Cockwood has a small harbour nearby,

somewhat restricted since Brunel ran the South Devon Railway across its entrance in the 1840s.

Here lime and culm would have been

shipped for the kilns

Cockwood, located on the coast between Dawlish

and Starcross, is a charming  olde-worlde waterfront

community, with character cottages built up and around

the little harbour (known as Cockwood Sod) and more

character housing located further back along a route

which eventually comes out in the community of Cofton, 

Cockwood Sod (the habour) lies between Cockwood

and the waters of the Exe Estuary. The Sod, being

tidal, is fed from the Exe under two historic railway

arches, built by the celebrated Isambard Kingdom Brunel. 

Indeed, Brunel's railway runs alongside the

waterfront, making Cockwood an ideal spot for

train spotter enthusiasts, who come along with their

cameras to view trains like The Torbay Express

(steam train) and other trains and engines. 

Brunel's tower can be viewed by walking a little distance

across a stone bridge to Starcross, the immediate

neighbour of Cockwood. 

Cockwood has a large and charming village green,

which is also home to Canadian Geese, ducks and 

other wild birds.  The geese can be seen flying in

formation over Cockwood, then coming in to

"land" on the green - a truly majestic sight. 

Across the estuary from Cockwood, is the wildlife

projectory of Dawlish Warren,

a protected nature reserve, and again home, either

temporary or permanent, 

to thousands of sea birds, some of them migratory.