Thurlestone

Thurlestone is a village near Kingsbridge in south Devon, England.

The village takes its name from Thurlestone Rock, the so-called "thirled stone", an arch-shaped rock formation just offshore in Thurlestone Bay.

The village's All Saints church is built of the dark grey local slate. The chancel is early 13th century; the remainder of the church 15th and 16th century.

Thurlestone Marsh

Thurlestone Marsh (gbmapping|SX675423) is one of three small wetlands south of the of village (South Milton Ley and South Huish Marsh are the others). It is formed where a small unnamed stream flows through low-lying flat farmland just inland from Leas Foot Sand, a small beach just to the southwest of the village.

The site consists of a number of reed-fringed pools.

Wildlife

In 2002, a 30-year-old female Pygmy Sperm Whale was washed up on Thurlestone Beach.

2005 saw two significant ornithological events (Devon Bird Report 2005):
* in late March and early April, a flock of 68 Garganey was offshore in the bay - the second largest flock ever to be recorded in Britain (the largest was a flock of 120 in Kent in the 1950s).
* in August, a Least Sandpiper, a North American vagrant shorebird only recorded once in Devon previously, was present on Thurlestone Marsh.

External links

* [http://www.chycor2.co.uk/westcountryviews/coastal/thurlestone/thurlestone.htm Images of Thurlestone]