Woolacombe to Ilfracombe

Devon’s coastline shows some spectacular geology and this is certainly true between Woolacombe to Ilfracombe.

Woolacombe itself is home to an impressive series of sand dunes. A short way to the north is Barricane Beach. Here, slates deposited in a shallow marine environment during the Upper Devonian are well exposed and are very rich in fossils.

From here the South West Coast Path passes through the wonderful Morte Pont, with cliffs of slate rising from 50m to 100m, and on through some of the most spectacular of Devon’s coastline to Ilfracombe.

The same tremendous forces that have caused rocks to be heaved up and folded in other parts of South West England caused similar deformation along this coast. The rocks were caught between two converging tectonic plates, were compressed and their minerals re-crystallised and re-orientated. This resulted in the more mud-rich rocks developing the ability to easily split (this is known as ‘slaty cleavage’).

Good examples of slaty cleavage can be seen with care from the cliffs at Windy Cove on Morte Point and further along in the cliffs of Tunnel Beach at Ilfracombe. As the name suggests, Tunnel Beach is reached through a tunnel which branches to the left and right. The left branch leads to ‘Gent’s Beach’ whilst the right branch takes you to ‘Lady’s Beach’, a reminder of the days when trips to the seaside were undertaken with a sense of decorum and modesty in mind.

Facilities:
The Devon Wildlife Trust organises guided rock pool adventures and other organised events. There are mini-marine centres at Ilfracombe Museum, Morthoe Heritage Centre and Braunton Countryside Centre. The National Trust organises many annual guided walks and events, including tractor/trailer rides to see the seals at Morte Point. In Ilfracombe there is an Aquarium. There is a small geology display at the Morthehoe Heritage Centre/Museum.