Unspoilt island, home to a fascinating array of wildlife amidst dramatic scenery
From catching the ferry (or helicopter) to making your way around once you’ve arrive, we’ve got the details on how to get to Lundy Island and what's available when you're there. Please check with the travel providers to see which services are running when you plan to visit. Once you’re on the island there’s lots to see and do. Read on for all the information you need to plan your trip to Lundy.
Lundy Is owned by the National Trust and run by the Landmark Trust
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lundy
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An ‘area of waste called the Common’, was given to the people of Torrington in 1194. This was formalised in 1889, when the Common’s Act was presented in Parliament. ‘An Act for vesting Great Torrington in a body of Conservators’.
Since October 2nd 1889 the Conservators have met regularly to discharge this duty, giving us this wonderful area, still freely accessible to all. The use of The Commons is governed by bylaws approved by DEFRA. The latest edition of the bye-laws is dated 2010.
There are up to fifteen Commons Conservators, elected on a three yearly basis. All Conservators are resident in Torrington and they administer the commons for the people of the town of Great Torrington. Their work includes enforcement of the bye laws, maintaining the public rights of way and paths, conservation of the many different habitats and special measures to support some of the rarer species found on the commons.
https://www.torringtoncommons.org/
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Roadford Lake sits within the stunning surroundings of the Wolf Valley, near the Cornwall border. One of the biggest and busiest inland waters in the South West, the lake is surrounded by a variety of natural habitats, including Culm Grasslands, woodlands, old pastures and orchards.
An abundance of flora and fauna, and a lovely scattering of nature trails and footpaths to different areas of the lake, offer visitors the opportunity to appreciate the peaceful beauty of water, woodland and forestry on a walk or bicycle.
https://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/roadford
Roadford Lake Broadwoodwidger, Lifton PL16 0RL
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South West Lakes Trust Surrounded by British countryside and nestled on the Cornwall and Devon border, Upper and Lower Tamar Lakes are steeped in industrial history and rich in flora and fauna. This is an idyllic to spot to set the imagination free, stretch your legs and enjoy the peace that comes from being near water.
https://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/tamar
Tamar, Upper Tamar Lake, Kilkhampton, Near Bude, EX23 9SB
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The North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) covers 171 square kilometres (66 square miles) of mainly coastal landscape including special places such as Combe Martin, Lee Bay, Woolacombe, Croyde, Saunton, Northam Burrows Country Park, Westward Ho!’s Pebble Ridge, the Hartland Peninsula and Braunton Burrows, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
http://www.northdevon-aonb.org.uk/
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An open, elevated landscape, where the long views out make an important contribution to the sense of place. The high land of Exmoor (to the north) and Dartmoor (to the south) provide orientation, and a backdrop of seasonally-changing colour. In the north, views out to sea and across the north Devon coast lend a strong maritime influence. Views across and into the neighbouring Taw and Torridge valleys emphasise the contrast between this open farmland and the wooded, enclosed and intimate valley landscapes on either side. Skylines are very important, with clumps of trees and square church towers acting as prominent features and landscape focal points. Woodland and occasional patches of unimproved grassland contribute to the seasonally-changing colour and texture of the landscape.
This long, narrow area comprises the ridges of high land between the Taw Valley (to the east) and the Torridge Valley (to the west). To the north is the lower-lying Taw-Torridge Estuary, and to the south is a gradual transition to the open inland plateau of the High Taw Farmland.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/torridge-area/high-culm-ridges
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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Lundy is an isolated and unique place, surrounded by and dominated by the ever-changing sea. Remote and undeveloped, it is a ‘sanctuary’ away from the mainland. Its seascapes are dramatic, with sheer cliffs rising out of the water, battered into dramatic shapes by the force of the Atlantic breakers. The desolate, windswept moorland is alive with the sounds of crashing waves and the cries of the sea birds. The island’s remoteness from 21st century life, and its sense of changelessness, is enhanced by the extraordinary richness of its history. This historic sites provide a tangible link with the island’s past, stretching as far back as prehistoric times.
Lundy is a small island (approximately 1km by 5km) located around 18km off the North Devon coast in the Bristol Channel.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/torridge-area/lundy
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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In the Hartland Peninsula, complex geology, combined with centuries of pounding by the full force of the Atlantic waves, has produced some of the most dramatic seascapes and coastal scenery in Devon. The cliffs are high and rugged, with zig-zag faults and folds. Wave-cut platforms and spectacular coastal waterfalls are also distinctive features of this jagged, exposed and windswept coastline, with the profile of Lundy visible in the open seascape. Coastal heathland on the cliff tops produces vivid and changing colours for much of the year. Inland, the area contains an open, flat, elevated plateau of agricultural land, which contrasts with the twisting, wooded and secretive combes that are cut into the plateau at its coastal edge. Dramatic sunsets over the sea add to the drama of the area.
This area comprises the south-western part of the North Devon coast. It is bordered by the sea to the north and west, and by the county boundary with Cornwall to the south. To the east there is a gradual transition to the Bideford Bay Coast and a more abrupt transition (marked by the prevalence of unimproved Culm grassland) to the Western Culm Plateau.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/torridge-area/hartland-peninsula
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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This is an elevated, expansive landscape forming a series of ridges, with long views from high ground. Dartmoor provides a backdrop to the southern part of the area; the sea forms the horizons from the north. There are extensive areas of Culm grassland, which can feel bleak and exposed, but are rich in prehistoric archaeology and of international importance for their biodiversity. Some areas of the Culm grassland have been planted for forestry, and the dark colours and abrupt edges of the large conifer plantations contrast with the softer deciduous vegetation in the valleys. The farmed landscape of the valleys has a much softer texture and a more settled ‘working’ character than the Culm grasslands of the moors above. It includes pastoral fields, scattered whitewashed farms and occasional larger settlements such as Bradworthy and Holsworthy.
This extensive area is located on the western edge of Torridge District, and comprises elevated upland farmland and Culm grassland. Its western boundary is defined by the county boundary with Cornwall. To the north are the Hartland Peninsula and the Bideford Bay Coast, where the landscape changes from grassland and plantation to more intensive agricultural use and coastal influences become stronger. To the east is the more incised landscape of the Western Torridge Upland Farmland; while to the south there is a gradual transition into the High Torridge Culm Plateau and the Upper Tamar Tributary Valleys.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/torridge-area/western-culm-plateau
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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Deep combes cloaked in oak woodland wind inland from the wooded cliffs, with carpets of bluebells in spring. Streams rush down the valleys, and ferns thrive in the dark, damp conditions. The woodland paths, with their glimpsed views of the sea, have a sense of intimacy, secrecy and peace. Narrow lanes with high, fern-covered banks provide access to the sheltered combe villages of Bucks Mills and Clovelly, the latter with its picturesque harbour and whitewashed houses. On higher land behind and between the combes is a lush landscape with a rolling patchwork of fields, a peaceful settled feel, and views of the woodlands and the sea. There are open sea views across Bideford Bay towards the Taw-Torridge estuary, with Lundy a distinctive feature on the horizon.
This area encompasses a sweep of coastal land from Beckland Bay (near Exmansworthy) to Westward Ho! To the north is the sea, and to the east (beyond the settlements of Westward Ho! and Appledore) is the Taw-Torridge Estuary. To the south is a transition to the Torridge Valley (marked by a change in landform) and the Western Culm Plateau (marked by the change in dominant vegetation to Culm grassland and plantation). To the west is a gradual transition to the Hartland Peninsula.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/torridge-area/bideford-bay-coast
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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