Thurlestone is a village west of Kingsbridge in the

South Hams South Hams is a local government district on the south coast of Devon, England. Services divide between those provided by its own Council headquartered in Totnes, and those provided by Devon County Council headquartered in the city of Exete ...

district in south Devon, England. There is an

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...

in the same name. The population at the 2011 census was 1,886. The village takes its name from Thurlestone Rock, the so-called "thirled stone", an arch-shaped rock formation just offshore in Thurlestone Bay. All Saints church, Thurlestone - geograph

All Saints church, Thurlestone - geograph

The village's All Saints church is built of the dark grey local slate. The chancel is early 13th century; the remainder of the church 15th and 16th century.

Thurlestone Marsh

Thurlestone Marsh () is one of three small wetlands south of the village (

South Milton Ley South Milton Ley () is a wetland in the South Hams, Devon, England. It was notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1976. Part of the site is managed as a nature reserve by the Devon Birdwatching and Preservation Society. Site desc ...

and South Huish Marsh are the others). It is formed where a small unnamed stream flows through low-lying flat farmland just inland from Leas Foot Sand, a small beach just to the southwest of the village. The site consists of a number of reed-fringed pools.

Tourism

Tourism is supported by self-catering houses and a hotel in the village. About 60% of houses in the village are rented out at some time in the year.

Wildlife

In 2002, a 30-year-old female pygmy sperm whale was washed up on Thurlestone Beach. 2005 saw two significant ornithological events (Devon Bird Report 2005): * In late March and early April, a flock of 68 garganey was offshore in the bay – the second largest flock ever to be recorded in Britain (the largest was a flock of 120 in Kent in the 1950s). * In August, a least sandpiper, a

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

vagrant Vagrancy is the condition of homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants (also known as bums, vagabonds, rogues, tramps or drifters) usually live in poverty and support themselves by begging, scavenging, petty theft, temporar ...

shorebird only recorded once in Devon previously, was present on Thurlestone Marsh.

Walks

There is a walk from the main village to

Bantham Bantham is a coastal village in south Devon, England. It is in the South Hams district and lies on the estuary of the River Avon a quarter of a mile from the sea at Bigbury Bay. History Originally a fishing village, it was first documented as ...

and another walk to Salcombe going through

Hope Cove Hope Cove is a small seaside village within the civil parish of South Huish in South Hams District, Devon, England. It is located west of Salcombe and south west of Kingsbridge. It has two beaches, and is sheltered by the headland of Bolt Ta ...

and

Bolberry Bolberry is a hamlet on the south coast of Devon, England. The village is mentioned in Domesday Book in 1066 and 1086, which shows the land was of little value at the time. Along with Bolberry Down it falls within the South Devon Area of Outst ...

. Both of these are along the

headland A headland, also known as a head, is a coastal landform, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water. It is a type of promontory. A headland of considerable size often is called a cape.Whittow, John ...

. There are also a numerous walks to nearby beaches and villages.

References

External links

Images of Thurlestone
{{Authority control Beaches of Devon Villages in South Hams Civil parishes in South Hams