Tunnels Beaches
Devon, England
A privately managed beach reached through a series of hand-cut tunnels through the cliffs, originally carved by Welsh miners in the 1820s to give Victorian bathers access to a secluded cove.
A privately managed beach reached through a series of hand-cut tunnels through the cliffs, originally carved by Welsh miners in the 1820s to give Victorian bathers access to a secluded cove. The result today is a sheltered, Blue Flag beach with a genuinely dramatic entrance and some of the best rock pooling in North Devon at low tide, alongside a smaller stretch of sand for digging closer to the tunnel mouth.
Best Seasons
Beach Type
Coarse, gritty sand in pockets — often mixed with shell fragments
Tides
Best visited on a falling tide — low tide reveals extensive rock pools alongside the sand, but the beach narrows dramatically as the tide comes back in.
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At a Glance
| Nearest town | Ilfracombe |
|---|---|
| Region | Devon, England |
| Family rating | |
| Facilities | Parking, Toilets, Café |
Recommended Holes
Dig Guides for Tunnels Beaches
Tailored advice for every hole type on a Rock Pool Beach.
Castle Moat
The classic — a sandcastle's best friend
Treasure Hole
Dig deep, hide well, find glory
Sand Pool
Build your own private paddling pool
Tunnel
The engineering challenge — meet in the middle
Volcano
Pour water in, watch it erupt
Channel and Dam
Control the water — redirect the sea
Den or Foxhole
Excavate a hideout and disappear
Buried Alive
The timeless classic — bury a sibling
Spiral Vortex Pool
Dig a spiral, fill it with water, and watch it swirl
Fossil Dig Pit
Bury it, map it, and excavate it like a real palaeontologist
Sea Wall
Build a defence and see how long you can hold back the tide
Igloo Den
A carved dome hideout, built up rather than dug down
Time Capsule Hole
Bury a message, a memory, or a wish — and dig it up another day