Hisley Wood, Devon

Acquisition of Hisley Wood: 105 acres of woodland within the Dartmoor National Park, just north west of Bovey Tracey. The Trust’s properties: Hisley, Houndtor and Pullabrook Woods are treated as one management unit (Bovey Valley Woods) lying towards the middle and lower half of the main system. They are a mixture of Semi Natural Ancient High forest woodland, Coniferised Ancient Woodland, and a variety of associated habitats. The river and brooks themselves not only add an important extra habitat but also help provide the humid environment required by bryophytes and ferns. The East Dartmoor Woods and Heath National Nature Reserve (NNR) currently includes a small part of Hisley wood, some of which is also designated SSSI. Much of the PAWS areas were similar to this before felling and restocking with conifers in the 1960s. The intended long term conversion of these areas back to semi-natural cover greatly increases the biodiversity potential of the Woods. The Bovey Valley Woods lie within the valley of the River Bovey, on the South East side of Dartmoor National Park. The Valley is peri glacial and descends from a Gorge with a significant torrent river. Exposures of Granite and Culm measures occur throughout. Adjacent to open moor and broadleaf woodland the area is of international conservation importance and mostly lies within the South Dartmoor Woods, candidate Special area of Conservation (cSAC) 1422ha. Much of the adjacent land is owned and managed by English Nature including Yarner Wood National Nature Reserve. The entire area offers opportunities to manage co-operatively for conservation at a landscape scale. The rich, diverse nature of the woods is typified by the high number of stand types and variable ground flora, ranging from dry Oak Woodland habitat to wet flushes on the valley side and bog habitats and rich alluvial meadows within the valley.