estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
on the south coast of
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
.
The estuary starts just to the south () of the city of
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
, and extends south for approximately eight miles to meet the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Ka ...
(). The estuary is a
ria
A ria (; gl, ría) is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea.
Definitions
Typically rias have a dendritic, treelike outline although they ca ...
and so is larger than would be the case given the size of the
River Exe
The River Exe ( ) in England rises at Exe Head, near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, from the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It flows for 60 mile ...
, the main river feeding into the estuary.
On the east shore (from north to south) is the town of Topsham, the villages of Exton and
Lympstone
Lympstone is a village and civil parish in East Devon in the English county of Devon. It has a population of 1,754. There is a harbour on the estuary of the River Exe, lying at the outlet of Wotton Brook between cliffs of red breccia.
and at the estuary mouth, the seaside resort of
Exmouth
Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe and southeast of Exeter.
In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the 5th most populous settlement in Devon.
Hi ...
. Opposite Exmouth on the west shore is the village of
Dawlish Warren
Dawlish Warren is a seaside resort near the town of Dawlish in Teignbridge on the south coast of Devon in England. Dawlish Warren consists almost entirely of holiday accommodation and facilities for holiday-makers especially caravan sites.
Lo ...
with its sand spit extending across the mouth of the estuary. Above this there are fewer settlements on the west shore, with just the villages of Starcross and
Cockwood
Cockwood is a small village on the west side of the Exe Estuary in Dawlish civil parish, Teignbridge district, in the county of Devon, England. Lying between the villages of Dawlish Warren and Starcross, it is separated from the estuary by the m ...
, both adjoining the lower portion of the estuary.
The River Clyst also feeds into the estuary, just below Topsham.
The River Kenn feeds into the estuary near Kenton.
The soil is
alluvial
Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. ...
, derived from
Devonian
The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, wh ...
,
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic that spans 60 million years from the end of the Devonian Period million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Permian Period, million years ago. The name ''Carboniferou ...
and
Permian
The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last period of the Paleo ...
rocks.
Conservation status
The estuary is a
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certa ...
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
wading birds
245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots
Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...
, which feed on the estuary mudflats at low tide, and roost at high tide at the adjacent
Dawlish Warren
Dawlish Warren is a seaside resort near the town of Dawlish in Teignbridge on the south coast of Devon in England. Dawlish Warren consists almost entirely of holiday accommodation and facilities for holiday-makers especially caravan sites.
Lo ...
SSSI and
Bowling Green Marsh
Bowling Green Marsh is a nature reserve located on the confluence of the River Exe (at the top end of its estuary) and the River Clyst, near the town of Topsham in Devon. It is managed by the RSPB.
Migratory birds including Siberian brent ge ...
. The
RSPB
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a charitable organisation registered in England and Wales and in Scotland. It was founded in 1889. It works to promote conservation and protection of birds and the wider environment th ...
has two
nature reserves
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
adjoining the estuary, at
Bowling Green Marsh
Bowling Green Marsh is a nature reserve located on the confluence of the River Exe (at the top end of its estuary) and the River Clyst, near the town of Topsham in Devon. It is managed by the RSPB.
Migratory birds including Siberian brent ge ...
and
Exminster Marshes
Exminster is a village situated on the southern edge of the City of Exeter on the western side of the Exeter ship canal and River Exe in the county of Devon, England. It is around south of the centre of Exeter, and has a population of 3,084 (ce ...
.
Over 10,000 wildfowl and 20,000 waders winter on the estuary. These include dark-bellied brent goose (''Branta bernicla''),
Eurasian wigeon
The Eurasian wigeon or European wigeon (''Mareca penelope''), also known as the widgeon or the wigeon, is one of three species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus ''Mareca''. It is common and widespread within its Palearctic range.
Taxonomy
Th ...
(''Anas penelope''),
ringed plover
The common ringed plover or ringed plover (''Charadrius hiaticula'') is a small plover that breeds in Arctic Eurasia. The genus name ''Charadrius'' is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives fr ...
(''Charadius hiaticula''),
black-tailed godwit
The black-tailed godwit (''Limosa limosa'') is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the godwit genus, ''Limosa''. There are four subspecies, all with orange head, neck and ches ...
