Weston grew from a tiny fishing village into the largest town in the county, after Bath. The first hotel, The Royal, was built in 1810 and a coach service from Bristol brought wealthy patrons until, after 1841, Brunel's new railway opened the floodgates to expansion. " superbly illustrated chapters ... first-rate quality of production, as one would expect from a highly respected publisher such as Phillimore." Weston & Worle News