Westward Ho! Cliffs
Also within
Devon County North Devon Scenic Area King Charles Way - Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth National TrailSouth West Coast Path National Trail
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS424291 | — | Favourable | 3.19 | 2011-11-07 |
| SS425292 | — | Favourable | 11.2 | 2011-11-07 |
| SS431295 | — | Favourable | 14.35 | 2011-11-07 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Peat habitats store centuries of carbon and depend on a stable, waterlogged water table. Warmer, drier summers dry out peat, making it far more vulnerable to wildfire and to carbon release — a pressure that can undo years of restoration work regardless of how well the site is otherwise managed.
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: Quaternary
Landscape processes: Coastal, Peatland / Mire
Description
Westward Ho Cliffs SSSI Description Westward Ho! is an important locality illustrating several key features of the coastal geomorphology and Quaternary deposits of SW England, including multiple shore platforms and a classic succession of raised beaches and head deposits. It is particularly noted for the association of these features with an intertidal peat bed of Flandrian age resting on soliflucted and cryoturbated beach deposits. Together these features provide an exceptional record of former changes in sea-level and climatic conditions. As elsewhere in SW England, there are diverging interpretations of the chronology of the pre-Flandrian landforms and deposits which has stimulated much scientific interest and debate. The features at Westward Ho! complement the interest at Fremington, Croyde and Saunton, making the Barnstaple Bay area one of the prime localities for Quaternary studies in SW England.