North Devon AONB
The North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty explains why Woolacombe, Croyde, Morte Point and the coast around them look the way they do: undeveloped, largely unbuilt, and characteristically wild. This page answers what the designation is, what it covers, and what visiting it looks like in practice.
The designation
What the North Devon AONB is
An AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) is the second-highest landscape designation in England, after National Park. The North Devon Coast AONB covers the entire Atlantic-facing coastline from Hartland Point in the west to Combe Martin in the east, taking in Woolacombe, Croyde, Saunton, Morte Point, Baggy Point, and the Braunton Burrows sand dune system.
The designation means that major development requires exceptional justification, that the countryside must be managed to conserve its natural beauty, and that the landscape cannot be built over for commercial or residential use in the way that an undesignated coast can. The reason the North Devon coast remains largely undeveloped despite attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year is, in large part, the AONB.
From 2024, the Exmoor National Park boundary and the AONB have been further integrated into a broader protected landscape partnership. The practical implications for visitors remain the same: an accessible, protected, working coastline.
Key areas
What the AONB covers
The AONB runs along the full length of the North Devon Atlantic coast. Key areas within it include:
- Morte Point and Woolacombe Bay: the headland and beach that define Woolacombe's character. The AONB protects the clifftop heathland, the headland itself, and the bay. See the Morte Point walk and the beach guide.
- Croyde Bay: backed by protected dunes and the headland at Baggy Point. See Croyde and Baggy Point walk.
- Saunton Sands: a vast west-facing beach backed by Braunton Burrows, the largest sand dune system in England. See Saunton Sands and Braunton Burrows. The Burrows component is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a rare status shared with only a handful of UK sites.
- Baggy Point: the spectacular headland at the south end of Croyde Bay, an important seabird and botanical site with the South West Coast Path running around the tip.
- Hartland Peninsula: the most remote stretch of the AONB, with dramatic folded cliffs, waterfalls dropping directly into the sea, and very few visitors outside summer.
- Combe Martin: the eastern boundary of the AONB, where a wooded valley meets the coast.
Visitor impact
Why the designation matters for visitors
The AONB is the reason the coastline remains largely undeveloped. There are no hotels on the cliffs, no holiday parks on the headlands, and no commercial development on the beach-backing dunes. What you see is what has been there for centuries, managed under designation rules that prioritise the landscape over development pressure.
The South West Coast Path runs through the AONB for its entire North Devon stretch, giving walkers access to some of the most dramatic cliff walking in England. See the North Devon coastal walks guide and walking holidays in North Devon for routes and detail.
Farming within the AONB is largely traditional: the patchwork field pattern visible from the cliff paths is a result of agri-environment management rather than intensive arable farming. Much of the land is grazed by livestock rather than ploughed, which preserves the hedgerow network and the botanical interest of the unimproved grassland.
Wildlife benefits directly from AONB protection. The designation preserves habitat for breeding seabirds on the cliffs, grey seals on the rocks below Morte Point, coastal heathland plants, and migratory species using the coast as a corridor. For more: North Devon wildlife guide.
Dark skies
Stargazing and the natural environment
The North Devon AONB includes some of the darkest skies in southern England. Low light pollution across the protected area means that on a clear night, the Milky Way is visible from the coast path and the beaches. See the North Devon stargazing guide for detail on the best conditions and locations.
The combination of dark skies, clean air, and low development density is unusual this close to the urban south-west. It is part of what the AONB protects: not just the visible landscape by day, but the night sky above it.
The Braunton Burrows UNESCO Biosphere Reserve designation (within the AONB) recognises the ecological value of the dune system specifically, with plant communities and invertebrate populations that are rare in the UK. The dunes are freely accessible on foot and make for an unusual walking experience alongside the Saunton Sands beach.
Access
How to visit the AONB
The AONB is freely accessible. It is a working landscape, not an enclosed national park: there is no entrance gate and no visitor centre (though Braunton Burrows has an information point). Most access is via the South West Coast Path, road-accessible viewpoints, and the beaches themselves.
Key visitor hubs within the AONB include Woolacombe, Mortehoe, Croyde, and Combe Martin, all of which have car parks and clear walking access to the coast path. Walking is the most direct way to experience the AONB: see the coastal walks guide. Many visitors combine beaches and coast-path sections on the same day.
Responsible access applies: stick to signed footpaths on farmland, keep dogs under control (especially near livestock and ground-nesting birds in spring), take litter home, and do not camp outside designated sites. The landscape looks as it does because of these standards being maintained. See North Devon beaches and Woolacombe parking for practical visitor information.