Braunton Burrows Wildflower and Herbal Plant Walk

  • Start: Sandy Lane Car Park
  • Distance: 4.2 km
  • Walk Time: 65m
Plants on Braunton Burrows

Right in the heart of the North Devon AONB (Area of outstanding natural beauty) The Braunton Burrows is a vast and complex dune system that sits between Saunton Sands beach and the rural farmland surrounding Braunton. The whole area is protected by being a UNESCO Designated Biosphere Reserve due to the rarity of the plant and insect life that inhabits it.

This gentle walk will give you the opportunity to see some of those plants and herbs that grow naturally at the Braunton Burrows.

What you see will depend on the time of year as most of the plants appear during the summer months. This particular walk was mapped out in August.

The plants and animals we encountered and photographed on this particular walk included:

  • Wild Thyme
  • Sand Pansy
  • Polar Beetle
  • Mugwort
  • Comfrey
  • Hemp Agrimony
  • Fennel
  • Blackberries
  • Wild Carrot
  • Meadowsweet
  • Eyebright
  • Agrimony
  • Lady’s Bedstraw
  • Meadow Brown butterfly
  • Spurge
  • Evening Primrose
  • Mullein
  • Common Lizard
  • Eyed Hawk moth caterpillar
  • Water Germander
  • Autumn Gentian
  • Oak Eggar Moth
  • Pale Hellborine

The Braunton Burrows is a combination of grass, sand and mud. It is possible to navigate the whole area on the flat, but some walks may involve climbing some of the dunes. During winter, the place can get very water logged so wellington boots are advisable. In the summer months, lighter footwear like sandals are fine. The rest of the time, a pair of walking boots or shoes would be preferable.

There are many criss-crossing footpaths and vehicle tracks around the Braunton Burrows, but no man-made paths or signs, so a map, compass or gps device would be useful. It is easy to become disorientated if you are not familiar with the place.

There is a reasonable mobile phone reception should you get lost or be in need of help.