This is not a beach. South Gut is the map name for drying sands and a tidal channel just north of Grey Sand Hill, on the Northam side of the Taw-Torridge estuary mouth. It is not safe to walk out to, so enjoy it from the shore.
Why it’s worth the trip
At low tide the sands spread towards Crow Point, laced with channels that brim and empty twice a day. The view from the tip of Northam Burrows, with Appledore behind you and Braunton Burrows ahead, is a fine one.
Gut is an old word for a narrow channel. In 2019 a yacht crossing the bar at low tide ran aground on the North Gut and its crew had to be pulled from the surf; the South Gut is the name on the Northam side.
Make a wild day of it
The path along the Skern is one of the best places in North Devon for wading birds. Look too for the Second World War dragon’s teeth in the mud at low tide, then finish in Appledore for an ice cream.
Tides and safety
The tide comes back through the channels long before it covers the banks, so people get cut off with water behind them. There are hidden dips and soft mud you can sink into. Stay on the shore path and never cross the sands. In an emergency call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
When to go
One to two hours before high tide for birds on the Skern; low tide for the view of the sands.
Good to know
Parking: at Appledore Gate on the Burrows (seasonal toll) or in Appledore.
Toilets: Churchfields car park, Appledore, and the Burrows Centre.
Bus: the 21A runs daily to Appledore.
Getting there and parking
1
Northam Burrows, Appledore Gate (Burrows Lane)
Torridge District CouncilSeasonal toll on the Burrows, 3 April to 1 November (£8 a day per car in 2026).
The Appledore entrance to the country park, off Burrows Lane on the Appledore road.
The walk in. Walk along the Skern shore path from Appledore Gate to Grey Sand Hill and view from there. Do not go out on to the sand.
By bus. Stagecoach South West bus 21A runs daily from Barnstaple and Bideford to Appledore, about 1.5 km from Appledore Gate. Check times before you travel.
Traced on the paths with Ghrups trail data. Dashed: along the beach or over open ground.
Appledore Gate to Grey Sand Hill along the Skern
Easy
2.5 mi (4.0 km)1h10 m upout and back
Start: Appledore Gate, Northam Burrows
A gentle shore walk with the estuary on one side and the open common of Northam Burrows on the other. From Appledore Gate, the Appledore entrance to the country park, follow the South West Coast Path north along the edge of the Skern, a sheltered saltmarsh where curlew, oystercatchers and redshank feed and brent geese spend the winter. At low tide look for the concrete dragon's teeth from the Second World War sticking out of the mud. The path brings you to Grey Sand Hill at the tip of the Burrows, where you can look out over the South Gut sands and channels towards Crow Point and the open sea. Stay on the path and return the same way. Flat, but exposed to wind; keep dogs off the mud and away from roosting birds.
5 mtop 8 m
Path 97%
Earth 3%
1h02 at a steady pace (48 min brisk, 1h23 relaxed)
Gentle
Crosses tidal ground: check the tide before you set off
Through Sand Dunes, North Devon Coast National Landscape
Trail data by Ghrups
Routes are traced from open map data. Check the tide times before you set off, and carry a proper map.
