UNESCO Global Geopark

ENGLISH RIVIERA UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK KEY SITES

Babbacombe Cliff Railway: Take a delightful trip on the Babbacombe Cliff Railway, one of just a few working funicular railways in the UK. It was built in 1926 between the gaps in the 73m high cliffs: a fault line between the Devonian grey limestone and Permian red rocks.

Oddicombe Beach: The best way to access this charming, sheltered sandy beach is via the Babbacombe Cliff Railway or to venture down the steep, winding road which leads down to the level promenade on foot or by car. This site has evidence of limestones having been dramatically twisted and turned by geological forces. The cliff top at Oddicombe has regressed by about 30-40m over time, with some dramatic landslides taking place, affecting the coastal landscape below.

Kents Cavern: Enter one of Europe’s most exciting Stone Age caves, with its extensive labyrinth of spectacular and easily accessible caverns. Open daily all year, this is one of the gateway sites to the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark. Take an underground tour and hear about the fascinating tales of Britain’s earliest humans and Ice Age beasts who once inhabited the area. A human jawbone, now on display at Torquay Museum, was discovered on site and is the oldest human fossil found in north-western Europe.

Hopes Nose: This is a unique and significant coastal area with fascinating geology including rare minerals. It is a Site of Specific Scientific Interest with spectacular views. From Hope’s Nose to Wall’s Hill, you will find unrivalled exposures in the Torquay Limestone. Hidden between the layers of limestone there are bands of volcanic ash and dramatic folds and faults created by gentle undulations.

Triangle Point and Meadfoot Beach: The steep sloping surface of Triangle Point was once part of a tropical reef. To the middle and east of Meadfoot Beach sandstones and slates are exposed on the shore and cliffs. Known as the ‘Meadfoot Group’ you’ll find some of the oldest rocks on the English Riviera here.

Torquay Museum: Founded in 1844 as the Torquay Natural History Society, Torquay Museum houses a fascinating collection of exhibitions and artefacts including a 41,000-year-old human jawbone discovered at nearby Kents Cavern. Other displays include the traditional Devon farmhouse and local Devonshire Marble as well as a gallery dedicated to Torquay’s most famous resident, Agatha Christie.

Chapel Woods: A small fascinating site in Torquay with designated regionally important geology and a recently restored 13th Century Scheduled Ancient Monument, St Michaels Chapel.

Torre Abbey Museum: Founded in 1196 and built with stone from the headland, Torre Abbey Museum is housed within an ancient scheduled monument, once used as a medieval monastery by Premonstratensian monks. This wonderful historic building has monastic ruins, a tithe barn named the ‘Spanish Barn’ where captured prisoners of the Spanish Armada were imprisoned, interactive displays, exhibitions and an impressive fine art collection.

Cockington Court and Country Park: Cockington is a quintessentially English village with Saxon origins which attracts many thousands of visitors each year. Some of the quaint cottages and buildings date back to the 16th Century and are mentioned in the Doomsday Book. The land and property were first owned by the Fitzmartin (De Cockington) family. Today Cockington Court and Country Park hosts a cricket lawn, water mill, mediaeval carp lakes, water meadows and an ancient gamekeeper’s cottage as well as a contemporary arts centre with maker workshops.

Occombe Farm: A 150-acre organic farm on the outskirts of Paignton with pasture, wet meadows and woodlands attracting a wonderful array of protected species. The farm has recognisable Devon red soil and winding footpaths which lead to Scadson Woods and onwards to Cockington. Onsite you’ll find a farm café, education centre, vegetable and wartime gardens, adventure trails and seasonally, cows and sheep.

Paignton Geoplay Park: A fun and informative free play park attraction in the heart of Paignton seafront for toddlers, juniors and teens. The park is designed around the English Riviera’s geological history with play areas representing the Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian and Quaternary periods. The park has a zip wire, towers, play huts, a six-way swing, climbing logs and stilts and climbing trees to explore.

Saltern Cove: Saltern Cove is a local nature reserve and a geological Site of Specific Scientific Interest. It is also the only underwater SSSI in the country with a marine local nature reserve which extends to a point 376 metres below the low water mark. There are sheltered coves and exposed cliffs with a beach, accessed via a set of steps from the coast path above. At low tide, there are many rock pools to explore.

Brixham Heritage Museum: Housed in an old police station, the museum celebrates the heritage of the historic fishing town. There are fascinating exhibits and displays including many maritime models and local archaeological finds at Brixham Bone Caverns and the Napoleonic fort at Berry Head.

Berry Head National Nature Reserve: Perched up on 200 feet (60 metres) cliffs, Berry Head guards the southern edge of the English Riviera, a gateway site to the Global Geopark. The 400-million-year-old limestone once formed part of a reef environment in a shallow tropical sea south of the equator. Quarrying of the limestone took place until the 1950s and was used to build the Napoleonic forts, which can still be seen today. The area attracts a wonderful array of wildlife including cirl bunting, greater horseshoe bats, peregrine falcons and guillemots.  

Royal Terrace Gardens: Royal Terrace Gardens, also known as Rock Walk, has a magnificent new illuminated staircase leading to a new viewing platform with spectacular sea views overlooking Tor Bay with new walkways planted across the cliff face gardens.

DESIGNATED GEOLOGY SITES ON THE ENGLISH RIVIERA

The designated UNESCO Global Geopark status stretches right across the entire 22-mile coastline of the English Riviera. There are many points of interest within the Bay and our designation status is currently based upon the international importance of 32 individual geo sites, covering a story of three geological time periods, all found within a compact area. Here is the current list of designated geology sites:

1. Babbacombe Cliffs
2. Barcombe Mews Quarry, Shorton
3. Barton Quarry
4. Berry Head to Sharkham point
5. Black Head and Anstey's Cove
6. Breakwater Quarry, Brixham
7. Brokenbury Quarry, Churston Ferrers
8. Brixham Cavern
9. Chapel Hill, Torre
10. Churston Cove / Churston Point
11. Crystal Cove
12. Daddyhole
13. Dyers Quarry
14. Goodrington Quarry and Road Cutting
15. Hollicombe Head to Corbyns Head
16. Hopes Nose: Marine Devonian
17. Hopes Nose: Mineralogy of SW England
18. Hopes Nose and Thatcher Rock: Quaternary of SW England
19. Hopes Nose South
20. Kents Cavern
21. Long Quarry
22. Lummaton Quarry
23. Meadfoot Sea Rd
24. New Cut
25. Oddicombe
26. Petitor, Maidencombe
27. Quarry Woods Quarry, Cockington
28. Roundham Head
29. Saltern Cove: Marine Devonian
30. Saltern Cove: Permian Triassic
31. Sharkham Iron Mine
32. Shoalstone

For further information about the 32 geo sites visit the official English Riviera Geopark website.