Dawlish Warren NNR includes the full range of coastal habitats, from mudflats to sand dunes. The reserve provides shelter and food for up to 12,000 wading birds and also helps to protect the Exe Estuary from wave action, which is particularly important during storm events.
Main habitats: coastal
Management: Dawlish Warren is jointly owned and managed by Teignbridge District Council and the Devon Wildlife Trust.
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Quirky 18th-century, 16 sided house with fascinating interior decoration and collections.
Important notice - The car park, toilets & one way route around the grounds are open. You'll need to book your visit in advance. Check What’s On for the latest information & to book. You'll be turned away if you arrive without a booking.
Enjoy walks, picnics, and stunning views across the Exe estuary to the east Devon coastline. You can picnic in the orchard or on the Ha-Ha lawn. Follow in the steps of A la Ronde’s two spinster cousins, Jane and Mary Parminter, and enjoy a stroll around the meadow which is rich in flora, fauna and wildlife.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/a-la-ronde
A la Ronde Summer Lane, Exmouth EX8 5BD
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlaRondeNT/ (1.9k)
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This area is made up of a variety of landscape types which together give rise to a distinctive coastal landscape, exposed to salt laden winds and comprising open plateau, dramatic cliff, secretive undercliff, steep wooded combe valleys and river estuary. Here the senses are stimulated by stunning scenery and dramatic landform, lofty remoteness on the plateau tops and contrasting dark secretive inaccessible undercliff and intimate picturesque settled combes. Both the plateau top and estuaries have a strong horizontal emphasis and a sense of space and air while from the cliff tops there are distinctive views out to sea and also along the cliffs. In parts the distinctive coastal cliffs are of chalk and limestone and are unique in a Devon context while to the west the cliffs are red sandstone.
This area comprises a coastal landscape of open plateau, approximately 2-4km wide, which extends between Exmouth in the west and the county boundary with Dorset in the east and which drops, as cliffs, dramatically to the sea to the south. To the north the plateau quickly gives way to a landscape of ridges and valleys, including the East Devon Central Ridge and the Axe Valley.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/east-devon-area/sidmouth-and-lyme-bay-coastal-plateau
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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This landscape at its core comprises a central plateau landscape which is elevated, exposed and open in character and which fans out into narrow ridges at its edges where it is fringed by steeply sloping wooded greensand edges and farmed slopes which descend into river valleys. The interplay of open, elevated plateau (with its regular enclosure pattern and beech hedges, outgrown beech hedges and pine shelterbelts), the steeply sloping fringes (which are cloaked in woodland), and the farmed valleys (with small scale irregular enclosures) gives this landscape its distinctiveness. The expansive plateau and prominent beech shelterbelts, in particular, distinguish this area from the East Devon Central Ridge found further south and east. In places there is a sense of bleakness about the longer views across unbroken stretches of plateau.
This area comprises an open, exposed inland plateau which fans out as narrow fingers towards the edges, fringed by steeply sloping, wooded greensand and more gentle wooded valley slopes particularly in the Culm Valley. The northern boundary to this area is formed by the Blackdown Scarp, and the southern boundary by the Clyst Lowland Farmlands which extend into the upper Otter valley around Honiton. To the west the landscape rapidly drops into the Culm Valley Lowlands while to the east it is defined by the East Devon Central Ridge and upper slopes of the Axe Valley.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/east-devon-area/blackdown-hills
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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This is a broad, distinctive lowland river valley landscape with a wide floodplain, tightly meandering river course and valley sides which are formed by surrounding higher land. The valley sides have a strong hedgerow pattern with hedgerow trees coupled with small broadleaved woods and occasional farm orchards which give rise to a generally wooded character overall. Land use is mainly pastoral set within small fields in the upper tributary valleys, with larger fields and some arable within the main Axe Valley. The open valley floor and relatively loosely defined valley sides make the character of this valley rare in a Devon context. The tributary valleys of the Coly and Yarty are narrower and therefore more enclosed and intimate although they also have notable floodplains. Drainage channels are a feature, particularly in the central part of this character area, and settlement is focused on the river corridor at key crossing points just above the flood risk areas. During the autumn, winter and spring this area has a ‘watery’ ephemeral and timeless quality. Towards its southern end the valley is closely flanked by steep wooded greensand scarp slopes and assumes a more tidal character where it cuts through the coastal plateau to the sea. In contrast, moving northwards, there is a more gradual transition from river valley to upland open ridge.
