Croyde
Encyclopedia
Croyde is a village on the west-facing coastline of North Devon
, England. The village lies on the South West Coast Path
near to Baggy Point, which is owned by the National Trust
. It lies within the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Croyde village and its beach faces the Atlantic Ocean
near the western limit of the Bristol Channel
.
Croyde Stream runs through the village, eventually leading to the beach. The centre of the village is roughly at the intersection of Hobbes' Hill, Jones' Hill and St. Mary's Road. At this spot, Croyde Bridge carries the road over the stream.
Public services are provided by the North Devon
District Council (NDDC) based in Barnstaple
. The village is in the Parish of Georgeham
, which is within the Diocese of Exeter
.
.
The past 30 years has seen large increases in younger-age visitors develop around surfing
. The impact of tourism
on the village has been varied. Some local landowners have benefited from the increased property prices. Tourism has helped to create jobs that were lost in agriculture
. Local farming has declined, with former farmland converted into caravan sites and fields for seasonal camping. Like many seaside villages, the phenomenon of second home
s has pushed house prices beyond the reach of most local people. There is little year-round employment, because tourism is seasonal, and most businesses are closed
out of season.
Since 1999 Croyde has hosted an annual surfing and music festival
(Goldcoast Oceanfest) on the weekend
closest to the summer solstice
. Croyde also hosts the "Senior Endeavourers' Camp" during the summer months.
During the summer season there is an outdoor market each Tuesday which is held in a field off Moor Lane past Ruda Holiday Park heading towards Baggy Point.
, 10 miles (16.5 km) away. On Monday-to-Saturday there is an hourly bus service to Croyde from Barnstaple
, with a two-hourly frequency on Sundays.
Road transport from the M5 motorway
is 47 miles (75 km) via the A361
trunk road
.
School and Community College.
The sandy 875 yard (800 m) beach,which has Blue Flag
status, stands in a sheltered bay.
A large dune
system has formed past the high-tide mark. Sand underlies the land surface between the beach and the centre of Croyde village, 600 yards to the east. The beach forms the middle section of a trio of sandy beaches north of the Taw Estuary
. 3¾ miles (6 km) long Saunton Sands
is ⅔ mile (1 km) to the south, 1.8 miles (3 km) long Woolacombe Sands, divided into Putsborough and Woolacombe beaches, 0.93 miles (1.5 km) to the north.
Croyde is used for surfing; the rides are generally short as the waves tend to pitch up and break
quickly. There is a point break off Down End. There is a reef break at the northern (Baggy Point) end of the beach that works for about 60 minutes during some high tides. The shape of the bay funnels waves towards the beach. The beach is also steeper than either Woolacombe, Putsborough or Saunton Sands. Due to this, rip current
s are extremely strong especially near the rocks at either end of the beach and at low tide, even when there is only a small swell. These currents present danger to the strongest of swimmers. Any bathing should be done within the lifeguard-patrolled area. The break is very compact at low tide, resulting in many injuries.
North Devon
North Devon is the northern part of the English county of Devon. It is also the name of a local government district in Devon. Its council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth...
, England. The village lies on the South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
near to Baggy Point, which is owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. It lies within the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Croyde village and its beach faces the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
near the western limit of the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
.
Croyde Stream runs through the village, eventually leading to the beach. The centre of the village is roughly at the intersection of Hobbes' Hill, Jones' Hill and St. Mary's Road. At this spot, Croyde Bridge carries the road over the stream.
Public services are provided by the North Devon
North Devon
North Devon is the northern part of the English county of Devon. It is also the name of a local government district in Devon. Its council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth...
District Council (NDDC) based in Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
. The village is in the Parish of Georgeham
Georgeham
Georgeham is a village and civil parish near Croyde, North Devon in the west of England.The hamlet of Cross lies between Georgeham and Croyde.The village gave its name to HMS Georgeham, a Ham class minesweeper....
, which is within the Diocese of Exeter
Diocese of Exeter
The Diocese of Exeter is a Church of England diocese covering the county of Devon. It is one of the largest dioceses in England. The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter is the seat of the diocesan bishop, the Right Reverend Michael Langrish, Bishop of Exeter. It is part of the Province of...
.
Today
The village has several small campsites, a small retail area and a large holiday park, Ruda Holiday Park, operated by Parkdean HolidaysParkdean Holidays
Formed in November 1999 with a management buyout of Trecco Bay Holiday Park in Wales for £21.4 million. Parkdean Holidays is a UK family holiday park operator that works on a buy and build strategy, currently owning 24 parks throughout the UK and have recently been awarded "UK Holiday Park Operator...
.
