Hinkley Point nuclear power stations

Hinkley Point is a headland on the Somerset coast where the River Parrett meets the Bristol Channel. It lies eight kilometres north of Bridgwater and eight kilometres west of Burnham-on-Sea. The site has long been known for its exposed position and strong winds. Archaeologists found an Iron Age farm and a later post-Roman burial ground during excavations before building work began. Bridgwater Bay beside the point is a protected nature reserve where people watch birds and search for fossils. Three nuclear power stations stand on the point. Hinkley Point A operated from 1965 until 2000 with two Magnox reactors. Hinkley Point B ran from 1976 to 2022 with two advanced gas-cooled reactors housed in a single building. Hinkley Point C is now under construction and will have two European Pressurised Reactors. The British government approved the third station in 2008 to supply thirteen per cent of the country’s electricity in the early 2020s. The project uses three million tonnes of concrete and 230,000 tonnes of steel, making it the most expensive nuclear power station in the world. Visitors can walk the nature trail along Bridgwater Bay to see local plants, birds and butterflies. A visitor centre in Bridgwater provides information and guided tours of the plants. The wide open landscape offers views across the Bristol Channel and along the Somerset coast. Fossil hunters often search the foreshore at low tide. The contrast between the modern reactors and the ancient settlement remains adds to the site’s interest.