Three miles of Atlantic sand in North Devon, rated excellent for water quality and backed by proper dunes
Woolacombe’s beach is one of the big, wide-open Atlantic beaches that North Devon does so well, a long stretch of sand backed by dunes and rated Excellent for water quality by the Environment Agency’s testing, about as good a rating as a bathing water gets. It’s sand-shelved and open, which makes it popular for swimming and surfing alike, though that same openness means it takes the full force of Atlantic weather with nothing much in the way.
The headland guarding its northern end is worth a mention. Morte Point, and the village above it, are popularly said to take their name from old words for death, though the point’s shape may be the more likely source. Either way, it’s not hard to see how the story stuck: the point runs out into a line of jagged rock that caught out plenty of ships over the centuries before better charts and lighthouses made the coast here less of a trap. These days it’s a good clifftop walk rather than anything to be wary of, but it’s a decent reminder that a coastline this handsome had a harder reputation once.
North of the main beach, tucked-in Barricane Beach is a small cove known for shells washed up from the Atlantic, with Combesgate Beach just beyond it. To the south, Putsborough is effectively the same stretch of sand as Woolacombe at low tide, splitting into a separate beach as the water comes in.
One thing worth knowing before a dip: the water here is rain-sensitive, meaning quality can dip for a short spell after heavy rainfall due to runoff. It’s generally excellent, but checking current conditions after a downpour is a sensible habit rather than an overreaction.
