North Devon

North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers approximately 171 square kilometres along the north Devon coast between the Taw-Torridge estuary in the west and Combe Martin in the east. Designated in 1960, it forms part of a larger coastal landscape that connects with Exmoor National Park to the east. The coastline features dramatic sea cliffs, sweeping sand dune systems, and wide sandy beaches, with the inland component comprising a mix of agricultural land, ancient woodland, and small villages of the distinctive north Devon vernacular tradition. The area is particularly noted for its surf beaches at Saunton Sands and Croyde, its dune systems, and the Braunton Burrows, designated as Britain's first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve core zone in 1976.

North Devon's wildlife is concentrated in the diverse coastal habitats of the AONB. The Taw-Torridge estuary, forming the western boundary, supports internationally important numbers of wintering waders including dunlin, curlew, redshank, and grey plover, along with wildfowl such as wigeon, teal, and occasional white-fronted geese. The estuary and adjacent reedbeds support otters, which are present throughout the river systems of north Devon. The sea cliffs between Croyde and Combe Martin provide nesting sites for fulmars, kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills, and peregrine falcons. Grey seals regularly haul out on isolated rocky beaches and can be seen from the cliff paths. The dune systems support populations of natterjack toads at some sites, along with common lizards and slow worms.

Braunton Burrows is the most significant botanical site in the North Devon AONB, representing the largest sand dune system in England and Wales at approximately 900 hectares. The dune system supports exceptional plant diversity, with over 400 species recorded including rare dune specialists such as water germander, shore dock, adder's tongue fern, and several orchid species. The dune slacks contain nationally rare communities with round-leaved wintergreen and fen orchid. Sea rocket, marram grass, and sea sandwort colonise the mobile foredunes. The Croyde and Saunton coastal grasslands contain maritime heath communities. The river valleys within the AONB contain ancient oak woodland fragments with rich communities of mosses, ferns, and lichens. Saltmarsh communities fringe the upper estuary with sea purslane, glasswort, and sea lavender.

The North Devon coast exposes ancient Devonian rocks, among the oldest in the South West, deposited approximately 350 to 400 million years ago when this part of Britain lay close to the equator. The Devonian slates, sandstones, and limestones have been folded and faulted by subsequent tectonic activity into a complex series of ridges and valleys. The coastal cliffs near Combe Martin and Ilfracombe expose dramatic folded rock sequences. Carboniferous rocks appear at the eastern end of the AONB near the boundary with Exmoor. The wide sandy beaches of Saunton and Croyde are underlain by extensive Quaternary sand deposits reworked by coastal processes. Braunton Burrows sits on a base of Quaternary sand and gravel deposited by the combined Taw and Torridge rivers at a time when sea levels were lower. Cave sites in the limestone near Ilfracombe have yielded Pleistocene mammal remains.

North Devon experiences a warm, wet maritime climate, strongly influenced by Atlantic weather systems arriving from the south-west. The area is one of the warmest parts of England in winter due to the North Atlantic Drift, with January averages around 6 to 7 degrees Celsius. Summers are warm but rarely hot, with July averages around 17 degrees Celsius. Annual rainfall is moderate by south-western standards, averaging approximately 900 to 1,000 millimetres, with the coast receiving less rainfall than the uplands of Exmoor immediately to the east. The coast is exposed to Atlantic swells that generate the reliable surf conditions for which the beaches are regionally famous. Sea mists occur in summer when warm moist air flows over cooler coastal waters. Gales and heavy seas in autumn and winter can be spectacular on the exposed northern coast.

North Devon has been settled since prehistoric times, with Bronze Age round barrows prominent on the headlands above the coast. The Roman period left relatively few traces in this remote corner of south-west Britain. The medieval period saw the development of small fishing settlements at Croyde and Combe Martin, the latter being notable for its silver mining activity in the medieval and early modern period. Barnstaple, just outside the AONB at the head of the Taw estuary, was a significant medieval port and market town and remains the main service centre for the region. The coast was a significant smuggling area during the 18th century, with numerous isolated coves used to land contraband. The Victorian era brought tourism to the coast, with Ilfracombe developing as a seaside resort served by paddle steamers from Bristol and South Wales.

North Devon was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1960, one of the earlier AONB designations reflecting the recognised value of its coastal scenery and wildlife. The preceding designation of Braunton Burrows as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and its subsequent designation as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1976, later expanded to form the North Devon Biosphere Reserve covering 330,000 hectares, gave the area an international conservation profile. The North Devon AONB Partnership, supported by Devon County Council and the district councils, produces a management plan and coordinates landscape and biodiversity conservation work. In 2021, the government announced that North Devon AONB would be merged with the Cornwall AONB and Tamar Valley AONB into an enlarged area, but this proposal was subsequently revised.

The South West Coast Path runs the full length of the AONB coastline, providing outstanding clifftop walking between the Taw-Torridge estuary and Combe Martin. Saunton Sands is a 5-kilometre beach backed by the Braunton Burrows dune system. Croyde beach is renowned for surfing, with several surf schools operating from the village. The Great Field at Braunton is one of the few remaining open field systems in England, surviving from the medieval period. Baggy Point, a headland managed by the National Trust, provides excellent cliff walking and wildlife watching. Morte Point, also National Trust, offers dramatic rocky coastline. The village of Croyde and the small harbour village of Clovelly, just west of the AONB, are popular visitor destinations. The Tarka Trail cycling route passes through the AONB.

The North Devon AONB is accessed primarily by car, with the A361 North Devon Link Road providing fast access from the M5 motorway at Junction 27. Car parks are provided at all main beaches including Saunton, Croyde, and Putsborough. Summer traffic congestion on the narrow lanes to popular beaches can be severe, with Croyde in particular becoming very busy during peak surf and holiday periods. Bus services connect Barnstaple with the coastal villages, though services are infrequent outside summer. Accommodation is widely available in the coastal villages and in Barnstaple. The AONB team and Braunton Countryside Centre provide visitor information. Surf hire and instruction are widely available at Croyde and Saunton, and the area is well established as a surfing destination for visitors from across the UK.

Conservation priorities in North Devon AONB include the management of Braunton Burrows as a nationally important dune system, the protection of the estuary from coastal development pressure, and the management of visitor pressure on sensitive coastal habitats. The Braunton Burrows dune system is managed in partnership by Natural England, the Ministry of Defence, which holds part of the system as a training area, and the local authority. Dune management aims to maintain the dynamic balance between mobile and fixed dune communities that supports the exceptional flora. The Taw-Torridge estuary faces pressures from coastal development and, historically, from aggregate dredging. Water quality in the estuary and coastal waters is monitored, with bathing water quality at the surf beaches a priority for the local economy. Agri-environment schemes support the traditional management of coastal grasslands and hedgebanks within the AONB.