The Exe Estuary is an estuary on the south coast of Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.

The estuary starts just to the south of the city of Exeter

Exeter

Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...

, and extends south for approximately eight miles to meet the English Channel

English Channel

The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...

 . The estuary is a ria

Ria

A ria 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. Typically, rias have a dendritic, treelike outline although they can be straight and without significant branches. This pattern is inherited from the...

 and so is larger than would be the case given the size of the River Exe

River Exe

The River Exe in England rises near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, near the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It reaches the sea at a substantial ria, the Exe Estuary, on the south coast of Devon...

, the main river feeding into the estuary.

On the east shore (from north to south) are the town of Topsham

Topsham, Devon

Topsham is a suburb of Exeter in the county of Devon, England, on the east side of the River Exe, immediately north of its confluence with the River Clyst and the former's estuary, between Exeter and Exmouth. Although village-sized, with a current population of around 5,023, it was designated a...

, the villages of Exton and Lympstone

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, Devon

Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort in East Devon, England, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe. In 2001, it had a population of 32,972.-History:...

. Opposite Exmouth on the west shore is the village of Dawlish Warren

Dawlish Warren

Dawlish Warren is a small 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....

 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

Starcross

Starcross is a riverside village with a population of 1,780, situated on the west bank of the estuary of the River Exe in Teignbridge in the English county of Devon...

 and Cockwood

Cockwood

Cockwood is a small village on the west side of the Exe Estuary in the county of Devon, England. Lying between the villages of Dawlish Warren and Starcross, it is separated from the estuary by the main railway line between Exeter and Torquay, and is set around a small tidal harbour which boats must...

, both adjoining the lower portion of the estuary.

The River Clyst

River Clyst

The River Clyst is a river of England. The river runs through the county of Devon.Rising near the village of Clyst William near Cullompton, the river runs west and southwest, flowing through the settlements of Norman's Green, Plymtree, Clyst Hydon, Clyst St...

 also feeds into the estuary, just below Topsham.

The soil is alluvial, derived from Devonian

Devonian

The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...

, Carboniferous

Carboniferous

The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...

 and Permian

Permian

The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...

 rocks.

Conservation Status

The estuary is a Special Protection Area

Special Protection Area

A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...

 and SSSI.

The Exe Estuary is a site of international importance for wading birds

Wader

Waders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...

, which feed on the estuary mudflats at low tide, and roost at high tide at the adjacent Dawlish Warren

Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve

The Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve is a National Nature Reserve near the village of Dawlish Warren in south Devon, England. It is part of the Exe Estuary Special Protection Area, and sits on a sand spit which runs across the mouth of the estuary....

 SSSI, Bowling Green Marsh

Bowling Green Marsh

Bowling Green Marsh is a nature reserve located on the confluence of the River Exe and the River Clyst, near the town of Topsham in Devon. It is managed by the RSPB....

 in Powderham Park. The RSPB has two nature reserves adjoining the estuary, at Bowling Green Marsh

Bowling Green Marsh

Bowling Green Marsh is a nature reserve located on the confluence of the River Exe and the River Clyst, near the town of Topsham in Devon. It is managed by the RSPB....

 and Exminster Marshes.

Over 10,000 wildfowl and 20,000 waders winter on the Estuary. These include Dark-bellied Brant Goose (Branta bernicla), Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope), Ringed Plover

Ringed Plover

The Common Ringed Plover or Ringed Plover is a small plover.Adults are 17-19.5 cm in length with a 35–41 cm wingspan. They have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband. They have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes...

 (Charadius hiaticula), Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

The Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa, is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the Limosa genus, the godwits...

 (Limosa limosa), and Pied Avocet

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 western and Central Asia. It is a migratory species and most winter in Africa or southern Asia...

 (Recurvirostra avosetta).

The Exminster Marshes, a series of fields drained by dykes and ditches, carry several plants rare in Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

 including Parsley Water Dropwort

Water dropwort

The water dropworts, Oenanthe , are a genus of plants in the family Apiaceae. Most of the species grow in damp ground, in marshes or in water....

