Roundham Head
Also within
Devon County King Charles Way - Kingswear to Lyme Regis National TrailSouth West Coast Path National Trail
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SX894598 | — | Favourable | 2.5 | 2021-02-17 |
| SX895598 | — | Favourable | 1.43 | 2021-02-17 |
| SX896602 | — | Favourable | 2.5 | 2021-02-17 |
| SX897599 | — | Favourable | 2.5 | 2021-02-17 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Permian
Landscape processes: Coastal, Fluvial
Description
Roundham Head SSSI Description This is the type section of the Permian Tor Bay Breccias. These here include a variety of fluvial breccias, in which types formed during ephemeral sheet floods are the most abundant. On the south side of the headland are interbedded aeolian sands showing palaeowind directions towards the north-west. This contrasts with the directions of fluvial transport, deduced from sedimentary structures such as imbrication and cross-bedding in the breccias, which was towards the south-east. A key site for demonstrating Permian sedimentary environments.