Wonwell Beach

Yesterday's walk was along the Inny, about 5 miles from its source. Today we went for a short walk at the other end of the river system - along the estuary beach at Wonwell in South Devon. Admittedly not the Inny estuary (there isn't one as it flows into the Tamar and thence to Plymouth Sound) but that of the River Erme. The Erme arises on Dartmoor and we'll be walking near its origin next week, so more of it then. Although we've been there many moons ago, or so we think, Wonwell came as a surprise. At the end of many miles of very narrow high-banked Devon lanes, we came to this expanse of sands. Was it really like that before? Of course, it must have been: perhaps we were thinking of somewhere else? 

 

Looking out to sea over the sands towards the English Channel. Here's a thing to remember: this estuary is a ria. What on earth's a ria? Simple: it's a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea. There are a lot of them in this part of the world, apparently.

Looking upstream towards the valleys through which the Erme flows. At some point up there, the river becomes a ria. But where?

This is obviously a kiln but in a strange detached position on the beach. Such a strange location that I questioned whether or not it was a kiln. A little research later and it was confirmed as a late 18th century lime kiln which originally abutted onto the nearby cliff. Much erosion over the years has resulted in its present position.

Continuing my catalogue of less-than-adequate photographs of birds: a lone oystercatcher poking around the sand for shellfish.

And another one: wigeon. Lots of these rooting around patches of vegetation. they don't go for shellfish but love a bit of grass or algae.

And off they flew.