 (Oenanthe lachenalii), flowering rush Butomus

Butomus

Butomus is the sole genus in the monogeneric plant family Butomaceae, containing the single species Butomus umbellatus, also known as flowering rush or grass rush.-Description:...

 umbellatus, Frogbit Hydrocharis morsus-ranae

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 Frogbit to distinguish it from the related American Frogbit .It is a small floating plant resembling a small...

. Dragonflies are also supported, such as the Ruddy Darter

Ruddy Darter

The Ruddy Darter is a European species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae.-Description:The Ruddy Darter attains a wingspan of up to 6 cm. The head, thorax and abdomen of the male are vivid red, while the female is slightly smaller, and is a golden-yellow colour with black markings...

 (Sympetrum sanguineum), and Hairy Dragonfly

Hairy Dragonfly

Brachytron is a monophyletic genus of European dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae containing the Hairy Dragonfly , also known as the Hairy Hawker.- Description :...

 (Brachytron pratense).

The marshes are bounded by the Exeter Canal. Both are fringed by beds of common reed Phragmites

Phragmites

Phragmites, the Common reed, is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Phragmites australis is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species...

 australis, providing important habitat for Old World warblers.

Burrowing invertebrates are found in the sandbanks and mudflats. These include lugworm

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 fishing bait, dig the worm out of the sand.When fully...

 (Arenicola marina), peppery furrow shell

Peppery furrow shell

The peppery furrow shell, Scrobicularia plana, also known as a sand gaper, is the only species currently recognized by ITIS in the genus Scrobicularia; however some sources recognise other species such as Scrobicularia cottardi. It is a bivalve mollusc commonly found on sandy or muddy sea coasts...

 (Scrobicularia plana), tellins Macoma

Macoma

Macoma is a large genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Tellinidae, the tellins.- Species :According to the World Register of Marine Species , the following species are included as accepted names within the genus Macoma * Macoma balthica * Macoma biota Arruda & Domaneschi,...

spp., common cockle (Cerastoderma edule), pod razor

Pod razor

The pod razor, Ensis siliqua, is a coastal bivalve of European waters. It is edible and has been exploited commercially, especially in Spain and Ireland.There is at least one subspecies: E.s. minor.-Description:...

 (Ensis siliqua), sea potato (Echinocardium

Echinocardium

Echinocardium is a genus of sea urchins of the family Loveniidae, known as heart urchins.-Species:* Echinocardium australe Gray, 1855* Echinocardium cordatum * Echinocardium fenauxi Péquignat, 1963...

 cordatum), and masked crab (Corystes cassivelaunus

Corystes cassivelaunus

Corystes cassivelaunus, the masked crab, helmet crab or sand crab, is a burrowing crab of the North Atlantic and North Sea from Portugal to Norway, which also occurs in the Mediterranean Sea. It may grow up to long...

). Beds of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) are food for Eurasian Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus). The Estuary is the only British location for the polychaete

Polychaete

The Polychaeta or polychaetes are a class of annelid worms, generally marine. Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia that bear many bristles, called chaetae, which are made of chitin. Indeed, polychaetes are sometimes referred to as bristle worms. More than 10,000...

 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

Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...

, ending at the source of the River Exe

River Exe

The River Exe in England rises near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, near the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It reaches the sea at a substantial ria, the Exe Estuary, on the south coast of Devon...

 - Exe Head. The route covers almost 50 miles.

See also

• Avocet Line
  Avocet Line
  The Avocet Line is the railway line in England connecting Exeter with Exmouth. It was originally built by the London and South Western Railway. The line follows the Exe Estuary for most of its route, giving views of the estuary...
  
  
• Exe Estuary Management Partnership - devoted to the improvement of Exe Estuary
• SSSI Details from Natural England website
• Exe Valley Way webpage by Devon County Council