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Discovering North Devon's Biosphere Reserve

North Devon is a very special place with a wonderful array of stunning landscapes and rare and threatened habitats and species. Download leaflet

North Devon is a very special to live, work and to visit

North Devon is special for its people, its culture and its outstanding environment. It hosts some of the finest examples of special landscapes and wildlife areas in Europe. Some highlights include:

Stunning Coastline

Stretching from Hartland to Lynton, most of it is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

VISIT:

Hartland Point: Storm lashed quay fronting the Atlantic; also known as the Promontory of Hercules and the Point Furthest from the Railways. Dramatic cliffs demonstrate some mind boggling folding of rocks. The shipwreck museum explains the challenges of the coast for navigation.

Westward Ho!: Victorian Sea-side resort whose name was inspired by the novel by Charles Kingsley. Now the area is celebrated amongst the kite sports world. Formerly the home of Rudyard Kipling but also famous for the enigmatic Northam Burrows, beach dune and grazing marsh area

Taw and Torridge Estuary

Rivers link the surrounding uplands and the sea. The estuary is a birder's paradise with an abundance of wading birds and other species. Look out for the rare salt marshes; these are rare habitats and effective sea defences. Taw Torridge Estuary Forum

Northam Burrows Country park

VISIT:

Appledore: Traditional fishing village at the mouth of the Taw Torridge Estuary, where the 2 rivers meet. Good fish restaurants are a feature of the village. The long tradition of fishing and ship building is reflected in the Maritime museum and traditional architecture.

The Taw Torridge Estuary

The Taw Torridge estuary is the lifeblood of Northern Devon and has been used for generations for work, recreation, education and research. The habitats of the estuary which are vitally important to wildlife, are sensitive to change and must be maintained or enhanced for future generations.

This valuable resource needs to be managed in a way that enhances the environment and promotes its sustainable use and this is what the Taw Torridge Estuary Management Plan endeavours to achieve.
Any comments regarding the Plan can be directed to Chrissie Ingle

Glossary and Appendix

Braunton Burrows

One of the finest sand dune systems in the northern hemisphere owned by the Christie family for more than 350 years. It is an amazingly rich habitat with hundreds of species of flowering plants including many that are nationally and locally rare. You can Explore Braunton on your PC. Visit Braunton Countryside Centre.

VISIT:

Woolacombe beach: A steep dune system with typical dune flora also backs onto this 5 Km long open sandy beach going south to Puttsbrough. It is a great site for learning to surf. Rock pools to the north are part of a Voluntary Marine Reserve with species such as the curious "Leopard Spotted Goby".

Sabellaria reef

The seas in the Biosphere have marine biodiversity significant enough to warrant the UK's first Marine Nature Reserve around Lundy and a Marine Conservation Area.

Coastwise North Devon

Marine Conservation Society

Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN)

This project brings the stories of Braunton to life

Local experts bring the story of Braunton to life in a way that is engaging and accessible for all, from local residents, teachers and school children to visitors to the area. The Project includes GPS driven NODE Explorer, interactive video players that can be taken out around Braunton to guide people round four specially created walking tours. You can also 'Explore Braunton' from your own home or school at www.explorebraunton.org. This website includes a comprehensive historical archive and gives people the opportunity to download walks leaflets, audio files and video tours. It brings the heart of North Devon's Biosphere Reserve to your PC.

Thriving cultural communities

Festivals and events celebrate the area's environmental richness, its strong maritime heritage and links with the land and traditional farming.

VISIT:

Great Torrington: Market town and home of the 1646 Museum dedicated to one of the last battles in the English Civil war. Close to the Tarka Trail and has a large common managed by the town important for butterflies. Otters frequent the river Torridge here. Nearby is the RHS Rosemoor Gardens to see some wonderful gardening delights at any time of the year.

Belstone Village: Small tradition Dartmoor village, with granite farmhouses nestled on the edge of the moor where the Taw and Okement rivers spring from the peat bogs of the National Park. Pleasant walk on tracks on to the moor from where you can get panoramic views looking down the river basins of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Near the village is the "Nine Maidens" prehistoric stone circle.

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Leave the car at home

There are plenty of ways to Explore the Biosphere Reserve on foot or by bike, or using public transport. They save on carbon emissions and help reduce your carbon footprint.

Walking and Cycling - North Devon's Biosphere Reserve includes some of the finest sections of the South West Coast Path, as well as the Tarka Trail, one of the UKs best known multi-use routes. There are many circular walks linking to these main routes as well as to other transport corridors such as the Tarka Railway line linking Barnstaple with Exeter. There are a number of Easy Access trails linked to the Coast Path and Tarka Trail that are suitable for the the less mobile. The Tarka Trail has also benefitted from recent improvements along its length, including the installation of easy to open gates.

Unlocking our Coastal Heritage - this project has received £2.1m in European grant aid through the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) to improve the visitor experience along the South West Coast Path. Led by the South West Coast Path Team, it is a three-year series of investments to conserve, enhance and interpret 30 nationally important historic and archaeological sites along the Coast Path. Sites targeted for improvement in north Devon are: