Thurlestone North
WaterFit Live
Thurlestone North
Thurlestone Beach is actually two distinct beaches separated by a rocky outcrop.
To the north is a smaller beach which is adjacent to Thurlestone Golf Club. South of the outcrop there’s a bigger beach that sits on the coast in the direction of South Milton. The two beaches share many of the same characteristics and are both protected from the strong winds in the area. The sea here is shallow so children can swim and paddle safely and is a popular spot for families. The beach is made up of coarse sand, and is dotted with rock pools, which are a great place to look for sea life.
The beach is set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. also It is the home of Thurlestone Rock which is a stunning arch shaped rock formation that has been painted by greats such as Turner.
If you want a relaxing beach day at one of the cleanest and prettiest beaches in Devon, then Thurlestone beach is a great choice.
Overflow locations
The map below shows the locations of the storm overflows that have the potential to impact water quality at this bathing water.
The map shows whether or not a storm overflow is currently active, the time and duration of the last spill at that location, and our investment commitments that are specific to that overflow.
Thurlestone North storm overflow map
Water quality sample results
The graphs below show the significant reduction in harmful bacteria in the Environment Agency’s (EA) water samples since the 1990s. E. coli and Intestinal Enterococci exist in all open water - they are found in human and animal poo, and get into the water via sewage spills, road drainage, agricultural livestock, or wildlife and birds. The EA uses the levels of these bacteria to decide whether to award this beach bathing water status.
2025-2030 investment programme
The 2025-2030 investment programme is currently being scoped out. If you’re a community group or part of a local network and would like to have your say see ‘Your Beach, Your Say, Our Investment’.
5 year overflow spill information
The data shown in the table below is the reported annual total spill number for each overflow which has been identified by the EA for this bathing water.
The assignment of an overflow to the bathing water does not always mean an impact will occur, it can be dependent on a number of factors such as tidal state and weather conditions. Sometimes it has been allocated just for investigation purposes and has no impact at all.
All data collected goes through vigorous quality assurance processes before being included in the counts. Sometimes debris can trigger false spills to be recorded, resulting in potentially higher than actual spill numbers.
Number of spills
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thurlestone pumping station overflow | N/A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The beach profiles were created in line with information provided by our partners, Environment Agency, RNLI, Keep Britain Tidy, MCS - Beach Guide and British Beaches.