The past 30 years has seen large increases in younger-age visitors develop around surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
. The impact of tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
on the village has been varied. Some local landowners have benefited from the increased property prices. Tourism has helped to create jobs that were lost in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Local farming has declined, with former farmland converted into caravan sites and fields for seasonal camping. Like many seaside villages, the phenomenon of second home
Second home
Second home may refer to:* Vacation property* Pied-à-terre* Second Home , an album by Marié Digby...
s has pushed house prices beyond the reach of most local people. There is little year-round employment, because tourism is seasonal, and most businesses are closed
Closed
Closed may refer to:Math* Closure * Closed manifold* Closed orbits* Closed set* Closed differential form* Closed map, a function that is closed.Other* Cloister, a closed walkway* Closed-circuit television...
out of season.
Since 1999 Croyde has hosted an annual surfing and music festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
(Goldcoast Oceanfest) on the weekend
Workweek
The workweek and weekend are those complementary parts of the week devoted to labour and rest respectively. The legal working week , or workweek , is the part of the seven-day week devoted to labor. In most Western countries it is Monday to Friday. The weekend comprises the two traditionally...
closest to the summer solstice
Summer solstice
The summer solstice occurs exactly when the axial tilt of a planet's semi-axis in a given hemisphere is most inclined towards the star that it orbits. Earth's maximum axial tilt to our star, the Sun, during a solstice is 23° 26'. Though the summer solstice is an instant in time, the term is also...
. Croyde also hosts the "Senior Endeavourers' Camp" during the summer months.
During the summer season there is an outdoor market each Tuesday which is held in a field off Moor Lane past Ruda Holiday Park heading towards Baggy Point.
Transport
The nearest railway station is BarnstapleBarnstaple railway station
Barnstaple railway station is the terminus of a long branch line, known as the Tarka Line, north west of Exeter St Davids, in Devon.It was known as Barnstaple Junction from 1874 to 1970 as it was the junction between lines to , , and Exeter-History:...
, 10 miles (16.5 km) away. On Monday-to-Saturday there is an hourly bus service to Croyde from Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
, with a two-hourly frequency on Sundays.
Road transport from the M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
is 47 miles (75 km) via the A361
A361 road
The A361 is a major road in England and at is the longest 3 digit A road in the UK. It runs south from Ilfracombe on the north Devon coast to Barnstaple, turning south-east to Tiverton then, after a break , north east from Taunton in Somerset through Street and Glastonbury, past Frome and then...
trunk road
Trunk road
A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, and other things.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
.
Education
Croyde has no education resources in the village. Children have access to Georgeham Primary School; secondary education is provided by BrauntonBraunton
Braunton is situated west of Barnstaple, Devon, England and is claimed to be the largest village in England, with a population in 2001 of 7,510. It is home to the nearby Braunton Great Field and Braunton Burrows, a National Nature and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve....
School and Community College.
Beach
Blue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
status, stands in a sheltered bay.
A large dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
system has formed past the high-tide mark. Sand underlies the land surface between the beach and the centre of Croyde village, 600 yards to the east. The beach forms the middle section of a trio of sandy beaches north of the Taw Estuary
River Taw
The River Taw rises at Taw Head, a spring on the central northern flanks of Dartmoor. It reaches the Bristol Channel away on the north coast of Devon at a joint estuary mouth which it shares with the River Torridge.-Watercourse:...
. 3¾ miles (6 km) long Saunton Sands
Saunton Sands
Saunton Sands on a wet and windy day|right|thumbSaunton Sands is a beach in the English village of Saunton on the North Devon coast near Braunton, popular as a longboard surfing location. Its southern end, 'Crow Point', lies at mouth of the River Taw estuary...
is ⅔ mile (1 km) to the south, 1.8 miles (3 km) long Woolacombe Sands, divided into Putsborough and Woolacombe beaches, 0.93 miles (1.5 km) to the north.
Croyde is used for surfing; the rides are generally short as the waves tend to pitch up and break
Wave shoaling
In fluid dynamics, wave shoaling is the effect by which surface waves entering shallower water increase in wave height . It is caused by the fact that the group velocity, which is also the wave-energy transport velocity, decreases with the reduction of water depth...
quickly. There is a point break off Down End. There is a reef break at the northern (Baggy Point) end of the beach that works for about 60 minutes during some high tides. The shape of the bay funnels waves towards the beach. The beach is also steeper than either Woolacombe, Putsborough or Saunton Sands. Due to this, rip current
Rip current
A rip current, commonly referred to by the misnomer rip tide, is a strong channel of water flowing seaward from near the shore, typically through the surf line. Typical flow is at 0.5 metres per second , and can be as fast as 2.5 metres per second...
s are extremely strong especially near the rocks at either end of the beach and at low tide, even when there is only a small swell. These currents present danger to the strongest of swimmers. Any bathing should be done within the lifeguard-patrolled area. The break is very compact at low tide, resulting in many injuries.
External links
- http://www.blueflag.org/Menu/Awarded+sites/2011/Northern+Hemisphere/England/SouthWest/CroydeBay
- Georgeham Parish Council
- Old map