Ladram Bay

The red sandstone of east Devon’s sea cliffs was deposited during the Triassic era, some 200 million years ago, when this was a baking desert close to the equator. But even in that harsh environment plants grew alongside flowing rivers. The cliffs here are a rich, oxide-red and buried within this Otter sandstone you’ll find rhizocon cretions: the fossilised roots of those ancient plants.

The highlight of this walk is the impressive sea stacks to be found at Ladram Bay. These were formerly arches – like Durdle Door – and the last one collapsed less than 100 years ago in 1925. Geological connoisseurs will also spot signs of cross-bedding. These are thin, curved layers in the rock that are cut across each other and indicate that sediment was deposited by rivers that changed direction over time.

There are caves to explore and some of these may have been used by local smuggler John Rattenbury who in the early 1800s used Ladram Bay as one of his key locations to bring contraband ashore. And as you head up the River Otter keep your eyes peeled for England’s only wild beaver colony. These eco-engineers mysteriously appeared in the area in 2008, but they are now part of a reintroduction project monitored by Devon Wildlife Trust.