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Bigbury on Sea

(South)

Photograph: Hugh Venables

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Bigbury, Devon

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Lat/Long

50.3N 3.9W

MCS Recommended

Water quality

During the summer water samples are taken at popular UK bathing beaches and tested for bacteria which could
indicate the presence of pollution from sewage and/or animal waste. At the end of the bathing season these results
are then used to assign one of the following four grades to each beach:

‘Mandatory’ is the legal minimum standard which sets limits for the number of total coliforms and faecal
coliforms present in the sea water. Beaches which do not meet this standard are classified as ‘Fail’.

‘Guideline’ is a tighter UK standard which sets lower limits for total coliforms and faecal coliforms, and also
a limit for faecal streptococci.

‘MCS Recommended’ is our gold standard for excellent water quality. To achieve this beaches must meet
the Guideline standard, with the inclusion of any samples taken during wet weather which may have been legally
removed from government assessments by means of the ‘abnormal weather waiver’. Any local continuous sewage
discharges must be appropriately treated to remove the majority of bacteria and viruses using, as a minimum,
secondary treatment.

All of the results on our website are for samples taken during summer 2011.

Wet weather can lead to poor water quality – stay out of the sea for at least 48 hours after a storm to avoid
exposure to storm pollution.

See our ‘Clean Seas Matter’ page to find out more about water quality standards.

Guideline View latest and historic water quality results for this beach.

Local sewage outflows

Sewage discharges which may be affecting the water quality at this beach.
See "Clean seas matter" to find out more about sewage treatment.

1 Secondary discharge, 2 Sewer overflow(s).

European designated bathing water

Every summer, water quality is assessed at popular UK beaches which have been designated as bathing waters
under the European Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC). Water samples are also sometimes taken on beaches
which are not officially designated as bathing waters. At these beaches the regular sampling of the water is not
a legal requirement, but is instead carried out on a voluntary basis by the beach owner or local authority.

Lifeguarded

Lifeguard service during summer months

With a sandy beach at the mouth of the South Devon Avon, Bigbury-on-Sea is connected to Burgh Island, which is just off the beach, by a causeway passable at low tide; At high tide a sea tractor transports passengers to and from the island.

Beach type

Sand

Local facilities

Food, toilets, shops, litter bins

Litter

Beach cleaned daily during the summer and weekly the rest of the year

Parking

There is a large pay and display car park including 6 disabled spaces.

Things to do

Swimming, surfing, windsurfing and walking.

Wildlife & walks

Bigbury is on the South Devon Coastal Path, between the rivers Avon and Erme. The route follows the undulating cliff-line passing Burgh Island and the beaches of Bigbury and Challaborough.