| home |

UNESCO
World Biosphere Reserve

Instow on the world stage?! Well, in a way, yes. The village lies at the heart of North Devon's Biosphere Reserve, our 'eco World Heritage Site' if you like. UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are all about conserving our living environment by fostering sustainable lifestyles in local communities. Our Reserve is currently the only one in the UK. Discover...

North Devon's Biosphere Reserve is centred on the six square miles of ecologically rich beach and dunes that make up Braunton Burrows (the 'core'), and has the Taw-Torridge estuary (itself a SSSI) as its ‘buffer zone’. The Reserve extends up the Taw and Torridge watersheds as far as Exmoor in the north and Dartmoor in the south, involving the towns and villages in between (the ‘transitional zone’). This same area was of course home to Henry Williamson’s famous otter, Tarka.. Discover…

Prior to Biosphere status the Burrows were already famous (but not a lot of people realise this). A popular film location, they featured in Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ (and on the cover of their album ‘Momentary Lapse of Reason’). They also provided the backdrop for the video to Robbie Williams’ smash hit ‘Angels’. Now, thanks to their stunning ecology and – most importantly – the local communities striving to think globally and act locally, the Burrows and the wider Reserve share the world stage with such well known locations as the Everglades, the Serengeti and Mount Olympus. Discover…

Located on the Tarka Trail at the mouth of the Taw-Torridge estuary opposite Braunton Burrows, Instow is a good base for experiencing North Devon's Biosphere Reserve. Naturally, the spirit of the place suggests visitors should indulge themselves, but as model eco-tourists. That doesn't mean you can't have fun. We still manage to! Just that this lovely place, and hopefully the planet, will be here for future generations to enjoy too. Please play your part. Thanks.