Coastal Habitats

Coastal habitats are found wherever the land meets the sea. With some 17,800km, the UK has one of the longest national coastlines in Europe.

As you travel along the northern end of our line, the view from the windows becomes increasingly coastal.  From the deepwater harbour at Watchet, you are taken on a tour of a huge range of habitats.  Following a brief trip inland to Washford, you descend gloriously to the secluded coastal village of Blue Anchor, with its shingle beach, through the mudflats and marshes surrounding Dunster before finally emerging at the busy holiday town of Minehead.  The coast is home to many habitats, and all of them are represented on our line. 

Cliffs and higher level grasslands provide a safe nesting space for birds such as gulls and gannets as well as a place for a range of hardy wildflowers like Sea Thrift and Vipers Bugloss to thrive.

The rocky shores near Blue Anchor shelter sealife such as starfish, hermit crabs and anemones, while the Dunster mudflats are a haven for wading birds.  If you are very lucky, on a clear day, you might see seals or even dolphins off the coast in deeper waters.