Shelling in the West Country: Budleigh Salterton to Paignton
by Geoff Cox
Photographs courtesy of Gonçalo Rosa / Atoll Specimen Shells
Photographs courtesy of Gonçalo Rosa / Atoll Specimen Shells
During the course of each year I get quite a number of requests for information on shell collecting in the West Country. Many of these requests come from America from collectors coming to this country on holiday. I have collected many years in this part of the United Kingdom and I suppose most, or say 80%, of my British collection comes from this part of the coast. Most marine habitats are found here so I will deal with the area between Budleigh Salterton and Paignton.
Budleigh Salterton is not very good as most of the beach is is large round pebbles. At the eastern end of the beach is a stream running into the sea, and a little further along a ridge of flat rocks with sand pockets between them. The usual rock dwellers can be found on the rocks and in rock crevices, but in the sand pockets we found quite a number of Dosinia exoleta, Linné 1758, deep in the sand. During some visits a large amount of seaweed was being washed in. Examining this weed, a lot of which was the Laminaria group, we found a lot of Blue-rayed limpets, Helcion pelucida, Linné 1758 attached to it.
Buccinum undatum, Linné 1758
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Callista chione, Linné 1758
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Going further west the next good shelling beach is Exmouth, on the north coast of the River Exe. This is an excellent beach with sand down to mid-tide, and then at low tide weed-covered sandstone rocks with deep gullies in between. These sandstone rocks are home to Zirfaea crispata, Linné 1758, Pholas dactylus, Linné 1758, Hiatella arctica, Linné 1758 and Venerupis saxatalis, Fleuriau 1802 in rock crevices. Between the crevices in the rocks low down near the water's edge can be found live Buccinum undatum, Linné 1758, Nassarius reticulatus, Linné 1758 and Mytilus edulis, Linné 1758. These weed-covered rocks need going through with a sieve as many small shells can be found. On the east side of the beach when the tide is coming in, Spisula solida, Linné 1758 can be found in vast numbers, as with Tellina tenuis, da Costa 1778, Venerupis pullastra, Linné 1758 and others.
Going to the other side of the estuary of the River Exe you will find the sandflats of Dawlish Warren. At low tide vast areas of sand are uncovered with deep pools between the sand dunes. On the western side at Dawlish there are rocks, and from there walking east you have 2–3 miles of sand, muddy sand, sand with rocks embedded in it. You can walk up to Starcross but here you have to be careful as the water gets very deep and the sand is treacherous. Many species are brought in by the currents, and in this area if you are lucky some very large Callista chione, Linné 1758 are washed in, some valves up to 12cm. They are usually separated valves but you can sometimes get one which is complete from the fishing boats. Other shells to look for are the Paignton cockle, Acanthocardia aculeata, Linné 1758, A. echinata, Linné 1758 and A. tuberculata, Linné 1758. Cerastoderma edule, Linné 1758 is common on the sandflats. Other shells to look for are Gari tervensis, Gmelin 1791, Gari depressa, Pennant 1777 (rare), Tellina squalida, Montagu 1803, Tellina tabula, Gmelin 1791, Spisula elliptica, Brown 1827 and Spisula subtruncata, da Costa 1778.
Moving on from Dawlish the next place to stop is Teignmouth. Teignmouth is another place on a river estuary, the River Teign. On one side is Teignmouth and on the side is Shaldon. Teignmouth has a small harbour and many shells are washed up by the strong currents as the tide goes out. Again Spisula solida, Linné is very common. Also Clathrus clathrus, Linné 1758 can be found where a sandbar stretches out into deep water. Turritella communis, Risso 1826 is common near where the river runs out into the sea. On the Shaldon side you can wade out on to the mudflats at low tide and dig out Venerupis decussata, Linné 1758 and Scrobicularia plana, da Costa 1778. Further up the river mouth Modiolus modiolus, Linné 1758 and Nassarius incrassatus, Strom 1768 can be found.
Ocenebra erinacea, Linné 1758
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Aporrhais pespelicani, Linné 1758
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Between Teignmouth and Torquay there are rocky coves which have the usual rock dwellers plus the West Country Monodonta lineata, da Costa 1778, which is very common in most coves. From the Torquay area the next stop, and the most prolific, heading west is the Paignton area, with Preston sands at the east end of Paignton Bay the best. It is a bay which sweeps round to Paignton harbour and consists of clean yellow sand with rocks at the east end. These weed-covered rocks are exposed at low tide and usually have a wealth of shells among the weed and under rock shelves, but they are very slippery so care has to be taken. This area is unique because the varieties seem to change each year. One year there were masses of Natica catena, da Costa 1778 coming in with the tide, another year Ocenebra erinacea, Linné 1758 feeding on the rocks in large numbers. Another year Calliostoma zizyphinum, Linné 1758 in many different colours were in abundance. Also both species of Trivia can be found among the weed. The sandy bay itself produces many bivalves and is well known for the Acanthocardia aculeata, Linné 1758 and A. tuberculata, Linné 1758, which during rough weather come ashore in fair numbers.
In the 1990s, this bay produced one of the most spectacular sights a shell collector could wish for. One Sunday we had heavy thunderstorms in the Channel. We travelled down on Monday and on Tuesday decided to go to Preston Sands. On arriving and going down to the sands we were met by a sight which I doubt if we shall ever see again. The eastern end of the bay was covered to a depth of two feet or more with weed, fish, crabs, shells and other debris. It was an incredible sight. Lutraria lutraria would have filled several sacks. We found about three dozen Acanthocardia aculeata, three specimens with very long spines and never found by me before. A. tuberculata and A. echinata were very common and there must have been dozens of them. Other specimens included Clausinella faciata, da Costa 1778, Mysia undata, Pennant 1777, Scaphander lignarius, Linné 1758, Dosina lupinus, Linné 1758, Chlamys opercularis, Linné 1758, Pecten maximus, Linné 1758, Aporrhais pespelecani, Linné 1758, Venus striatula, da Costa 1778, Cochlodesma praetenue, Pulteney, Thracia convexa, Wood 1828 and many hundreds of the more common shells. All these shells were either still alive or fresh dead. We spent three days going through this debris and by then the sea had washed away what was left. We still don't know what caused this but it was an incredible sight and a sheller's dream.
