Nature Features

There are five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Devon, covering a large part of the county.

The AONBs take in most of Devon's coastline, north and south, and river estuaries.

A section of coast in the East Devon AONB

The five are: The Blackdown Hills AONB, East Devon AONB, North Devon AONB, South Devon AONB, and Tamar Valley AONB.

These areas have been given protection because of their environmental, geological and wildlife importance and because of their cultural heritage.

The areas include the World Heritage Site in East Devon - the stretch of coastline which has been dubbed the Jurassic Coast.

And in the north of the county, Braunton Burrows is a designated UNESCO biosphere reserve because of the amazing sand dunes.

The Yealm Estuary in the South Devon AONB

The South Devon AONB includes the only places left in England where you can find the rare cirl bunting bird species.

The Blackdown Hills are special because they are isolated and unspoilt, where archaeological features remain intact.

The Tamar Valley has also largely survived modern development, but signs of old industries such as mining are still visible.

You can find out much more about the AONBs by visiting the websites - see the links on this page.

And check out our photo galleries also linked from this page.