A Devon Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve

An ancient woodland to explore, with added panorama of the North Devon landscape.

About the reserve

There's much to see both within and looking out from the reserve. Take a path under mature oaks, ashes and hazel coppice to discover glades of spring woodland flowers, while the level hilltop location, just a few miles south of Barnstaple, gives wide views of the surrounding countryside.

https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/nature-reserves/uppacott-wood 

 

A woodland community in action

Uppacott wood is home to a rich variety of woodland plants, birds, butterflies, lichens and fungi, many of which are indicators of ancient woodland. In spring, woodland flowers such as violets, wood sorrel, betony, sanicle, common twayblade and early purple orchid colour the edges of dappled glades and shady paths, before the leaf canopy closes overhead later in the year.

While these plants are associated with ancient woodland, the mature trees here are no more than 200 years old, giving an insight into past management history. Trees with dead branches are now retained to provide homes for hole nesting birds and the insects on which they feed, as revealed by the drumming of great spotted woodpeckers echoing through the wood.

The woodland was bequeathed to DWT in 1998 by Mr Eustace Ian Scott, who lived at Uppacott Farm. DWT Barnstaple & District Local Group is very actively involved looking after the reserve's wildlife and habitats.

Coppicing, creating glades for flowers and butterflies, hedge steeping (laying), and maintaining path access and signs for visitors, are regularly carried out by the Group, together with wildlife surveys, special nestbox checks, researching the area's history and helping prepare the nature reserve management plan.

 

Results of the volunteer group on 12th Dec 2021 (photo Grant Sherman)

 

 

Weather:

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/forecast/gcj4edmtn (Barnstaple)

OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap is built by a community of mappers that contribute and maintain data about roads, trails, cafés, railway stations, and much more, all over the world.

https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/51.03526/-4.06325 

Devon County Council Environment Viewer

Information on Devon's environment has been mapped on our Environment Viewer. These maps give access to spatial (geographic) data for Devon on a wide range of topics.

https://maptest.devon.gov.uk/portaldvl/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=82d17ce243be4ab28091ae1f15970924&extent=254790.4625%2C127997.4613%2C256091.5598%2C128676.386%2C27700 

DEFRA MAGIC Map

The MAGIC website provides geographic information about the natural environment from across government. The information covers rural, urban, coastal and marine environments across Great Britain. It is presented in an interactive map which can be explored using various mapping tools that are included. Users do not require specialist software and can access maps using a standard web browser.

https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?chosenLayers=parishIndex,aerialIndex&box=254800:128047:256017:128715&useDefaultbackgroundMapping=false 

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