Baggy Point

Baggy Point is a wild headland on the north Devon coast. It stands between Croyde Bay and Morte Bay, where Woolacombe and Putsborough beaches lie. The point has been shaped by centuries of wind and tide. Its cliffs show layers of Upper Devonian sandstone. The National Trust has cared for the land since 1939, after it was donated by Constance and Florence Hyde. The site holds traces of Mesolithic people who once camped here. During the Second World War American troops trained on these slopes for the Normandy landings. Today it belongs to two protected areas: the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Saunton to Baggy Point Site of Special Scientific Interest. The rocks and plants here are studied for their unusual fossils and rare lichens. Visitors walk cliff-top paths with views over the Atlantic. Guillemots, razorbills and cormorants nest on the ledges below. Dartford warblers flit through the heathland while stonechats perch on gorse. Hebridean sheep and Ruby Red cattle graze the slopes, keeping bracken and brambles in check. Seals often swim close to the rocks at low tide. Climbers tackle the sandstone faces when the tide is out, choosing from routes of every grade.