Braunton is an English village, civil parish, ecclesiastical parish as well as former chateau in Devon. The village is positioned 5 miles (8 km) west of Barnstaple. While not the largest town in England, it is amongst one of the most populous in Devon with a population at the 2011 census of 7,353 individuals. There are two electoral wards (East as well as West). Their joint population at the above demographics was 8,218. Within the parish is the fertile, low-lying Braunton Great Field, which joins the undulating Braunton Burrows, the Core Location in North Devon Biosphere Reserve, the largest psammosere (sand dune system) in England. It challenges the Atlantic Sea at the west of the church at the large coastline of Saunton Sands, one of the South West's international-standard surfing coastlines. The population of Braunton, according to the census of 1801, was 1,296. This number increased fairly quickly in the thirty years to 1831, to 2,047 nonetheless the rate of rise slowed down throughout the next one decade and accompanying the arrival of the railway dropped from 2,364 in 1851 to 2,089 in 1881. Population growth returned to as well as saw almost a doubling between 1961 and also 2011, to 8,128 people. Data for 1801-- 1961 is offered at Britain Via Time. The 2001 and also 2011 Censuses provide comprehensive details concerning the town. The settlement's population in 2011 were staying in 3,552 families.