On the other side of the main road is the approach to the beaches and Young’s Park, where the main attraction is the boating lake. At one time this was a natural lagoon known as May’s Pool. Legend has it that kids were warned to steer clear of this ‘bottomless’ lake, no doubt fuelled by the tale of a certain Richard Thorne who, in 1667, fell from his horse, disappeared into it, and drowned. When it was decided to reclaim the land, this mythical lake was found to be just 2 feet deep!

Not only is the lake popular with holidaymakers, but also the local wildlife as well, and a section of the park is now run by the ‘Young’s Park People’ who have managed to create and maintain a successful conservation area.

The building that is now a hotel and pub was originally a hospital during the Napoleonic Wars and it’s believed that there are around 300 French sailors buried beneath the park. The area was consecrated ground, which is why you may be surprised to see a lone granite headstone in the park known as the ‘Major’s Grave’. Being English, and a major, gave him privileges in death as well as life it would seem.

If you don’t mind getting sand between your toes then Goodrington has two beaches – North Sands and South Sands. In reality it’s more or less the same beach, but for practical reasons, (such as dog access all year round on North Sands) it’s been officially divided into two.

South Sands is the most popular with sunbathers and swimmers, who no doubt are also attracted to the adjacent Quaywest Water Park which has rides like ‘The Devil’s Drop, The Screamer and Wild Kamikaze’.

If, however, you prefer your seaside attractions a little less energetic, then Goodrington has some great rock-pooling opportunities.

For a while I did some voluntary work at the Seashore Centre where I used to give people information about the coastline and what to look out for. I’m no real expert on these things, but I enjoyed encouraging youngsters on how best to appreciate our ecosystem.

The Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust has since leased the building to ‘Reach Outdoors’, an organisation that encourages sea-based activities such as canoeing and kayaking. The change of use was probably due to financial reasons which I can understand, but still think it’s a shame in some ways because it seems that some of the general public still need educating where our fragile coastline is concerned.

One good thing to have happened recently is the designation of Torbay as a Marine Conservation Zone, and the water around Goodrington is a great example of why it’s so important for the future.

The seabed around here is a rich source of vulnerable seagrass meadows which are a feeding ground and nursery for various species of marine life, including Bass, Cuttlefish and Long-Snouted Seahorse (sometimes called the Spiny Seahorse). Whether they’re spiny or not I’ve always had a soft spot for these creatures, and not just because the male gives birth.

You won’t see any of these creatures if you walk along the shore from South Sands towards Oyster Cove, but searching among the rock pools will throw up creatures like these below.

If the tide doesn’t allow you to walk along the shore then the coastal footpath will take you the same way as the Paignton to Kingswear Steam Railway via Oyster and Saltern Coves, both of which are Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), not only for the marine environment, but also for its interesting Devonian Period geology.

ORIGINAL POST – JUNE 2018

LATEST UPDATE – JULY 2025