Sillery Sands. Exmoor.

24th September 2009.

Sillery Sands are located down below Countisbury Hill as you descend down into Lynmouth. The easy way down is to park in a layby halfway down Countisbury Hill and descend a zigzag path to the beach. The beach is about a mile in length and divided into three sections, by Higher and Lower Blackhead Points. The three sections are known as Sillery 1, 2 and 3. Sillery 1 is always accessible from the road via the path and steps. The steps are sometimes damaged during violent storms. Access to 2 and 3 is quickly cut off by the incoming tide. Other than by sea there is no escape from 2 and only those with climbing experience can expect to escape from 3 via Great Red and Coddow Slip Gullies. Don't be misled by its name, there is little sand here at the present time, although the shingle is small and not too uncomfortable. I recall there being quite a lot of sand years ago but all that can be found now is at the bottom of the steps, on Sillery 1 at low tide.

I parked up at Barna Barrow Quarry at high water. There would be no chance of gaining normal access to 2 and 3 at this time so I decided to descend Coddow Slip Gully down to 3. This went well. While climbing down the final 300ft of a recent landslip I noticed curious features in the boulders. This slip occurred about five years ago completely filling the bottom of the gully.

I have no idea what these shapes are. I originally considered fossils or ancient seaweed. It has been suggested that it is metallic stains. This is probably correct because as you can see from the photo below, and in the main cliff there is quite a lot of iron ore present.

I moved west past the bottom of Great Red Gully to Higher Blackhead Point where the beach vanished. I climbed a slab onto the top of the point then descended with a final difficult move down onto Sillery 2. Next came Lower Blackhead Point which gives the impression of being a serious undertaking, but it goes easily by following a large ledge at 12ft up around onto Sillery 1.
I returned via the same route to the base of Great Red Gully and slowly made my way with many rests to the top. On my way back up the path to the car I met an elderly couple from Leicester who visit Exmoor twice a year to watch the deer. The gentleman informed me he had been coming down since 1947. Dedication.