(''Limosa limosa''), and
pied avocet
The pied avocet (''Recurvirostra avosetta'') is a large black and white wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae. They breed in temperate Europe and across the Palearctic to Central Asia then on to the Russian Far East. It is a ...
(''Recurvirostra avosetta'').
The Exminster Marshes, a series of fields drained by dykes and ditches, carry several plants rare in
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
including
parsley
Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to the central and eastern Mediterranean region (Sardinia, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, southern Italy, Greece, ...
Butomus umbellatus
''Butomus umbellatus'' is a Eurasian plant species in the family Butomaceae. It is the only species in the family. Common names include flowering rush or grass rush. Introduced into North America as an ornamental plant it has now become a serious ...
'') and frogbit (''
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae
''Hydrocharis morsus-ranae'', frogbit, is a flowering plant belonging to the genus ''Hydrocharis'' in the family Hydrocharitaceae. In North America, it is referred to as common frogbit or European frog's-bit to distinguish it from the related Am ...
''). Dragonflies are also supported, such as the
ruddy darter
The ruddy darter (''Sympetrum sanguineum'') is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae.
Distribution
The ruddy darter is to be found in temperate regions throughout Europehairy dragonfly
''Brachytron'' is a monotypic genus of European dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae containing the hairy dragonfly (''Brachytron pratense''), also known as the hairy hawker or spring hawker.
Description
The hairy dragonfly is named for its hairy ...
(''Brachytron pratense'').
The marshes are bounded by the Exeter Canal. Both are fringed by beds of common reed ''
Phragmites
''Phragmites'' () is a genus of four species of large perennial reed grasses found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world.
Taxonomy
The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, maintained by Kew Garden in L ...
australis'', providing important habitat for
Old World warblers
Old World warblers are a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the ci ...
.
Burrowing invertebrates are found in the sandbanks and mudflats. These include
lugworm
The lugworm or sandworm (''Arenicola marina'') is a large marine worm of the phylum Annelida. Its coiled castings are a familiar sight on a beach at low tide but the animal itself is rarely seen except by those who, from curiosity or to use as f ...
(''Arenicola marina''),
peppery furrow shell
''Scrobicularia plana'', the peppery furrow shell, is a bivalve mollusc belonging to the family Semelidae.
Taxonomy
Although ''Scrobicularia plana'' is the only species currently recognized by ITIS in the genus ''Scrobicularia''; World Register ...
(''Scrobicularia plana''), tellins ''
Macoma
''Macoma'' is a large genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Tellinidae, the tellins.Gofas, S.; Bouchet, P. (2014 ''Macoma'' Leach, 1819.Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2014-11-01
Species
Accor ...
'' spp., common cockle (''
Cerastoderma edule
The common cockle (''Cerastoderma edule'') is a species of edible saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Cardiidae, the cockles. It is found in waters off Europe, from Iceland in the north, south into waters off western Africa ...
blue mussels
The blue mussel (''Mytilus edulis''), also known as the common mussel, is a medium-sized edible marine bivalve mollusc in the family Mytilidae, the mussels. Blue mussels are subject to commercial use and intensive aquaculture. A species with a l ...
(''Mytilus edulis'') are food for Eurasian oystercatchers (''Haematopus ostralegus''). The estuary is the only British location for the
polychaete
Polychaeta () is a paraphyletic class of generally marine annelid worms, commonly called bristle worms or polychaetes (). Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia that bear many bristles, called chaetae, which are made ...
worm ''Ophelia bicornia''.
Access and recreation
The Exe Valley Way Footpath runs south from Starcross, Northwards through the whole of the Exe estuary, and further north to the heights of
Exmoor
Exmoor is loosely defined as an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England. It is named after the River Exe, the source of which is situated in the centre of the area, two miles north-west of Simonsbath ...
, ending at the source of the
River Exe
The River Exe ( ) in England rises at Exe Head, near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, from the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It flows for 60 mile ...
- Exe Head. The route covers almost 50 miles.
See also
*
Avocet Line
The Avocet Line is the railway line in Devon, England connecting Exeter with Exmouth. It was originally built by the London and South Western Railway, and was historically known as the Exmouth branch railway. The line follows the Exe Estuary ...