This area comprises the broad river valley of the Axe and its tributaries, principally the Coly and Yarty. The Axe valley is orientated north-east to south-west and the tributary valleys penetrate as a series of fingers into the East Devon Central Ridge to the west and the Wootton Hills to the east respectively. The higher land which surrounds the valley gives the area containment and visually defines the valley landscape unit. At the coast it breaks through the Sidmouth and Lyme Bay Coastal Plateau to form an estuary landscape with a strong maritime character. Inland the river continues north-eastwards, forming the boundary between Somerset and Dorset.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/east-devon-area/axe-valley
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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This landscape comprises a narrow, elevated, rolling ridge fringed by steep scarp slopes and upper valley farmland. The main ridge forms a distinctive spine to East Devon, fanning out into a series of narrow fingers that have distinctive southerly aspect and are flanked to the south by wooded slopes, which give way to small scale farmland in the upper and tributary valleys of the Axe and Sid. The northern finger of the ridge sits between the upper Otter valley and the Yarty valley. The river valleys drain southwards, forming steep sided and often remote-feeling valleys, whose sides are clothed with ancient oak woodlands. The Sid valley is the major landscape feature of the southern part of the area; further east the valleys are shorter, steeper and narrower. Views from the open upland ridges, particularly in the north, are extensive, often looking over the tree tops on the steep greensand scarps to other ridges beyond and into the visually strong field pattern of the valley slopes. The area is sparsely settled, with individual farmsteads and small hamlets in the valleys and vernacular buildings mainly of stone and red brick. Seen from the south, the area forms a backdrop to the valleys, separating the coastal plateau and Axe valley from the Blackdown Hills to the north.
This landscape shares many of the characteristics of the Blackdown Hills and is physically separated from that area by the upper Otter valley. It comprises a greensand ridge which forms a central spine to East Devon south of the A30 and Honiton. The north-western boundary of this area is marked by the abrupt wooded scarp overlooking the River Otter and Honiton. To the east there is a more gradual transition to lower lying farmland and the River Axe’s tributary valley the Yarty. To the south is a clear boundary with open plateau farmlands of the Sidmouth and Lyme Bay Coastal Plateau. To the north where the ridge narrows, the landscape becomes transitional with the Blackdown Hills and the boundary between the two areas, although difficult to perceive, is drawn along the Stockland Hill road.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/east-devon-area/east-devon-central-ridge
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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This is a landscape of rounded hills which link to form a gentle, rolling ridge, with wooded fringes on the steeper slopes giving way to lower lying farmland within the Lim valley to the south and the Axe valley to the north. The higher hills form an important backdrop to the valleys below and to the valley settlement of Uplyme. The area has an intimate and tranquil quality and from the higher hilltops e.g. Whitty Hill there are coastal views eastward particularly on the upper slopes which are open and exposed and where beech hedgebanks are often windswept. These lofty locations contrast with the more intimate and sheltered valley landscapes which have a small scale and strong time-depth particularly in the woodlands.
