THURLESTONE

As you gaze out to sea from Thurlestone, a village in the part of Devon known as the South Hams, your eye cannot help but be drawn to the distinctive Thurlestone Rock, an impressive “archway” sticking up out of the sea made of New Red Sandstone. In fact, the rock gave rise to the name of this place, which derives from a Saxon term “thirled stone”. The village of Thurlestone dates back to Saxon times, and the local church tower once served as a lighthouse, and was used as a beacon to warn of the approach of the Spanish Armada in 1588. One of the ships from the Spanish Armada was wrecked nearby, and timbers taken from it are built into the Village Inn. Back in the present day, Thurlestone offers a golf course with magnificent views towards Bolt Tail in the east and Plymouth in the west, and a safe and clean sandy beach, ideal for families.

Map of the area.

"The Books" off Thurlestone Sand - geograph.org.uk - 64483. Photo by Crispin Purdye, via Wikimedia Commons.