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9: Managing Sidmouth's Meadows: Successes at Peak Hill & Challenges at West Hill
9: Managing Sidmouth's Meadows: Successes at Peak Hill & Challenges at West Hill
Discover the management secrets of Sidmouth's grasslands. Learn why Peak Hill is a success story and how scrub and "garden escapes" challenge our local biodiversity.
The future of Sidmouth’s grasslands depends on a delicate balance of human intervention and natural processes. As we conclude this series, we look at how different management styles across the valley are succeeding, and where new challenges are emerging.
1. The Model of Success: Peak Hill
Peak Hill stands as a unique example of a stable, high-quality habitat. Its success is rooted in two factors:
Geological Shielding: Capped by Upper Greensand, its naturally acidic soil supports specialized plants and heather.
Consistent Management: Unlike many other sites, Peak Hill has been used for sheep grazing for many years and continues today. This consistent pressure has limited scrub to small patches of gorse and protected its famous population of Waxcap fungi, which cannot survive if the land is ploughed for crops.
2. The Struggle for Balance: West Hill
In contrast, West Hill—the grassy slopes rising from Jacob’s Ladder—highlights the difficulties of urban-fringe management.
Recreational Pressure: As a popular spot for walkers and tourists, the land must serve both people and wildlife.
Management Critiques: Local volunteers have raised concerns that the current regime is flawed, citing issues like invasive Alexanders spreading and cutting happening at the wrong times, which has negatively impacted traditional displays like daffodils.
Collaboration: Town councillors and the Biodiversity Group are currently working with the district council to improve these practices and restore the site’s natural value.
3. The Threat of "Scrub Creep"
A major finding of the Sidmouth Nature project was the high prevalence of scrub.
The 25% Rule: Across all grassland sites, an average of 24.5% of all species recorded were associated with scrub.
Succession: If management (mowing or grazing) stops, sites like The Knapp, Lincombe, and Combe Wood Farm quickly revert to Blackthorn, Bramble, and Gorse.
Size Matters: The largest sites recorded the highest degrees of scrub, simply because they offer more scope for these "woody invaders" to take hold.
4. The "Garden Escape" Phenomenon
Because many Sidmouth grasslands are close to housing, they face a unique challenge: garden escapes.
The Knowle: This site recorded 38 different "weeds" of cultivation, largely due to its history as a formal garden.
Resilience at Peasland Knapp: Despite being surrounded by houses, Peasland Knapp remains "pure" grassland with only 8 weed species, likely because its steep terrain protected it from ever being cultivated for crops.
Series Summary: A Valley in Recovery
Series Summary: A Valley in Recovery
From the 134 species at Combe Wood Farm to the tranquil meadows of Delderfield, the Sid Valley's grasslands are a testament to the power of sympathetic management. While almost every site shows some historical "improvement" for agriculture, the shift toward rewilding and conservation grazing (such as the Exmoor ponies at Lincombe) is helping these fragments regain their ancient character.
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Before you go
The Conservation Manager’s Audit
The Conservation Manager’s Audit
Goal: To assess the health of a grassland by looking for signs of successful management versus "threats" like scrub encroachment and invasive species.
What You’ll Need:
A notebook and pen.
A camera (optional).
Access to two contrasting sites (e.g., Peak Hill and West Hill).
Step 1: The Stability Check (Visit Peak Hill)
Peak Hill is our "Success Story." Walk through the grazed areas and look for:
The "Sward" Height: Is the grass kept short and even? This is a sign of successful sheep grazing.
Scrub Control: Look for gorse. Is it limited to small, managed patches, or is it spreading into the open grass?
Fungal Evidence: If it is autumn, look for Waxcaps. Their presence is the ultimate "A+" grade for management.
Step 2: The Challenge Check (Visit West Hill or The Knowle)
Now visit a site facing modern challenges. Look for:
Invasive Species: Can you spot Alexanders? These have glossy, dark green leaves and yellowish-green flowers. Are they taking over areas where wildflowers should be?
"Garden Escapes": (Especially at The Knowle) Can you find plants that look like they belong in a backyard rather than a wild meadow?
Mowing Evidence: Is the grass cut in a way that leaves "islands" for wildlife, or is it all mown at once? Check if the cut grass (clippings) was left on the ground—this adds nutrients and "suffocates" delicate wildflowers.
Step 3: Write Your "Management Brief"
Based on what you saw, write a three-sentence recommendation for each site:
Peak Hill: "The current sheep grazing is successful because..."
West Hill: "To improve biodiversity here, the council should..."
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