HARTLAND POINT is one
of the boldest headlands on the English coast standing 350 feet above the sea. On Hartland Point there is a lighthouse erected in 1874 to warn boats of the dangerous cliffs and fog bound coastline.
Lying within North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this stretch of coastline is one of the most dramatic in the British Isles.
Breathtaking coastal scenery and wonderful cliff top walks are all to be found.
Here in the cliffs and foreshore you can view spectacular evidence of geological events which took place over 300 million years ago. The rocks are sandstones and mudstones that were laid down around 320 million years ago in what was then a brackish sea. Of particular interest are the striking patterns that can be seen in the faces of the cliffs. These tell a dramatic story of ancient forces that have helped to shape the Earth as we see it today.
About 300 million years ago, during a period of tectonic plate collision, tremendous pressure was
exerted on the rocks of South West England. So powerful were these forces that the rocks were actually compressed like a concertina, producing a range of spectacular folds and faults that are visible today. These can be clearly seen in the cliffs to the north of Hartland Quay and a walk along the cliff top towards Hartland Point provides good views (if the tide is out) of the complex patterns of sandstone ribs produced on the foreshore by the folding.
Looking south from the Quay's car park you can see a hanging valley and abandoned alluvial tract of the Milford Water. The truncated valley bottom can be seen clearly.
There is a small museum, car parking, shops and a hotel (with public bar and restaurant) at Hartland Quay. There is a car park and a refreshment kiosk (open from Easter to the end of September) in Hartland Point. (Please report any interesting geological finds to the kiosk.)
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