Discovering North Devon's Biosphere Reserve

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.

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.