Northam Burrows Country Park is a grassy coastal plain with salt marsh and sand dunes, this site is of considerable importance for both its wildlife and geology. Of particular note is its famous shingle ridge/spit formed by longshore drift with pebbles coming from further around Bideford Bay, which features some unusually large pebbles. These are made of a hard, fine-grained sandstone that outcrops in the cliffs to the south.
Northam Burrows Country Park lies at the mouth of the Taw and Torridge estuary, within an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It covers 263 hectares, 650 acres, of sand dunes, salt marshes and pasture providing important habitats for wildlife.
There are 1.5 miles of sandy beach protected by a ridge of huge pebbles.The visitor centre is open from Easter to September with excellent hands-on activities for children explaining the ecology of the sea and surrounding area.
Over the years the rights of local parishioners the powallopers, have been kept alive with the Burrows unusual status as a grazed common remaining.
In 1988 the Country Park was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. This was for several reasons, one being the unique Pebble Ridge. Formed entirely by the action of the waves it has protected the Burrows from the sea for hundreds of years.
Northam Burrows Country Park is protected from the sea by Westward Ho's famous Pebble Ridge, the 258 ha land spit has a golf course at its centre, set amidst low dunes, areas of grassland and rush, and a saltmarsh of international importance for its bird life. Northam Burrows Country Park is common land and a SSSI, and for its size, the area is rich in plants and animals. It also incorporates the Royal North Devon golf Club, England's oldest links course.
There is an on-site Visitor Centre, which is open from May to September and displays interesting information.
By road you can access the Northam Burrows Country Park from the villages of Northam and Westward Ho! The South West Coast Path also borders the site.
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