This is a brief account of what this area offers to a shell collector. The best time to go is either in the winter or early spring before the crowds get down there. I have included a list of most of the species collected which includes common shells and tiny shells not mentioned here. Good shelling to those who go.
This article by the late Geoff Cox was first published in our magazine Pallidula in April 1995.
We would like to thank Gonçalo Rosa of Atoll Specimen Shells for the use of his copyright photographs.
We would like to thank Gonçalo Rosa of Atoll Specimen Shells for the use of his copyright photographs.
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Gastropods
Emarginula reticulata, Lamarck 1801 Diodora apertura, Montagu 1803 Patella vulgata, Linné 1758 Patella aspera, Roding 1798 Helcion pellucidum, Linné 1758 Calliostoma zizyphinum, Linné 1758 Jujubinus exasperatus, Pennant 1777 Jujubinus striatus, Linné 1758 Monodonta lineata, da Costa 1778 Gibbula magus, Linné 1758 Gibbula cineraria, Linné 1758 Gibbula umbilicalis, da Costa 1758 Tricolia pullus, Linné 1758 Lacuna vincta, Montagu 1803 Lacuna pallidula, da Costa 1778 Littorina littorea, Linné 1758 Littorina saxatilis, Olivi 1792 Littorina neritoides, Linné 1758 Littorina obtusata, Linné 1758 Patelloida virginea, Müller 1776 Turritella communis, Risso 1826 Buccinum undatum, Linné 1758 Bittium reticulatum, da Costa 1779 Clathrus clathrus, Linné 1758 Clathrus turtonis, Turton 1819 Aporrhais pespelacani, Linné 1758 Crepidula fornicata, Linné 1758 Natica catena, da Costa 1779 Natica poliana, Chiaje 1826 Erato voluta, Montagu 1803 Trivia monacha, da Costa 1778 Trivia artica, Montagu 1803 Nucella lapillus, Linné 1758 Ocenebra erinacea, Linné 1758 Nassarius reticulatus, Linné 1758 Nassarius incrassatus, Strom 1768 Cantharidus montagui, W. Woods 1828 Philbertia gracilis, Montagu 1803 Bela nebula, Montagu 1803 Chrysallida spiralis, da Costa 1777 Philine quadripartita, Ascanius 1772 Cylichna cylindracea, Pennant I777 Gingula semicostata, Montagu 1803 Musculus discors, Linné 1758 Hydrobia ulvae, Pennant 1777 |
Bivalves
Acanthocardia echinatum, Linné 1758 Acanthocardla aculeata, Linné 1758 Acanthocardia tuberculata, Linné 1758 Cerastoderma edule, Linné 1758 Parvicardium exiguum, Gmelin 1791 Parvicardium minimum, Philippi 1836 Modiolus barbatus, Linné 1758 Modiolus adriatlcus, Lamarck 1819 Modiolus modiolus, Linné 1758 Mytilis edulis, Linné 1758 Tellina squalida, Montagu 1803 Tellina tenuis, da Costa 1778 Fabulina fabula, Gmelin 1791 Macoma balthica, Linné 1758 Scrobicularia plana, da Costa 1778 Abra alba, W. Wood 1802 Gari fervensis, Gmelin 1791 (dead) Gari fervensls, Gmelln 1791 (alive) Gari depressa, Pennant 1777 Nuculana minuta, Müller 1776 Glycymeris glycymeris, Linné 1758 Anomia ephippium, Linné 1758 Ostrea edulis, Linné 1758 Crassostrea angulata, Lamarck 1819 Chlamys opercularis, Linné 1758 Pecten maximus, Linné 1758 Laevicardium crassum, Gmelin 1791 Dosinia exoleta, Linné 1758 Dosinia lupinus, Linné 1758 Callista chione, Linné 1758 Timoclea ovata, Pennant 1777 Clausinella fasciata, da Costa 1778 Chamelea striatula, da Costa 1778 Venerupis pullastra, Montagu 1803 Venerupis saxatilis, Fleuriau 1802 Venerupis decussata, Linné 1758 Venerupis aurea, Gmelin 1791 Irus irus, Linné 1758 Mysia undata, Pennant 1777 Donax vittatus, da Costa 1778 Cuttellus pellucidus, Pennant 1777 Ensis ensis, Linné 1758 Ensis arcuatus, Jeffreys 1865 Ensis siliqua, Linné 1758 Solen marginatus, Montagu 1803 Mactra corallina, Linné 1758 Spisula solida, Linné 1758 Spisula elliptica, Brown 1827 Spisula subtruncata, da Costa 1778 Lutraria lutraria, Linné 1758 Lutraria magna, da Costa 1778 Lutraria angustior, Philippi 1844 Mya truncata, Linné 1758 Hiatella arctica, Linné 1767 Pholas dactylus, Linné 1758 Zirfaea crispata, Linné 1758 Thracia phaseolina, Lamarck 1818 Thracia pubescens, Montagu 1803 Thracia conyexa, W. Wood 1815 Tellina pygmaea, Loven 1846 Nototeredo norvagicus, Spengler 1792 Corbula gibba, Olivi 1792 Psammobella tellinella, Lamarck 1818 Arcopagia crassa, Pennant 1777 Gafrarium minimum, Montagu 1803 |
