Berry Head

Guarding the southern edge of Devon’s English Riviera, Berry Head National Nature Reserve, is a must-visit with real ‘wow factor.’   Perched high up on 200 feet (60 metre) cliffs with its iconic lighthouse, this beautiful headland is surrounded by water on 3 sides and has some of Devon’s most breathtaking views. You can enjoy a pleasant walk up to the site from the historic fishing port of Brixham or drive up to the visitor car park if you prefer. 

The reserve, managed by Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust, makes a fabulous Devon day out.  You can spot wildlife, visit the historic Napoleonic forts, take in some superb coastal footpath walks and enjoy the stylish, award-winning Guardhouse Café with its delicious food and friendly welcome. The Guardhouse Café is open all year round except for Christmas Day and specialises in local produce (including fish from Brixham’s famous market) and delicious Devon Cream Teas.  

There’s also a visitor centre to find out more about the history of the Berry Head site, the wildlife and the work of the Trust across the English Riviera.   Dogs are very welcome throughout the site although leads are recommended for certain areas due to the steep cliffs.

A Birding Hotspot

The high cliffs are host to the largest breeding colonies of guillemots on the south coast of England and these are Berry Head’s most famous residents.   The award-winning nature reserve is also home to a small breeding colony of cirl buntings. In addition regular sightings include sparrowhawk, goldcrest, occasional firecrest, wheatear, razorbill, black redstart and occasional eider duck. Guillemot numbers, best viewed from the sea-cliff facing hide, averages 1,200 birds over the season. 

Historic Ruins

Berry Head has been an important strategic site for centuries. The remains of a Roman settlement were found here, but the striking archaeological features now nearly all date from the Napoleonic Era, with the two large and well-preserved forts (and their cannon) built around 1800. These forts were built to protect a battery of guns at the end of Berry Head, which in turn were to protect the Channel Fleet which was often anchored in Torbay’s sheltered waters. The gun battery has sadly gone; in their place at the end of the headland now is a tiny lighthouse, reputed to be both the shortest and highest (above sea level) in the country.

Fertile Seas

Berry Head has a wonderful view out over Torbay and towards the South Hams, and from the end a huge sweep of sea is visible. Perhaps this is the best place to see England’s Seafood Coast! As well as the array of seabirds, yachts and fishing boats, it’s common to see porpoise just off shore, and pods of dolphins up to 800-strong are regularly sighted out to see. If you’re really lucky you might even see a whale – a mighty humpback lived in these waters for a month in 2017!

Gateway to the Global Geopark

The whole of the English Riviera is designated an UNESCO Global Geopark, with an incredible natural history which stretches back 400 million years and Berry Head is very much the gateway to this awe-inspiring feast of natural beauty. The rocks here have been around since long before humans existed, and even before the dinosaurs!

Tropical Seas & Napoleonic Forts

The heart of the headland at Berry Head is 400 million year old limestone and was once a reef in a shallow tropical sea south of the equator. You can find evidence of dramatic climatic events in the cliffs, as well as fossils in the limestone of the fort walls.  People, as well as geology, have shaped Berry Head, most significantly by quarrying its limestone over the last 300 years. Used to build the Napoleonic forts, quarrying continued right up to the 1950s. Today the quarry's quiet seclusion is an ideal home for some of its protected wildlife, from seabirds to bats.

We Love to Watch:
Guillemots Breeding

Breeding on the cliffs, up to 1,200 guillemots can be seen from the bird hide from March to early July and sporadically through the winter as well. You will also be able to watch their progress via the Trust’s cliff camera in the visitor centre, in the North Fort. 

Peregrine Falcon Diving

The majestic peregrine falcon can be seen all year round on the main headland and are often seen in and around Berry Head’s quarry, hunting for prey.  David Attenborough’s Planet Earth II filmed this iconic bird diving at speeds of up to 180 mph.  This is faster than skydivers and must be seen! 

Cirl Bunting Singing

Known affectionately as the ‘hedgerow highwayman’ because of its distinctive black mask, the cirl bunting is one of Britain’s most threatened songbirds and rare in Devon.  They’ve enjoyed careful protection here at Berry Head and in other parts of the Bay and their population is now on the increase. They are often seen singing high on top of a bush, feeding on insects and seed throughout the mixed scrub and meadow areas – a great year-round photo opportunity!

Porpoise Feeding

A small group of Harbour Porpoise live in Berry Head’s waters and are best seen just after low tide, when the currents mix up the sea right at the end of the headland. On relatively calm days in the colder months of the year, there is a very good chance of seeing them if you stand near the lighthouse and stare at the sea for a few minutes. Often accompanied by groups of sea birds including huge white gannets, you can get a glimpse of their black fins and their backs as they surface for air.
If you’re lucky you might also see dolphins which tend to be larger and travelling in bigger groups.