Porlock Marsh Pocket Guide

Home , Hurlstone Point, Porlock, Porlock Bay, Porlock Weir

. e s u g n i m r a f r o f d e t a e h - n l i k

d n a t a o b y b t h g u o r b s a w e m i l

n e h w f o s r e d n i m e r e r a s n l i k - e m i l

l a r e v e s f o s n i a m e r e h T : t h g i R

. 4 2 6 2 0 7 3 4 6 1 0 g n i l l a c y b r o e t i s e h t a i v

t s a o c e h t g n o l a . e r o m r e v o c s i d . s e i c a c i l e d . e t a t s E e t o c i n l o H s ’ t s u r T

d e t s e u q e r e b o s l a n a c e r u h c o r b A . n o i t a d o m m o c c a

n a c u o y e r e h w e r t n e C r o t i s i V l a c o l e s e h t y o j n e n i a g a e c n o l a n o i t a N e h t f o t r a p s i n o t g n i s s o B s e x o b l l i p l a r e v e s e r a e r e h t , s e m i t

d e t i d e r c c a n e e r g r o f h c r a e s o s l a n a c u o y l a i c e p s

a s a h e g a l l i v e h t d n a s u i c i r b u D t S n a c e l p o e p t a h t e r u s n e o t g n i k r o w . e r t n e C l w O & k w a H r o o m x E

9 0 5 2 5 7 8 9 5 01 l e T l u f e c a e p s s e l f o s r e d n i m e R : t f e L

r o o m x E p e e k p l e h o T . k u . o c . r o o m x e - t i s i v . w w w

o t d e t a c i d e d s i y r u t n e c y a d o t s i t c e j o r p t n e c e r a , s r e t s y o y b r a e n d n a m o o r a e t y l e v o l e h t

Q E 6 5 3 X E , h t u o m n y L

t a e n i l n o d n u o f e b n a c , s n o i t c a r t t a

h t 3 1 e h t m o r f g n i t a d h c r u h c e h T s t i r o f s u o m a f e c n O . r o o m x E n o t i s i v t o n y h W . d n o y e b a e s e h t d n a

, e d a n a l p s E e h T , n o i l i v a P h t u o m n y L

. I I r a W d l r o W g n i r u d h s r a m e h t d n a s g n i t s i l s t n e v e s a l l e w s a , n o i t a d o m m o c c a l a c o L

. t i s i v o t s e c a l p d n a n o i t a d o m m o c c a s t o p s e u q s e r u t c i p t s o m e h t f o e n o h s r a m e h t s d r a w o t n w o d s d a e l t a h t

y a t s o t e r e h W

e r t n e C k r a P l a n o i t a N h t u o m n y L

n o d e h s a r c h c i h w r e b m o b r o t a r e b i L , s é f a c , s b u p , s p o h s f o n o i t c e l e s s i r i e W k c o l r o P , t n i o P e n o t s l r u H t e e r t s e l g n i s e h t e n i l n o t g n i s s o B

e h t f o w e r c e h t g n i t a r o m e m m o c t a e r g a d n a t n e m e l t t e s f o y r o t s i h o t y a b e h t s s o r c a s w e i v l u f r e d n o w f o t e l m a h e h t p u e k a m t a h t 5 3 8 21 8 3 4 6 01 l e T

g n o l a s a h d n a r o o m x E n o t s e g r a l d n a y r u t n e c h t 5 1 e h t n i t l i u b s e g a t t o c g n i m r a h c e h t , s n e v o d a e r b l a i r o m e M r a W e h T : t h g i R

E S 6 4 2 A T , p e e t S r e t s n u D

. r e t c a r a h c f o l l u f s e g a l l i v e r o l p x e d n a , s r a t s f o l l u f s e i k s

e h t f o e n o s i e g a l l i v y s u b s i h T y l l a n i g i r o , r u o b r a h y n i t s t i h t i W d n a , s y e n m i h c l l a t r i e h t r o f s u o m a F

e r t n e C k r a P l a n o i t a N r e t s n u D k r a d y b d e z a m a e b , r e e d d e r d l i w f o e s p m i l g a h c t a c o t

e g a l l i V k c o l r o P r i e W k c o l r o P n o t g n i s s o B

; e r u t n e v d a f o e s n e s r u o y r e v o c s i d e r s a l l e w s a e c a e p D

41 8 3 2 3 8 9 3 01 l e T

… o t e m o h o s l a s i h c i h w , k c o l r o P f o e l a V e h t f o t r a e h e h t t a s t i s h s r a M k c o l r o P

. n i r e t l e h s d n a y t i l l i u q n a r t d n i f o t e l b i s s o p l l i t s s i t i r o o m x E n O

X E 9 2 2 A T , n o t r e v l u D , t e e r t S e r o F 9 - 7

o t e l t t a c r o f n r a b y a h n i l a s a d e s u

e r t n e C k r a P l a n o i t a N n o t r e v l u D

y l t n e c e r e r o m , e s u o h s ’ n a m - y o c e d Exmoor National Park Boundary Park National Exmoor

d l o e h t f o s n i a m e r e h T : t f e L

. s y a l p s i d d n a s n o i t a c i l b u p , n o i t a m r o f n i f o e g n a r a Dulverton

