Lee Bay
Encyclopedia
- There is another Lee Bay further to the east along the coast, between Woody BayWoody BayThree miles west of Lynton and eight east of Combe Martin on the North Devon coast of England, stoney-beached Woody Bay nestles among the steep cliffs of the rugged coast below the heights of Exmoor...
and LynmouthLynmouthLynmouth is a village in Devon, England, on the north edge of Exmoor.The village straddles the confluence of the West Lyn and East Lyn rivers, in a gorge below Lynton, to which it is connected by the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway....
, overlooked by Lee AbbeyLee AbbeyLee Abbey is a nationwide ecumenical Christian organisation which has a vision of "sharing Christ through relationships". Its original and largest site is Lee Abbey Devon, a Conference, Retreat and Holiday Centre located on a estate near Lynton, North Devon...
.
Lee Bay is a small village on the North Devon
North Devon
North Devon is the northern part of the English county of Devon. It is also the name of a local government district in Devon. Its council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth...
coast near Woolacombe
Woolacombe
Woolacombe is a seaside resort on the coast of North Devon, England, which lies at the mouth of a valley . The beach, which has Blue Flag and Premier Seaside Beach awards for its cleanliness, water quality and facilities, is long, sandy, gently sloping and faces the Atlantic Ocean near the...
.
The village of Lee lies at the foot of what is known locally as the Fuchsia Valley, and consists of around 100 properties, mostly old in style. The village centre is about a quarter of a mile from the sea, and is linked to the area around the bay by a road and by a level footpath. Lee is served by a combined pub, post office and shop, The Grampus; also by St Matthew's Church, by a gift/craft shop operating from the old schoolroom adjoining the church, and by the Lee Bay Hotel which has extensive and well maintained grounds. Unfortunately, as of summer 2009, the hotel is closed, and is being used by the police as a dog training centre.
Around the bay area are the hotel (visible as the main building in the picture) and some 10 privately owned properties. Up to the late 1980s, several of these were in use as tea rooms, restaurants and gift shops.
The beach has a very gentle slope. As the tide goes out an expanse of sand emerges from among the rocks, as does a way through the cliffs westwards round to a large shingle beach called Sandy Cove or Bath Beach. This beach is also accessible from the coastal path via a National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
-maintained path and staircase down the cliff face.
As the tide recedes further it becomes possible (though far from easy) to scramble eastwards from Lee Bay over and round rocks and through pools to reach Broadoar, a mainly sandy beach. This is not advisable without local knowledge (and a good tide table) as there is no obvious route and it is all too easy to become trapped by incoming tides.
Lee is situated on the rugged and inhospitable stretch of coast between Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe is a seaside resort and civil parish on the North Devon coast, England with a small harbour, surrounded by cliffs.The parish stretches along the coast from 'The Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay toward the east and 4 miles along The Torrs to Lee Bay toward the west...
and Woolacombe
Woolacombe
Woolacombe is a seaside resort on the coast of North Devon, England, which lies at the mouth of a valley . The beach, which has Blue Flag and Premier Seaside Beach awards for its cleanliness, water quality and facilities, is long, sandy, gently sloping and faces the Atlantic Ocean near the...
, which includes Bull Point (with its lighthouse) and Morte Point
Morte Point
Morte Point is a peninsula on the North West coast of Devon, England, belonging to the National Trust. To the east is the village of Mortehoe and to the south is the seaside resort of Woolacombe....
, both notorious for shipwrecks in earlier times, and both on the South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
.
See also
- Tarka TrailTarka TrailThe Tarka Trail is a series of footpaths and cyclepaths around north Devon, England that follow the route taken by Tarka the Otter in the book of that name. It is a figure-of-eight route, based on Barnstaple, and covers some of path....
– which follows the line of the South West Coast PathSouth West Coast PathThe South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
through the village
Lee Bay lies within the North Devon Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
- North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
External links
- Lee Bay village website – includes village history and current events
- North Devon AONB website