The team on Northam Burrows have introduced a new Covid safe trail to explore. This coincides with the wider project work bringing improvements to the visitor centre and other facilities on the Burrows. This includes the reopening of the footpath linking to Westward Ho! which was damaged by storms.

The audio trail consists of QR codes displayed on wooden posts and can be found along the South West Coast Path between the Burrows Centre and the Skern road. By scanning the QR codes with a smartphone, people will be able to access an audio clip all about that particular area of the Burrows as well as a map showing where to discover the rest of the trail. Visitors can learn fascinating facts about the local area and can visit as many or as few of the trail points as they like.

Northam Burrows is common land and home to many sheep, horses and wild birds and animals so we ask all visitors to keep their dogs under close control when visiting and to drop litter into bins provided or take it home with them.

Northam Burrows Country Park is open to vehicles from 7am to 10pm every day (toll charges apply). Although the visitor centre is currently undergoing building works, there are temporary toilet facilities in Sandymere car park and both Le Petit Café and Hockings ice cream vans can often be found on site.

The refurbishment of Northam Burrows Visitor centre has continued at pace during February as part of a 14-week refurbishment project being undertaken by Pearce Construction. Outwardly the most striking change has been the reinstatement of the roof which means that now the building is water-tight work to re-model the interior layout and fittings can be accelerated. The roofing material combined sheet metal with welted standing seams to improve the weathering and resist wind uplift in this coastal location. 

The new roof now includes a vaulted ceiling and skylights to let more light into the building while also increasing the amount of space for exhibitions and displays. An upgrade of the building’s electrics and heating systems will allow the building to be more energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and cheaper to operate. Interior walls have been moved as the new layout for the centre starts to take shape. 

In line with the re-use and recycle approach to the build the external wooden cladding to the building has also been removed and de-nailed ready for re-use or recycling. A lot of this natural material was in surprisingly good shape given its exposure to coastal weather and storms for almost 40 years.

Piling and the laying of foundations for the modular café and facilities blocks have also been completed. Offsite construction of these is well advanced and on track for delivery to the site soon when cranes will be used to lift the modules into position.

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The Modular Café and Kitchen units have now been delivered and installed at the Northam Burrows Visitor Centre site as the final layout of the facilities starts to emerge. The units were pre-assembled off-site and were craned into position ready for final fitting out and connection to utilities. The exterior of the units will now be clad in timber in the coming weeks as part of the design aimed at reducing the visual impact of the structures and blending them with the natural surroundings. The glass frontages and outdoor seating will both contribute to a unique spot to stop for a rest and refreshments for visitors to the area.