Download pdf - Slapton exp ore south devon · freshwater in South West England. When the shingle ridge of Slapton Sands was pushed up by rising seas after the last ice age, the lagoon formed behind

south devonexp ore

South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Walks

Slapton

Start: | Middle Car Park, Slapton Sands

Distance: | 2.75 miles (+0.5 miles for alternative return route)

Difficulty: | EasytoModerate.4flightsofsteps.Thereisaviewpointwithdisabledaccessandadjacentparking,bySlaptonBridge,gridref.SX828443.Thewalkroute,however,isnotsuitableforwheelchairsorpushchairs.

Terrain: | FootpathbySlaptonLey,occasionallyuneven,withwetsectionsalongshoreafterheavyrain;boardwalk;greenlane,muddyandsoggyinwetweather;surfaced road.

Parking: | Middle Car Park, Slapton Sands. Pay and display.

OS map: | Explorer0L20

Grid Ref: | SX828442

Public transport: | Seewww.travelinesw.com

Refreshments: | In Slapton or Torcross

Toilets: | PublictoiletsatTorcrossCarPark.

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Start/Finish

PDFonline walk

downloadable route map onto your device

downloadable PDF

South West Coast Path walking app – enhanced content with photos, audio and film.

This walk is available in the following formats from www.southdevonaonb.org.uk/walk

© Crown Copyright and database right 2019. Ordnance Survey

Main routeAlternative return route

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www.southdevonaonb.org.uk

Directions

Note: Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve request that dogs be kept on leads through the Reserve to avoid disturbance of wildlife.

1 Fromcarpark,turnrightalongroad.Turnfirstleftsigned‘Slapton½m’.

2 After150mturnleftontopublicfootpath.Followpathalongshore.

3 Pathcurvesawayfromleyshore.Atfingerpostturnleftalongboardwalksigned‘publicfootpath’.

4 Atendofboardwalkbearleftalongfootpathsigned‘DeerBridge¼m’.

5 Attheroadturnrightuphill.

6 GostraightoveratTownsendCross.Bearright,andfollowlanedownandaroundtotheleft.AtjunctionatBrookStCrossturnright.

7 AfterpassingQueen’sArms,followroadaroundto left.

8 Fromedgeofvillage,followpathalongsideofroadbackdowntoSlaptonSands.Alternatively,justpastFieldStudiesCentreturnrightdownfarmtracksigned‘publicfootpath’.

9 After250m,bysignreading‘FarmOnly’,bearrightthroughgatetocontinuealongfootpath.

10 Pathleadsyoubacktoretraceyourstepsaroundshoreofleytotheroad.Turnright.

11 Crosstorightatjunctiontoreturntocarpark.

Further Interest

Heritage

DuringtheSecondWorldWar,thewholeareaaroundSlaptonwasusedbyAmericanforcestopreparefortheinvasionofEurope.3000peoplefromsevenparisheshadtoleave,takingwiththemeverythingtheyowned,andfindsomewhereelsetoliveforalmost a year.

Thememorialbythebeachrecognisesthesacrificeofthoselocalresidentswhohadtowrenchthemselvesawayfromtheirhomesforthewareffort.

OnecasualtyofthewarwastheRoyalSandsHotel,agrandandwellknownoldedificewhichoncestoodwherethemiddlecarparkisnow.Thedamagebeganwithastraysheepdogwhichsetoffminesclosetothehotel.Intensiveliveartilleryexercisesonthebeachtherefinisheditoff.

ThevillageofSlaptonhasbeenaroundformillennia.ThereweresettlementshereintheBronzeAge,followedbyafortduringtheIronAge.UntilrecentlySlapton–whosenamemeans‘slipperyplace’–couldonlybereachedalongnarrowlanesfrominland.That,alongwiththefactthatitisinvisiblefromthesea,meansthatthevillagehashadafairlypeacefulaswellaslongexistence.

TheatmospherictoweryoucanseeloomingoverSlaptonVillageisnowmainlyahomeforrooksandbats.Centuriesago,though,itwaspartofacollegechantryforpriests.SirGuydeBrian,thelocallordofthemanor,builtthechantryin1373,onconditionthatamassbesungforhissouleachyear.

Landscape

TheshingleridgeofSlaptonSandsismainlymadeupofflints,washedupfromtheseabedtwentyfivemilesoffshore.Mixedinwiththemaretracesofgranitewasheddownfromthemoor,andflakesandchipsoflocalrocks,schistandslate.

SlaptonLeyisthelargestnaturalexpanseoffreshwaterinSouthWestEngland.WhentheshingleridgeofSlaptonSandswaspushedupbyrisingseasafterthelasticeage,thelagoonformedbehindit,fedbystreamsandtheriverGara.

