Dramatic face of nature

DRAMATIC rock formations were once part of the tourist trail through South Devon.

Some are still there but many in coastal locations are long gone having been toppled by the allied powers of rain, wind and waves.

Torbay remains a destination for those interested in rocks and there is much to discover including a seam of gold bearing calcite at Hopes Nose. But it was the towering sculptures shaped by erosion which caught the imagin- ation of early visitors to Torbay who recorded them in atmospheric drawings and paintings.

Watcombe was especially popular because of an inland cliff called Great Rock which created a spectacular valley to the sea. It was a popular picnic spot for Victorian visitors and cabs could be hired from The Strand in Torquay to take you there. The cliff is still there but hidden by trees and the Valley of the Rock, as it was known, is now an eerie glade.

Not all these formations have been carved by nature. The drawing of Petitor from 1920s shows the work of quarrymen who extracted limestone and marble from this location but why they left Lot’s Wife standing alone is anybody’s guess. Natural Arch, which is visible from Torquay harbour, was also known as London Bridge probably to capture the imagination of tourists.

Another picture show the red sandstone which gives South Devon so much of its character. But the rock is very soft and vulnerable to erosion. Mitre Rock off Corbyn Head in Torquay, pictured here in 1920, was swept away decades ago.