Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve, Torcross, South Devon
National Nature Reserve near the southernmost point of South Devon
Slapton Ley is a National Nature Reserve by Torcross in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The largest natural lake in South West England, Slapton Ley is separated from the sea at Start Bay by Slapton Sands (Beach). For comprehensive information on the local wildlife, we'd point you in the direction of the 'Slapton Ley Field Centre & National Nature Reserve' website. There are information boards on site in bird hides.
There's plenty of parking in the area and the South West Coast Path follows the lake's east side.
The area is known for its huge starling roosts. We've photographed a similar 'murmuration' at Okehampton Camp up on Dartmoor. It's a remarkable experience that we'd recommend highly.
At the southern end of Slapton Ley is the Torcross Sherman Tank. This area was used for military exercises in WWII.
Visit the Salcombe to Kingsbridge Nature Reserve to the west and Berry Head National Nature Reserve (Berry Head & Sharkham Point) to the north east. Further afield, Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve is another magnificent coastal National Nature Reserve.
Location of Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve
We've positioned Slapton Ley on Google maps so zoom in on the 'Satellite' setting to see its exact location. We'd also suggest your refer to the Ordnance Survey OL20 'South Devon' map for detail.
Widdicombe Ley
Widdicombe Ley is a small lake, or 'ley', just south of Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve. We'd recommend viewing this on a walk from Torcross on the South West Coast Path.
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