Burnham-on-Sea is a town in
Somerset, England, at the mouth of the
River Parrett and
Bridgwater Bay. Burnham was a small fishing village until the late 18th century, when it began to grow because of its popularity as a
seaside resort. It forms part of the parish of
Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge and shares a
town council with its neighbouring market town of
Highbridge. According to the
2011 census the population of the parish (i.e. including Highbridge) was 19,576, of which the populations of the
wards of Burnham Central and Burnham North, which made up most of the town, totalled 13,601.