North Devon Coast

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The North Devon Coast is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England

The South West Coast Path passes through Exmoor and the North Devon AONB entering Devon at Foreland Point, after which the path comes to Lynmouth with the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway linking it with Lynton on the hill above. At Lynmouth the path intersects with the Two Moors Way. The river here suffered a catastrophic flood in the 1950s. Beyond Lynton the path passes through the Valley of the Rocks, known for its herd of goats,^[1] then Duty Point and Lee Bay, then Crock Point and Woody Bay. After Highveer Rocks the path crosses the small River Heddon then skirts Trentishoe Down and Holdstone Down before leaving Exmoor and entering Combe Martin which is the northern boundary of the AONB. Combe Martin has a history of silver mining the remains of which can be seen in the surrounding fields. It has a beach surrounded by rocks and cliffs.

$The South West Coast Path passes along the cliffs (seen in the distance) at Ilfracombe, North Devon. The highest point in this view is Hillsborough (447 feet, 136 metres). Part of Ilfracombe is seen on the right.$

The South West Coast Path passes along the cliffs (seen in the distance) at Ilfracombe, North Devon. The highest point in this view is Hillsborough (447 feet, 136 metres). Part of Ilfracombe is seen on the right.

The path now leaves the Exmoor National Park. After rounding Widmouth Head, the path passes 'The Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay and enters the seaside resort of Ilfracombe, with its small harbour, surrounded by cliffs. The town stretches along the coast from toward the east and 4 miles (6 km) along The Torrs to Lee Bay toward the west. A seasonal foot passenger ferry service runs from the harbour to Lundy Island and The Balmoral, The Waverley and pleasure boats ply to Porthcawl near Swansea. The Ilfracombe Branch Line of the London & South Western Railway (LSWR), ran between Barnstaple and Ilfracombe in North Devon. The branch opened in 1874 and closed in 1970.^[2]^[3]^[4] From Ilfracombe to Bideford the Tarka Trail coincides with the South West Coast Path.

Saunton Sands

The path leaves Ilfracombe through The Torrs and follows the cliff top past several small bays including Lee Bay before passing Bull Point into Rackham Bay. It then rounds Morte Point, passing the nearby village of Mortehoe before turning south to enter the long sandy Morte Bay which includes Woolacombe and Putsborough. Baggy Point divides Morte Bay from Croyde Bay, and the surfing mecca of Croyde and then the much larger Barnstaple or Bideford Bay. The wide expanse of Saunton Sands, which takes its name from Saunton, merges into Braunton Burrows, the largest sand dune system (psammosere) in England^[5] and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.^[6] It is particularly important ecologically because it includes the complete successional range of dune plant communities, with over 400 vascular plant species. The short turf communities are very rich in lichens and herbs, and the dune slacks are also rich. The many rare plants and animals include 14 with UK Biodiversity Action Plans.^[7]

From Braunton Burrows the South West Coast Path turns inland following the north bank of the River Taw towards Braunton, then turns east past the perimeter of the Royal Marines Base Chivenor towards Barnstaple where the new Barnstaple Western Bypass now forms the closest bridge over the Taw to the sea. After crossing medieval Barnstaple Long Bridge, the path then turns west following a disused railway line along southern bank of the Taw past Fremington to Instow at the joint estuary of the Rivers Taw and Torridge. The ferry which used to operate at Instow ceased on the retirement of the ferryman in 2007^[8], so the path now goes upstream to cross the river by the 13th century bridge at Bideford, which is the site of the Bideford Railway Heritage Centre and terminus of the North Devon Railway.

The path continues north beside the Torridge Estuary past Northam to Appledore and around the promontory past the Shell middens and a submerged forest, that dates from the Mesolithic period,^[9] off the pebble ridge to Westward Ho! (this is the only placename in the UK which includes an exclamation mark).^[10] Several small villages including Abbotsham lie on the A39 just inland of the path around Clovelly Bay. Clovelly itself is a historic village with a small natural harbour. The path continues on to Hartland Point which marks the western limit (on the English side) of the Bristol Channel with the Atlantic Ocean to the west. There is a winter helicopter service from Hartland Point to the island of Lundy, which is visible from many points along the path between Welcombe and the Cornish border.

[edit] References

^ Poisoned peppers meant for goats. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-11-25.
^ Maggs, Colin. The Barnstaple & Ilfracombe Railway. Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-368-0.
^ Mitchell, Vic; Keith Smith (1993). Branch Line to Ilfracombe. Middleton Press. ISBN 1-873793-21-9.
^ Nicholas, John (1998). The Ilfracombe line. Irwell Press. ISBN 1-871608-77-5.
^ Braunton Burrows. UK Biospere Reserves Review. Retrieved on 2007-11-26. “Braunton Burrows is a prime British sand dune site, the largest sand dune system in England”
^ Braunton Burrows. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
^ Braunton Burrows. UK Biosphere Reserves Review. Retrieved on 2007-11-25.
^ SWCPA. River crossings. Retrieved on 2007-11-19.
^ Berridge, Peter; Alison Roberts (1986). "The Mesolithic Period in Cornwall". Cornish Archeology 25.
^ "How an 83-year-old woman became a council tax martyr", Guardian, 2004-02-24. Retrieved on 2007-11-26. "The windswept Devonshire seaside resort of Westward Ho! has long had a single claim to fame - it is the only place in Britain with an exclamation mark in its name ..."