Exe Estuary

On the east shore (from north to south) is the town of Topsham, the villages of Exton and Lympstone and at the estuary mouth, the seaside resort of Exmouth.

Opposite Exmouth on the west shore is the village of Dawlish Warren with its sand spit extending across the mouth of the estuary.

Above this there are fewer settlements on the west shore, with just the villages of Starcross and Cockwood, both adjoining the lower portion of the estuary.

The Exminster Marshes, a series of fields drained by dykes and ditches, carry several plants rare in Devon including parsley, water dropwort (Oenanthe lachenalii), flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus) and frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae).

These include lugworm (Arenicola marina), peppery furrow shell (Scrobicularia plana), tellins Macoma spp., common cockle (Cerastoderma edule), pod razor (Ensis siliqua), sea potato (Echinocardium cordatum), and masked crab (Corystes cassivelaunus).

The Exe estuary seen from a hot air balloon. The road at the bottom is the M5 , Topsham is at the left with Exmouth beyond. Dawlish Warren extends across from the right, below it is the Exeter Canal and Exminster Marshes.