Berry Head is a coastal headland at the southern end of Torbay, to the southeast of Brixham, Devon, England. Geography There are three main towns around the bay Torquay in the north Paignton in the centre and Brixham in the south which have become connected Brixham (ˈbrɪksəm is a small town in the county of Devon, in the south-west of England. Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland
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National Nature Reserve
Berry Head to Sharkham Point is a haven for several nationally rare and threatened species which are dependent upon the thin limestone soils, mild climate and exposed conditions of the headland. Sharkham Point is a headland located close to the Devon fishing town of Brixham.
The coastal cliffs here are home to a seabird colony, including Guillemots, Razorbills and Black-legged Kittiwakes. A seabird colony is a site which Seabirds visit to breed typically during the summer Guillemot is the Common name for several species of Seabird in the Auk family comprising two genera Uria and Cepphus The Razorbill, Alca torda, is a large Auk, 38-43 cm in length with a 60-69 cm wingspan The Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla is a Seabird species in the Gull family Laridae Several rare vagrant birds have occurred here, including a long-staying Gyrfalcon in 1986. See also Vagrancy (people for an alternative use of the term Vagrancy is a phenomenon in Biology whereby individual animals appear well The Gyrfalcon ˈdʒɜrˌfɔlkən or ˈdʒɜrˌfælkən ( Falco rusticolus) also spelled Gyr Falcon, sometimes Gerfalcon, is the largest Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar)
The guillemot colony on the cliffs below the Southern Fort is one of the largest on England's south coast and can be closely watched live on CCTV in the Visitor Centre. Berry Head also acts as an important staging post for migrant birds.
The site is one of only two locations in Great Britain at which the white rock-rose, small hare’s ear and small restharrow occurs. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Helianthemum apenninum, the white rock-rose, is a white-flowering rock rose found in dry grassy and rocky places across large parts of Europe Spring gentian, honewort, and goldilocks aster are also dependent upon the thin soils, mild climate and exposed conditions of the headland.
Caves at Berry Head are home to the endangered greater horseshoe bat. The Greater Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum is a European Bat of the Rhinolophus genus A small herd of North Devon Reds which have been reintroduced to Berry Head produce cow pats which in turn provide food for the bats in the form of dung beetles. Dung beetles are beetles which feed partly or exclusively on Feces.
The Fort
The two forts were built on the pre-existing Iron Age Hill fort site overlooking Torbay naval anchorage. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement Fortifications were erected on the headland in 1793 against threatened invasion by French armies and strengthened with limestone in 1803, when gun batteries were added to protect the anchorages. They were abandoned after two years when the War of American Independence finished, and the armaments were moved to Plymouth, but the ramparts remain. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London.
The former artillery house now houses a public display, featuring details about the history of the area, its wildlife and how it became an important strategic point. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine A Strategy is a long term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal, most often "winning
Lighthouse
At the end of Berry Head, beyond the coastguard station, is the lighthouse, which forms part of the chain of south coast beacons. It is administered by Trinity House. The Corporation of Trinity House is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England Wales and other British Territorial waters (with the exception of Scotland The lighthouse, which was built in 1906, was converted to unwatched acetylene operation in 1921 and modernised and converted to mains electricity in 1994. Acetylene ( IUPAC name ethyne), C2H2 is a Hydrocarbon belonging to the group of Alkynes It is the simplest of all alkynes The light being visible over 20 miles away, It gives a double flash every 15 secs. It came to be known as the smallest, highest and deepest light in the British Isles - the tower is diminutive, requiring no further elevation than that given by the headland itself, and the optic was originally turned by the action of a weight falling down a 45m deep shaft, now made redundant by a small motor. Semaphore signalling apparatus was on Berry Head before 1875 and acted as the Lloyds' Signal Station for Torbay. A semaphore telegraph, optical telegraph, shutter telegraph chain, Chappe telegraph, or Napoleonic semaphore is a system
Radio Navigation Beacon
Berry Head also has a VOR/DME Beacon used for air traffic control. This article is about the radio navigation aid see VOR for other uses Distance Measuring Equipment (DME is a transponder-based radio navigation technology that measures distance by timing the propagation delay of VHF or UHF radio signals Air traffic control ( ATC) is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct Aircraft on the ground and in the air
External links
- History of Berry Head
- Trinity House - Berry Head Lighthouse
- Attack On The Lighthouse!
- A Photo Fauna of the Devon & Cornwall Peninsular
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