THIS year’s long hot summer gave Minehead the chance to shine – and visitors gave the town and its new seafront attractions a big thumbs-up, it was reported this week.

Minehead Visitor Centre said it was getting “great feedback” on the new website www.mineheadbay.co.uk while the open-air seafront gallery was particularly popular.

The centre also received glowing comments about the Maritime Mile trail, which provides information about Minehead’s heritage, and said children have enjoyed following the sea-shells.

A range of partners is working on the Enterprising Minehead initiative, and more schemes to raise Minehead’s profile are in the pipeline, said Katrina Midgley,who chairs Minehead Coastal Communities Team.

“The feedback from visitors is really encouraging,” she said. “We expect work to start on more seafront enhancements in the New Year, and I look forward to watching them develop.”

Cllr Andrew Hadley, West Somerset Council’s economic regeneration and tourism lead, said: “I am delighted the new features have been received so positively by visitors.

“Minehead is a lovely place to visit, stay and live. All the initiatives so far, and those still to come, can only add to the town’s attraction and make it the place to visit when looking for short breaks or holiday destinations.”

A Bristol visitor told Minehead Town Council: “Just to say how very good and interesting the pictures by the clock tower are of Minehead in the past. I am in my early 70s and my friend is 91 and we both thought them fascinating.

“It was also good to see how many younger people were studying them. We both learned from them and were surprised by the Indian horse riders and the horse racing on the beach. Excellent.”

A West Somerset Council spokesman said a Swindon visitor had contacted the authority to pass on her delight at discovering a picture in the gallery of her parents walking along the seafront in 1960.

And a visitor from Wrexham said: “My husband and I have just spent a few days in Somerset and decided to visit Minehead as neither of us had been before.

“We would like to say what a beautiful and well cared for town you have, we absolutely loved it especially the seafront and harbour.

“The shops were so nice, everyone friendly and we found a little old fashioned cafe on the promenade which served a really good cup of coffee.

“We enjoyed our visit so much that out of the four days we had in Somerset we spent two of them at Minehead.

“Hopefully we will return in the not too distant future and will definitely stay in Minehead - we didn’t want to leave! Congratulations on your beautiful town and the high standard it is kept in.”

The spoksman added that the Enterprising Minehead project aimed to make the most of Minehead’s traditional appeal as a seaside resort while also making sure it was fit for the 21st century.

Initiatives include the re-development and refurbishment of the seafront, a tourism training academy, a business improvement district (BID), new events, heritage trail and branding and marketing activity.