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The village of Braunton is situated on the A361 between Barnstaple and Ilfracombe, and on the cross roads of the main coastal road to the fine sandy beaches of Saunton and  Croyde.
Nearby, Braunton Burrows and over 3,000 hectares of the North Devon landscape have been formally recognised by UNESCO as Britain's first new-style Biosphere Reserve.
The Biosphere has Braunton Burrows at the core but stretches out to include Braunton Marshes and Great Field, Northam Burrows, the Taw/Torridge estuary and as far as Croyde Dunes and Kipling Tors. It is considered to be of international importance because of the diversity and abundance of rare plants and its continuous human use from ancient times.
Although there are 400 other Biosphere Reserves world-wide including the area around Mount Vesuvius in Italy and the Danube Delta in Eastern Europe, it is the first in the UK and likely to be the only one in the South-West.
The village of Braunton makes claim to be the largest village in England. The old part of the village contains narrow ancient streets where the cob-walled cottages are still visible and the museum is a good place to learn about the local history. The shopping centre provides a good selection of delicatessens, gift & craft shops and provision stores, and car parking is free.
A large number of surf shops in the village sell and hire equipment for use at the nearby beaches. Indeed, Braunton is also a centre for the manufacturing of Wet Suits and Surf Boards. There are a good selection of pubs and restaurants including an extremely popular Fish and Chip Restaurant and Take Away, which has won an award for Best Fish & Chip Shop in the South West. An Art & Craft Centre and a new Heritage Centre complete the picture.
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