The AONB’s Coastal Gems: Hartland and Hartland Quay

We’re lucky in North Devon. Where else can you enjoy such breathtaking coastal scenery, right on your doorstep? The North Devon coastline is so special that it has been designated as an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). That means our coast benefits from a local team of people who do their very best to ensure that it’s used, developed sustainably and remains as beautiful tomorrow as it is today. Our AONB coast also forms the heart of North Devon’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the first in the UK.

Marvellous Hartland

It doesn’t take an expert to appreciate the beauty of Hartland. But that doesn’t stop geologists flocking to this breathtaking part of the North Devon coast. They are lured by Hartland’s reputation for some of the most spectacular geology in the whole of North West Europe. That’s something that anyone who has ever cast their eyes across Hartland’s dramatic cliffs will understand.

But this area offers much more than a rugged coastline. The village of Hartland still has an air of Victorian charm and is a great place to go for a wander. Did you know the old market town hall has one of the oldest working clocks in England? It has chimed out across the sea every hour for 400 years. Truly, it has stood the test of time! Or how about visiting St Nectan’s parish church in the tiny hamlet of Stoke? The magnificence of its tall tower has earned it the nickname ‘The Cathedral of North Devon’ and it was famously visited by the Emperor of Ethiopia, whilst exiled in England in the 1930s.

Hartland is one of the more secluded areas of the North Devon coast, with the Bristol Channel to the north and stunning views of the Atlantic coastline to the west. Its remote, quiet beaches are a wonderful way to find a little freedom. There are also several waterfalls to be found, such as those at St Catherine’s Tor, Blegberry, Blagdon and Beckland. But by far the most impressive is the waterfall at Speke’s Mill Mouth. Surely one of the south west’s finest.

Take a wonderful walk!

Hartland offers a landscape of wonderful contrasts, making it a walker’s paradise. Hartland Point is one of the boldest headlands in England and towers 350 feet over the sea. That gives walkers some amazing views and the area is renowned for one of the finest cliff walks in Britain. You can also venture through pretty woodland and along golden sandy beaches.

Try the short walk from Hartland Quay to Speke’s Mill Mouth with its beautiful waterfall and long curving beach. Or if you’re feeling more adventurous, stride out along the coastpath and cross the border to take a look at the Cornwall AONB.

Wildlife worth watching over

Hartland’s cliffs might be tricky terrain for us, but this undisturbed hinterland offers an environment for flora and fauna to flourish. It’s home to a dazzling variety of rare lichens, and wild flowers such as thrift, red fescue, buckshorn plantain, wild thyme and many colours of kidney vetch.

Keep your eyes peeled for wheatears and stonechats darting amongst the grassland, buzzards hovering overhead and peregrine falcons racing through the skies. And if you’re a fan of seals remember to take your binoculars. These adorable creatures love playing in the waves off Hartland Quay.

Need somewhere to take shelter from the sea breeze? If you venture inland you’ll find the pretty paths that snake through Hartland’s woodland. Visit during the spring months and you’ll be met with an explosion of colour and fragrance as primroses, bluebells, red campion, yellow gorse and foxgloves burst into glorious bloom.

With such spectacular wildlife in residence, it’s no surprise that this landscape is well cared for. The area is officially an: RIGS (Regionally Important Geological Site), WTS (Wildlife Trust Site), CWS (Country Wildlife Sites), SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), SAC (Special Area of Conservation), Ancient Woodland and LNR (Local Nature Reserve) as well as being part of the North Devon Coast AONB.

A heritage built on stormy seas

It is off Hartland Point that the Bristol Channel meets the Atlantic Ocean. That makes for some treacherous seas. Tradition has it that the Romans referred to Hartland Point as the ‘Promontory of Hercules’ because of the furious conditions. The result is that Hartland has witnessed numerous shipwrecks, the earliest of which was recorded in the 14th century.

Despite the dangers, Hartland Quay was once a thriving harbour. The sponsorship for its development came from such famed seafarers as Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Frances Drake and closer to home, Sir Richard Grenville. And in its heyday it did a fine trade, exporting corn and malt in exchange for coal, lime, fertilisers and building materials.

Hartland also once had a thriving industry with fish/swannery ponds at St Katherine’s Tor, a warren at Harland Quay, fish ponds near Blagdon Farm, two deerparks, (one being an early medieval example) and seal breeding, the latter supporting a local hat industry.

Around the port grew a community of store houses and cottages for the labourers and a Customs Officer (Tidewaiter). These can be seen on the sea front to this day, although one cottage was lost when a sea mine exploded. And what community would be complete without a place to enjoy an ale at the end of the day? The pub still stands too and is, of course, The Hartland Quay Hotel, reputed for once being the only pub in England closed for ‘excessive drinking’. The rough seas eventually brought an end to the harbour and the last cargo was landed in 1893.

Also worth a visit is Embury Beacon, a fantastic Iron age Hill Fort with spectacular views, sadly now eroding into the sea. This is owned by the Nation Trust who are planning more archaeological research within the next 2 to 3 years. (see http://www.northdevon-aonb.org.uk/archeology.htm)

Hartland on screen

The picturesque landscape of Hartland has not gone unnoticed by television producers and film directors. Most notably, the BBC adaptation of Sense And Sensibility was recently filmed here. Top Gear and Bargain Hunt have shot here too. Hartland has also been used as a set for numerous films – including Treasure Island, The Shout and King Arthur – bringing the likes of Michael Cain, Billy Connolly and Keira Knightly to North Devon. Ford, Diahatsu and Peugeot have also shot commercials here. With such a beautiful backdrop as Hartland, it is not surprising.

Want to get involved with your AONB?
For more about the AONB, visit www.northdevon-aonb.org.uk or join us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/NorthDevonCoastAONB

• One of Britain’s finest landscapes. The North Devon AONB coast and countryside is so spectacular, it has national recognition as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

• Abundance of breathtaking and outstanding coastal scenery, nationally recognised with an AONB designation.

• The North Devon coastline is so special that it has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This status helps to make sure our coastline is used, enjoyed and developed in a way that’s sustainable and in keeping with the area’s natural beauty.

• So much to enjoy within the North Devon Coast AONB: rugged cliffs capped by Iron Age hill forts; twisted and folded rocks carved by the sea over millions of years; internationally renowned sand dunes; plethora of rare wildlife’ sheltered harbours and fishing villages; oak woodlands; estuary teeming with birdlife; ancient burial mounds; hamlets, farms and fields steeped in history.

• The North Devon Coast AONB Partnership promotes and co-ordinates positive landscape management to be enjoyed and accessible to all. This ensures it will be as stunning tomorrow as it is today.

• The North Devon Coast AONB covers some 66 square miles from the boundary of Exmoor National Park at Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth on the Cornish border