Factsheet for Wembury Point to Erme Estuary IPA

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Site Code

Country: United Kingdom

Central coordinates: 50.31729263o [50o 19' 2" North], -4.07488618o [4o 4' 29" West]

Administrative region: South West (South Devon)

Area: 225 ha

Altitude: 0 - 100

Site Description
The Wembury Point to Erme Estuary IPA comprises approximately 15 km of cliff-dominated coastline, to the east of Plymouth Sound. including the mouth of the River Yealm. Low cliffs rise to 50 m, with adjacent cliff slopes up to 100 m in height. The underlying geology is of Devonian slates, overlain by Quaternary and Periglacial head deposits.

Botanical Significance
Noted for vascular interest.

Localised freshwater seepage onto raised beach platforms along the base of the cliffline provides a key habitat for the internationally-rare Shore Dock (Rumex rupestris), here in its second largest rocky shoreline colony in the UK. Relatively extensive cliff slopes still support semi-natural coastal grassland, heath and scrub communities, still grazed in part. Whilst not as botanically-rich as those of the Bolt Tail to Start Point schistose cliffs to the east, this IPA does support other local or rare vascular plants including Lanceolate Spleenwort (Asplenium obovatum), Dotted Sedge (Carex punctata), Pennyroyal Mint (Mentha pulegium) and Autumn Squill (Scilla autumnalis).
This stretch of the south Devon coast includes four stations for Rumex rupestris and, assuming the populations survive, Zostera marina at the mouths of the Tamar and the Yealm. Carex punctata occurs at it only Devon site at Wadham Rocks. In addition to these and other species listed below a number of other species more or less resticted to unimproved coastal grasslands. These include Moenchia erecta, Trifolium arvense, T. ornthopodioides, T. scabrum, T. striatum, T. subterraneum, Scilla verna, Torilis nodosa and Valerianella locusta var. dunensis.

Additional vascular species of interest identified in BSBI consultation:
Adiantum capillus-veneris,
Asplenium obovatum,
Bromus hordeaceus ssp. Ferronii,
Carex punctata,
Chenopodium bonus-henricus,
Cuscuta epithymum,
Inula crithmoides,
Lotus angustissimus,
Lotus subbiflorus,
Poa infirma,
Rumex rupestris,
Scilla autumnalis,
Spiranthes spiralis,
Teesdalia nudicaulis,
Trifolium glomeratum,
Zostera marina

Management guidance notes
None

Notes
Original IPA name: Blackstone Point