Regeneration of Minehead’s Esplanade
Thanks to funding from Hinkley Point’s Community Impact Mitigation Fund and the Coastal Communities Fund, facilitated by Somerset Council, we were commissioned to deliver two brand new esplanade shelters on Minehead’s beautiful seafront.
We were proud to unveil the new shelters in February 2024.
Keeping it Local
It was important to us to work with local businesses, architects and contractors to deliver this enhancement of the Esplanade. We engaged with three local architects who have a connection to Minehead, before selecting the concept we felt best reflected the local environment, both built and natural.
A Purposeful Layout
We were proud to work with local architect Cerys Dehaini of Squirrels Architecture. Her thoughtful design considered wind direction, sunsets, and seating placement. It reflects community needs by offering shelter, sea views, and seating facing the play area for parents to watch their children.
North-facing external seating
Shaded external bench seating for sunny days
East-facing external seating
With a view to the pirate ship play area for parents
Windows with sea views
Window providing sea views from an interior protected from the elements
Glass-wall framing view to North Hill
Uninterrupted framed views towards Minehead’s iconic North Hill
Sheltered from the elements
Sheltered area protected from prevailing wind and rain and high sun
West-facing external seating
West facing external seating to enjoy sunsets in fine weather
Using Local Materials
During the design phase, Cerys took inspiration from the local natural and built environment and sought to use salvaged and locally available materials as much as possible. Cerys proposed a palette of stone, wood, glass and weathering steel which would be robust, low maintenance and water resistant. Consideration was also given to ‘whole life’ impact, and the construction approach to ensure we could reuse and recycle components where possible.
Salvaged Materials
The benches used inside and outside the shelters were salvaged from a canal near Bath. Wooden panelling was added to the top to raise the height and make them more comfortable to sit on.
The stone used in the gabion walls was sourced from Capton Sandstone Quarry, just a few miles away from Minehead.
The End Result
In February 2024, we were thrilled to unveil two brand-new shelters on the Esplanade that reflect both the modern built environment and the rustic natural materials surrounding them. We are grateful to Cerys Dehaini, the wonderful architect at Squirrels Architecture, HTSteel and Walker-Blair Building, who all worked with us to deliver this project! We’re also grateful for the input of Minehead Town Council who are now caring for the ongoing maintenance of the shelters, and the funders – Somerset Council, Hinkley Community Impact Mitigation Fund and Coastal Communities Fund.