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A typical stile

The stiles that can be seen on Braunton Marshes are unusual in their design.  Not least because they are made of slate, which would not have been found locally.  Chances are that it was imported by boat from Wales, along with coal.  Villagers in Braunton and those in Welsh coastal villages enjoyed a brisk shipping trade.  Among the exports were vegetables and grain from the Great Field.

Reference:..(UID:10605)

Supplied by: Braunton

Braunton Marshes 2007

Braunton Marshes was once salt-marsh, which was drained of sea water in the mid 1800s.  Although the land supports lush green grass, there is still evidence of its former life as a salt marsh, as this creek shows.  Many other creeks appear as winding hollows and dips in the ground.

Reference:..(UID:10606)

Supplied by: Braunton

Braunton Marshes and Estuary, 2006 Braunton Marshes and Estuary, 2006

These salt creeks demonstrate how the whole of the Marshes used to look, before they were drained in the mid-1800s.  This view looks over the Taw Torridge Estuary towards a long jetty.  The jetty is exactly parallel to the former airstrip at RMB Chivenor and was used to extend the runway lights.

Reference:..(UID:10607)

Supplied by: Braunton

Image tn_Braunton Marshes and Estuary 2006.jpg

Braunton Marshes, 2006

The Marshes abound with wildlife and treasured highly for the bird life that can be found there, including migratory birds who choose to rest here on their journeys to and from far flung corners of the world.  The ditches, or drains, that criss-cross the marshes encourage a number of water birds,  many of whom make their nests among the reeds.

Reference:..(UID:10608)

Supplied by: Braunton

Cattle grazing on Braunton Marshes, 2006

Cattle grazing peacefully on Braunton Marshes.  The land here is said to be so rich and fertile, that cattle fatten beautifully on it.  One farmer, Rowland Dibble, says he didnâ??t recognise some of his cows after only two weeks on the marshes â?? they had grown so fat he thought they belonged to someone else!

Reference:..(UID:10609)

Supplied by: Braunton

Image tn_Cattle grazing on Braunton Marshes 2006.jpg

Great Sluice

Here are the doors of the Great Sluice.  They are held by a chain, which prevents them from opening fully so that, when the tide rises, it pushes the doors closed and prevents salt water from getting into the system.  At low tide, the force of the fresh water as it exits the marshes pushes the doors open.  The doors are made of elm, which is known to survive water well.

Reference:..(UID:10616)

Supplied by: Braunton

Linhays on Braunton Marshes 2007

The linhays, or cattle sheds, on Braunton Marshes were built by the farmer on whose land they stood.  They are therefore unique and no two linhays are the same.  Many are listed buildings, though they are all in varying states of repair with many now tumbling down.

Reference:..(UID:10610)

Supplied by: Braunton

Marshes

This is another view of Braunton Pill, which shows the straightened channel stretching away towards the village.  In the foreground, salt marsh can be seen on the banks, between the Estuary and the retaining wall that was built to defend the marshes once they had been drained.

Reference:..(UID:10612)

Supplied by: Braunton

Modern day Braunton Pill, 2007

This is a modern image of Braunton Pill, the watery approach to Velator Quay.  The pill naturally meandered until the mid-1800â??s, when a grand scheme was undertaken to drain the marshes and at the same time straighten the pill in order to allow larger boats access to the Quay.

Reference:..(UID:10611)

Supplied by: Braunton

Image tn_Modern day Braunton Pill 2007.JPG

Round Linhay

This picture dates from the late 1980â??s / early 1990â??s.  It shows the round linhay in a poor state of repair, prior to its re-thatching.

Reference:..(UID:10613)

Supplied by: Braunton