Dawlish Warren Field Trip

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Dawlish Warren Field Trip

Dawlish Warren is a small village in south Devon designed to be a

tourist attraction. Here is a map showing Dawlish Warren's location:

Dawlish warren is a major sand spit at the mouth of the River Exe, and

is visited by over 20,000 people per day in peak holiday season. A

spit is a ridge of sand or shingle projecting from the land into a

body of water. It is deposited by waves carrying material from one

direction to another across the mouth of an inlet. In the case of

Dawlish Warren, deposition in the water behind the spit has caused the

formation of a salt marsh. A wide range of coastal defences have been

erected all over the warren in order to stop erosion and deposition.

There is a wide range of landforms at Dawlish Warren, which result

from these natural processes. The spit has been deposited by several

natural processes:

1. Longshore drift from the west.

2. River sediment from the River Exe.

3. Sediment moved inshore from offshore sand banks.

This section of coastline is extremely important for several reasons:

1. COMMUNICATIONS- the main London to Penzance railway line passes

through this section of coast.

2. TOURISM- up to 20 000 people vist Dawlish Warren per day in peak

holiday season.

3. SPECIALISED RECREATION- Dawlish Warren has an 18 hole golf course.

4. GENERAL RECREATION- numerous activities including swimming,

fishing, windsurfing, walking, etc.

5. CONSERVATION- the spit is an internationally valuable habitat for

birds and plants. It is an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific

Interest)as well as an NNR (National Nature Reserve).

6. COASTAL PROTECTION- the spit is a giant natural breakwater,

protecting low lying areas of the Exe estuary behind it, from waves

and flooding.

7. BUSINESS- over 40 local businesses rely on visitors to this area,

e.g. cafes, gift shops, etc.

The aim of the fieldtrip will be to investigate the following:

· COASTAL DEFENCE

· BEACH PROFILES

· SAND DUNES

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