This area comprises an elevated rolling ridge comprising discrete conical hills which extend into Dorset to the east and are associated with wooded slopes and lower lying valley farmland. Located at the south-east border of Devon, this area shows similarities with the Blackdown ridges to the west and north but has gentler, smoother topography and is lower lying with coastal influences. Its eastern boundary is marked by the county boundary with Dorset; to the south it is flanked by the Sidmouth and Lyme Bay Coastal Plateau and to the north and east by lower lying farmland within the Axe Valley.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/east-devon-area/wootton-hills
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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This landscape of gently undulating elevated ridge is similar in character to other Blackdown ridges comprising an open and exposed plateau landscape with regular field boundaries reflecting late enclosure of wasteland. However, it lacks the fringing wooded greensand scarp that characterises the other Blackdown ridges. Instead the edge of the ridge connects directly with the farmed slopes of the upper river valleys. Hence there is a smoother transition between exposed open upland and the valleys below, and contrasts in land form and land cover are less pronounced. This landscape has a strong time-depth reflected in its historic enclosures, archaeological sites and settlement pattern, which comprises small hamlets and dispersed farmsteads. The small villages (e.g. Buckland St Mary and Whitestaunton) are often surrounded by trees and their associated church towers act as landmarks within the open elevated landscape.
This area comprises a north-south orientated ridge fringed by farmland on the upper slopes of the river valleys which feed into the Axe. This landscape continues across the Devon County boundary into South Somerset District. Its eastern edge is therefore defined by the county (and AONB) boundary while to the north it is fringed by the distinctive Blackdown Hills Scarp; and to the south and west by the tributary valleys within the Axe Valley.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/east-devon-area/eastern-blackdown-ridge
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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This landscape forms a wide band of scarp woodlands and farmed slopes which are orientated east-west, and which face northwards over the Vale of Taunton. Historically this area has divided the counties of Somerset and Devon. This is a dramatic landscape that is very prominent, particularly in views from the north. It stands out from the land that surrounds it; and has considerable visual interest and texture due to its diverse land use and woodland cover. The Wellington Monument, a key landmark, is located on the north-facing slopes which are gently undulating, rising to Staple Hill. The western end of the scarp is most pronounced; to the east the slopes become broader and gentler. There is dense semi-natural woodland cover on the steepest slopes, along with patches of gorse and scrub. Vegetation patterns are often irregular, reflecting variations in the underlying landform, although in some areas these variations are masked by conifer plantations. The wet pastures associated with spring lines add further interest and texture to this landscape.
This area comprises the north-facing wooded greensand scarp slope of the Blackdown Hills which overlooks Vale of Taunton. Its northern and eastern edges are marked by the AONB boundary while to the south its boundary is clearly defined by the start of the central plateau of the Blackdown Hills. The western edge is also clearly defined by the greensand scarp and quick transition into the Culm Valley Lowlands.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/east-devon-area/blackdown-hills-scarp
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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The Bovey Basin is a relatively small area, characterised by predominantly flat, broad alluvial floodplain enclosed by encircling hills and, importantly, by the influence of ball clay extraction activities. The quarrying activity has resulted in large areas of despoiled land including open cast quarries, spoil heaps (creating regular-shaped hills), settling lakes, and large modern industrial buildings. These features, along with road infrastructure and development, have altered the river basin character, giving rise to a fragmented and disturbed ambience in places. Nevertheless, there are remnant areas of irregular, mainly pastoral fields with hedgerows, woodlands and some important areas of acid heath, e.g. Bovey Heath and Chudleigh Knighton Heath, reflecting the presence of underlying sand and gravel. The tree-lined Rivers Bovey and Teign also provide a more naturalistic character amongst an otherwise complex, settled landscape; and the designed parkland of Stover Estate lends a sense of continuity within an area which has undergone considerable change. This is generally an inward-looking landscape due to the basin landform and the presence of notable areas of mixed and coniferous woodland, which provide a sense of enclosure.
This area comprises a river basin containing the lower reaches of the River Bovey and middle reaches of the Teign. It extends from Bovey Tracey in the north-west to Newton Abbot in the south-east and is surrounded by rising land in adjacent areas. To the west the land rises noticeably to form the East Dartmoor Moorland Fringes and to the east the area is defined by spurs of higher land extending from the Haldon Ridge. To the north there is a more gradual transition to the Teign Valley and Slopes; while to the south there is a ridge of higher land which separates the basin from the Lemon valley within the Denbury and Kerswell Farmlands area.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/teignbridge-and-east-devon-area/bovey-basin
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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