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Braunton Burrows is one of the largest dune systems in Britain, about 5 km long north to south
and 1.5 km wide, with lime-rich dunes up to 30 m high, and an extensive system of
variably-flooded slacks, grassland and scrub, inland of a wide sandy foreshore. There is
thus a variety of habitats for many flowering and lower plants, and for many birds and
invertebrates. Several species are nationally rare or vulnerable. There are also important
features of geological interest.

The foreshore consists mainly of sandy flats, rich in lime from broken seashells, with some
intertidal shingle grading to silt in the estuary, in a tidal range of 7 m. Rock Sea-lavender
Limonium binervosum occurs on the strand line. The fore and mid dunes are classic
“yellow” dunes, colonised and stabilised mainly by Marram Grass Ammophila arenaria.
Several notable species occur in this habitat: Sea Stock Matthiola sinuate, Sea Stork’s-bill
Erodium maritimum, Sea Clover Trifolium aquamosum, Portland and Sea Spurges
Euphorbia portlandica and E. paralias and White Horehound Marrubium vulgare. Inland of
these are most stable “grey” dunes, on which the Marram tends to be replaced by other
grasses, including the Dune Fescue Vulpia membranacea. Between the dunes are slacks
which flood according to rainfall. Other notable plants occur here, including the Roundheaded
Club-Rush Scirpus holoschoenus, discovered in the 17th century at about its
present location, Sharp rush Juncus acutus, Round-leaved Wintergreen Pyrola rotundifolia
ssp maritima, Early Gentian Gentianella anglica and orchids. Grassland, or “dune pasture”
although it is not generally grazed by livestock, carries a rich mixture of grasses, sedges
and herbs such as Rough Poppy Papaver hybridum and Toothed Medick Medicago
lupinula. It tends to be invaded by scrub of native Willows Salix spp, Privet Ligustrum
vulgare and Bramble Rubus fruticosus agg, and introduced Sea Buckthorn Hippophae
rhamnoides. For the whole site, some 400 flowering plants, and many fungi, lichens and
bryophytes (mosses, liverworts) and ferns have been recorded. An area on the landward
side of the dunes is particularly important for lichens, some 60 species having been
recorded from the compacted soils of that area alone.

Braunton Burrows is an SSSI, and with the adjacent Taw-Torridge Estuary, is a focal point of bird
migration routes down the west coast of Britain. The shores of sea and estuary provide
important wintering grounds for waterfowl, while the landward parts support a variety of
breeding species in scrub, eg Whitethroat Sylvia communis and Magpie Pica pica; on
grassland eg skylark Alaunda arvensis and Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis; and in holes or
burrows, eg Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe and Shelduck Tadorna tadorna. Invertebrates are
numerous over the whole system, for instance 30 species of terrestrial or freshwater
molluscs, including the Sand-bowl Amber Snail Catinella arenaria.

Braunton Burrows is a key site for coastal geomorphology. It is one of the three largest
sand dune systems on the west coast of Britain and the one least affected by underlying
geology and afforestation. It is also important for its diversity of form and has the greatest
height range of any west coast dune system. In the central part of the Burrows where the
highest dunes occur (up to 30 m OD) there are three main parallel ridges, separated by
slacks and fronted by a line of foredunes. To the north and south the structure of the dunes
is influenced by Saunton Down and the Taw-Torridge Estuary respectively, while to the
east there is an extensive area of low dunes and slacks. The legacy of major blowouts is
also apparent. There is a good documentation of post-war changes in dune form, and
cartographic records extend back to the beginning of the 19th century.
This is one of the best documented dune systems in Europe. Academic research is
undertaken on the physiography of the system, and on the ecology of several groups of
plants and animals. Applied research is carried out on various methods of maintaining and
enhancing the value of the site.
(Text extracted from SSSI citation Link
Additional information sources can be found at:
Wikipedia article Link
Explore Braunton Link
Countryside Info Link
Visiting Braunton Burrows Link
Joint Nature Conservation Committee Link