WILDLIFE

Slapton Ley is the largest natural freshwater lake in the South West, separated from the sea by nothing more than a shingle ridge. It is a National Nature Reserve, it is five minutes on foot from the front at Torcross, and it is the reason a lot of people come back to this village year after year.

What you might see, and when

Spring and autumn are the productive windows for migrants. Swallows and martins gather over the open water before the crossing, and warblers work through the reedbeds and the woodland edge. Through the winter the sheltered water holds diving ducks and grebes, and sea watching from the shingle ridge can turn up divers and grebes offshore, particularly when there is an easterly component in the wind. Summer brings dragonflies over the water and reedbeds shoulder high.

Where to watch from

Torcross Hide looks out over the open water at the southern end, where the diving birds tend to be, and it is about five minutes from the apartment. Stokeley Bay Hide gives you open water and reedbed together and rewards a bit of thought about where the sun is sitting. The shingle ridge path between Torcross and Slapton Sands is the third option, with the Ley on one side and Start Bay on the other.

Practical notes

Go early. The first hour after sunrise, with mist coming off the water, is the best of it and you will often have the place to yourself. Bring boots, because the ridge path holds water after rain. The Field Studies Council centre at Slapton posts recent sightings, which is worth checking before you set out.

Parking this winter

The Tank Memorial car park at Torcross is closed to the public while the sea defence scheme is built, through to spring 2027. Day visitors should use the Slapton Sands car park on the Slapton Line and walk south along the ridge, which is the better approach to the Ley in any case.

Staying on the doorstep

No. 2 at the Beach is on the Torcross seafront, which puts the Torcross Hide five minutes from the front door and the ridge path directly outside it. Sleeps four, dog friendly, private parking, sea views from the terrace. Autumn and winter are the quiet months here and the best ones for birds.

Check availability and book No. 2 at the Beach: https://www.holidaycottages.co.uk/cottage/oc-22881-2-at-the-beach