Home
Location Details
Fishing
Photos-General
Photos-Lake
2005 Availability
2005 Cottage Details
2005 Prices
Special Offers
Booking Form
Brochure Request
Hire Conditions
Hire Details
Links
Braunton Burrows
Our local beaches
World Status for top Dunes
Braunton Burrows, is a unique area of coastline on the tip of North Devon which has been named as a Biosphere Reserve – the scientific equivalent of achieving World Heritage Site status.
The Burrows newly acquired status emerged following the excellent progress made in the application to become one of the “new look” biosphere reserves and will now act as a leading example to other potential sites not just in the UK but all over the world.
The designation is granted by UNESCO, and puts Braunton Burrows in the same category as Niagara Falls in the USA, Okavango Delta in Southern Africa, and the Amboseli National Park in Kenya.
For the site to have achieved this recognition, Braunton Burrows has had to fulfil a number of stringent tests, and Defra have stated that Braunton Burrows was proven to be worthy of this special status.
Braunton Burrows will be the first Biosphere Reserve in the country and that is hugely significant for people wanting to learn more about the agriculture and sustainability in that area.
There is vast diversification in the Burrows which is also close to a golf course, and public beach. This recognition should ensure that the beautiful area will remain so.
The status also had positive implications for attracting top academics and students to the West country.
Students already study at Braunton Burrows because it is extremely unusual and unspoilt and has a number of habitats. The Burrows has an agriculture system which goes back at least 1,000 years and has the remnants of pre-enclosure agriculture in Braunton Great Fields which is one of the last in the country.
North Devon Friends of the Earth, said: “It is a special recognition of this environmental jewel of the United Kingdom, in Europe and even wider. It will make available funds for carrying out sustainable development and conservation work.”
Christies Estates which owns the land, said the status should safeguard the area for future generations. The Burrows will now join just 411 other sites worldwide.