North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

North Devon AONB, which was created in 1959, is a stunning coastal area which is nationally protected for the beauty of its landscape. It is made up of several distinct landscape types each with their own special habitat and geology.

The AONB contains a surprising diversity of scenery including tall rugged cliffs, wave cut platforms, wide sandy bays, sand dunes, traditional hedged fields with wind sculptured trees, steep sided wooded combes and woodland that runs right to the cliff edge.

Many people come to North Devon to enjoy the expansive beaches and dynamic coastline while others wish to discover the peace and tranquillity of the countryside.

United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Biosphere Reserve

North Devon has always been one of the finest unspoilt locations in the UK and is now home to Britain’s first new style world class UNESCO Biosphere Reserve where conservation and sustainable development go hand in hand. This accolade has been awarded on the basis that this is a place that can demonstrate an exceptional diversity and abundance of rare plants.

There are 400 other biosphere reserves worldwide including the area around Mount Vesuvius and the Danube Delta, but North Devon is the first in the U.K.

North Devon Voluntary Marine Conservation Area

Because North Devon is so special part if it is designated as a voluntary marine conservation area (VMCA), created in 1994.

Stretching from the east of Combe Martin to Croyde and to an offshore depth of 20 metres, the VMCA helps people enjoy, understand and protect their marine environment including the beaches, the sea and its wildlife.

The golden beaches, rugged cliffs and rocky shores of North Devon not only provide stunning landscapes they support an incredible variety of wildlife. This diversity continues under the sea where an amazingly rich natural world is to be found. In addition to the intriguing rockpool creatures that can be found on our shores between tides, our coastal waters are home to creatures such as corals, sponges and porpoise and are sometimes visited in the summer months by dolphins and friendly giants like the basking shark.