C s a h e r t n e C h c a E . r o o m x E o t t i s i v a f o t s o m e h t e k a m

u o y p l e h l l i w f f a t s e l b a e g d e l w o n k d n a y l d n e i r f r u o . e g d i r e l g n i h s e h t n i e l o h a d e h c n u p

e r e h w , s e r t n e C k r a P l a n o i t a N e e r h t e v a h o s l a e W d n a 6 9 9 1 r e b o t c O n i t s a o c e h t

t i h ” i l i L “ e n a c i r r u H f o d n e - l i a t e h t

n e h w d e s u a c s a w h c a e r b e h T : t h g i R

Minehead

Porlock Lynmouth s r o t i s i v / k u . o c . k c o l r o p . w w w

k u . o c . k c o l r o p @ t i s i v : l i a m e

. e c u d o r p l a c o l s u o i c i l e d

0 5 1 3 6 8 ) 3 4 6 1 0 ( : l e T

r e f f o s m o o r a e t d n a s b u p y s o c d n a , l e n n a h C l o t s i r B H S R A M K C O L R O P

D Q 8 4 2 A T , t e s r e m o S

e h t o t n i e g n u l p s f f i l c h g i h e r e h W . s r a e y f o s d n a s u o h t

. c t e t s e r o f , k c o l r o P , d n E t s e W

r e v o e r u t a n d n a e l p o e p y b d e p a h s , d n a l m r a f d n a

e r t n e C r o t i s i V k c o l r o P

d e g r e m b u s / s d e b r e t s y O : t f e L

o t e m o c l e W s y e l l a v , d n a l d o o w , d n a l r o o m f o e p a c s d n a l e u q i n u a

s n o i t a c o l r o f f a e l r e v o p a m e e S , k r a P l a n o i t a N r o o m x E n i d e t a u t i s s i h s r a M k c o l r o P

k r a P l a n o i t a N r o o m x E . . . s s i m o t t o n s g n i h t 6 e r o m t u o d n i f o t e r e h W

1 White-tailed Wildlife of Porlock Marsh See illustration (right) bumble bee Coastal saltmarshes, such as Porlock Marsh, There is also a lot of Kingfisher 2 Peregrine John Bridges (rspb-images.com) where the sea has breached the ridge of interesting marine Black- PORLOCK shingle, are particularly important for wildlife. wildlife including 3 headed gull porpoises and other Although the change from freshwater marsh to 4 Fennel cetaceans regularly saltmarsh has meant a loss of some features such as 5 Gannet seen off the coast. MARSH reed bed, new habitats have developed in response Porlock Bay is believed 6 Coastal heaths to the saltier conditions. Plants such as glasswort 17 to be an important 7 Shelduck Pocket Guide and 16 thrive in the brackish and sea purslane nursery site for smaller frequently flooded marshlands. On the slightly 8 Little egret sharks such as lesser spotted higher ground and shingle, other specialist plants 9 dogfish , tope and smooth hound sharks . Rock pipit including sea beet , 1 3 sea plantain , 1 8 sea 10 Curlew aster , 1 5 and fennel 4 grow providing food and When high tides flood in fish fry will enter the marsh shelter for invertebrates. for food and shelter followed by predators such as 11 Oystercatcher sea bass and fishing birds such as heron , kingfisher 12 Thrift The muddy creeks and beaches are a haven for wading and little egret. Otters have also been seen on the birds that probe the rich muds for the plentiful supply 13 Sea beet marsh, although you would need to be very lucky to of molluscs, worms and shrimps that live there. These Peppery spot one of these beautiful yet elusive creatures . 14 include the striking oystercatcher, 1 1 handsome furrow shell shelduck, 7 and the curlew 10 with its long As the marsh continues to change, it will be 15 Sea aster A fascinating place downward curving beak. During the spring and autumn fascinating to see the wildlife adapt to the evolving 16 Sea purslane that changes daily migrations there are regular sightings of birds including environment and to see what species make this 17 Glasswort osprey, snowbunting, spoonbill and turnstone . special place home. with the tides and 18 Sea plantain where the boundary

Porlock Marsh Timeline between sea and land Pill boxes constructed on the The shingle ridge is breached is dynamic and evolving. The end of the last ice age, the The early evidence of The earliest surviving map of beach - A memorial constructed and decision eventually taken sea level was much lower and settlement is from Saxon place Porlock Manor shows Porlock to the crew of an American to let natural processes take the Severn Estuary was a dry The land was wooded and hunter- names such Porlock, Bossington Marsh as a large pill (or fish bomber which crashed into the their course leading to river valley. gatherers roamed the area. and Luccombe. pond) with an outlet to the sea. Marsh in 1942 development of the saltmarsh

10,000 8000 5-6000 3500 c.700AD 1052 1710 1910 World War II 1990 1996 2014 years ago years ago years ago years ago

The shingle ridge develops as Aurochs (a now extinct species Porlock invaded by Harold, Ongoing attempts to drain the Porlock Ridge and saltmarsh Porlock Marsh Vision launched the ice melts, sea levels rise and of wild cattle) roamed the later to be King Harold marsh - construction of the notified as a Site of Special cliﬀs to the west eroded. marsh - see one in Porlock “New Works” drainage channels. Scientific Interest for its Visitor Centre. In the same year a golf course nationally important active and club house was coastal geomorphological constructed - it lasted a year. features.