Unusualasalandform,andwithrareandimportanthabitats,theareaaroundSlaptonLeyisdesignatedasaSiteofSpecialScientificInterest(SSSI).ItisalsoaNationalNatureReserve.

AstherouteleavesSlaptonVillage,youwillpassSlaptonLeyFieldStudiesCentreontheleft.Thecentrehostsschool,universityandadultgroupsoncoursesrelatingtotheenvironmentandbiology.

ThereisavisitorcentrefortheReserveherewhichyouarewelcometovisit.FormoreinformationabouttheReserveandtheCentrevisitwww.slnnr.org.uk



This walk along with many more can be downloaded from www.southdevonaonb.org.uk


Wildlife

AlongthetopoftheshingleridgeatSlaptonSandsgrowseveralrareplants,includingViper’sBugloss.Thisfabulouslynamedflowerthrowsupspikesofvividblueblooms.LookoutalsofortheYellowHornedPoppy.Thenamedescribesitwell,the‘horned’partreferringtoitslongcurvedseedpods.

Inspring,ifyoustandonthebridgejustoutsidethereserveentranceandlookdownyoumayseethestartlingsightofthousandsoffish.TheseRoach,RuddandPercharemassedheretospawn.

ThereareabewilderingvarietyofwildbirdsonthenaturereserveatSlaptonLey,cominginallkinds,shapesandsizes.Ideally,takealongapairofbinoculars,anidentificationbook,andabitofpatiencetomakethemostofwhat’sonoffer.Justafteryouenterthereservefromtheroad,ashelterontheleftcontainsablackboard.Thishasrecentsightingswrittenonwhichwillhelpgiveyouanideaofthebirdlifecurrentlyaround.

Autumnandspringbringmigratingbirdspausinghereastheypassthrough.Starlingsroostinhugenumbersinthereedbedsduringthewinter,andupto20,000SwallowsgatherhereintheAutumntoroost.WildfowlontheLeyincludePochard,Wigeon,Shoveler,Goldeneye,TuftedDuck,andGadwall.

TheGreatCrestedGrebeisaregal-lookingresidentoftheLey,withitslongneck,plumedhead,andchestnutruffframingawhiteface.‘Grebe-fur’-theskinandfeathersofthebird-onceformedaveryfashionablepartofthewardrobesofwealthywomen.Italmostbecameextinctasaresult.However,thegrebe’splightledtothecreationoftheRSPB(RoyalSocietyfortheProtectionofBirds),anditsnumbershavesincerecovered.

The‘boom’calloftheBitternisasoundrarelyheardinEnglandthesedays,butifyou’reluckyyoumighthearithere.Thisshy,sizeablebirdoverwintersonthereserve,skulkingaboutinthereedswhereithuntsforfish.

Thereisachanceyoumightseeanothernationalrarity,theMarshHarrier,glidingabovethereedbeds.Thislargebirdofpreyhaslongdarkwingsandtail.Ithuntsbirds,mammals,andfrogs.

Reedbedsareanuncommonandinvaluablehabitat.Reedbedsaretheirownworstenemiesinthattheytendnaturallytodryout–andsodieout–overtime.Thismakesmaintainingthemachallengingandsometimescostlyjob.Thereedsherewereoncewidelyharvestedforthatch,andareasarestillcuteachyear.

ThereedbedsarevisitedinthesummerbyReedWarblers.Thesesmall,brown,narrow-billedbirdsareabletoclingtotheverticalstemsofthereeds.Theybuildnestswovenaroundseveralreedstems.Rarerstill,Cetti’sWarblersareSlaptonresidents.Youmightheartheirsuddenloudpealsofsongfromamongstthereedsorscrub.

WildflowerstobefoundalongsidethepathbytheLeyincludePrimroses,Celandine,BluebellsandWildGarlic.ThespringandearlysummeralsobringoutspraysofwhiteStitchwort,andoftheblushingRedCampion.

InthewetareasaroundtheboardwalkgrowminiaturecarpetsofGoldenSaxifrage,aplantwithtinyyellow-greenflowersinthecentreofalittlenestofleaves.DwarfingthesearethestandsofHemlockWaterDropwort.Apoisonousplant,itproduceswhite‘umbrellas’offlowersontallstems,andhaslargeparsley-likeleaves.

Working in partnership


This walk is available in the following formats from www.southdevonaonb.org.uk/walk

PDFonline walk

downloadable route map onto your device

downloadable PDF

South West Coast Path walking app – enhanced content with photos, audio and film.