Baptist Church in College Street built
1843 Kinver Terrace next to Royal Clarence built (then called Prew’s or Pruen’s Terrace)
1853 Railway line extended to Burnham
1856 Queen’s Hotel built (called Reeds Arms)
1856 St Andrew’s School opened
1858 Extension from Burnham Station on to jetty opened
1858 Jetty built and opened
1858 First trans-channel boat, the Taliesin, arrived
1864 Burnham Gazette first published
1866 Burnham’s first Royal National Lifeboat donated to the town by Cheltenham
1875 Closure of Spa Baths
1887 New lifeboat John Godfrey Morris arrived
1888 La Retraite Convent School for girls opened with the arrival of nuns
1888 Ferry steamer service between Burnham and south Wales suspended
1890 RC Church of the Sacred Heart consecrated
1890 Burnham and Berrow Golf Club founded
1891 St Joseph’s School opened
1892 The Institute, Regent Street, opened
1894 Urban District Council formed
1897 The SS Nornen ran aground (Berrow Wreck)
1902 New lifeboat Philip Beach arrived
1903 Manor House sold to Burnham Council at the price it had cost to build some 60 years before
1905 Flood damage to properties along the Esplanade
1905 Gardens to Manor House opened to the public
1905 Tennis Courts at Crosses Pen constructed
1905 Naish House built (now St Christopher’s School)
1910 Princess Street School opened (now Community Education Centre)
1911 Belmont House, Technical Stret built
1911 Pavilion opened
1912 Main street of town named High Street – had been Alfred Street
1912 St Andrew’s Church Hall built
1912 Electric Theatre opened
1912 Lloyds Bank built
1917 Burnham officially became Burnham-On-Sea
1920 Burnham Station renamed Burnham-On-Sea Station
1920s Lighthouses became automated
1921 Paddling Pool on beach built
1922 Burnham-On-Sea War Memorial Hospital opened
1925 Radio station in Worston Road opened
1927 Marine Cove opened
1928 St Peter’s Church opened
1929 Public toilets opposite Old Custom House built
1930 Burnham-On-Sea Lifeboat Station closed
1931 Marine Lake and South Esplanade opened by Right Hon AV Alexander
1933 Merger of Urban District Councils of Highbridge and Burnham-On-Sea
1946 Pontins at Brean was opened as a holiday camp – had been US Army site
1951 Highbridge to Burnham-On-Sea railway line closed except for special excursions
1957 Burnham-On-Sea Brewery closed
1958 Kind Alfred’s School opened
1958 Queen Elizabeth visited the radio station
1962 Burnham-On-Sea railway line closed except for special excursions
1963 Burnham-On-Sea station closed to goods traffic
1963 Holimarine (now Burnham-On-Sea Holiday Village) opened
1967 RC Church of the English Martyrs opened
1970 Lighthouse Inn built
1974 St Andrew’s School moved premises to Dunstan Road
1974 Sedgemoor District Council started
1976 St Peter’s Church became RC Church Hall
1976 King Alfred’s School became comprehensive
1977 King Alfred’s Sports Centre opened
1978 M5 motorway opened
1981 Major storm and flood on 13 December
1983 St Dunstan’s School closed
1983 La Retraite School closed
1985 Minibus services started
1985-87 New sea wall built
1985 New library opened
1987 New sea wall completed and opened
1990 Tourist Information Centre moved to seafront
1994 Burnham Area Rescue Boat Station built with help of Anneka Rice and BBC TV
2004 Burnham RNLI Station opened
2004 Queen’s Hotel reopened and renamed as Reed’s Arms
All dates have been researched for accuracy but we cannot be held responsible for any errors.
