Sidmouth's Brownfield Sites

In Sidmouth, 15 specific sites have been identified as brownfield habitats. While the town is small, these pockets of land provide a surprising variety of environments for local wildlife. We can split these sites into three broad categories based on how much humans "intervene" in the landscape.

1. Managed Sites: Parks & Gardens

As a seaside town reliant on tourism, Sidmouth maintains high-quality spaces for relaxation and recreation.

• Active Management: Four of these sites are managed as formal gardens or parklands.

• Human Use: These include the Town Parks and Gardens, which house Blackmore Gardens, the Parish Church, and facilities for cricket, tennis, bowls, and croquet.

• Surprising Nature: Despite being "neat and tidy," these areas still offer vital opportunities for nature to thrive. Connaught Gardens and Jacob’s Ladder fall into this category as cultivated and disturbed land.

2. Maintained Sites: The "Half-Wild" Green Spaces

These five sites have less human intervention than formal parks. Here, habitat is actively maintained to encourage nature to prosper.

• Sidmouth Cemetery: A prime example where roughly 25% of the total area is kept as valuable grassland.

• The Byes & Deepway Meadow: These are classified as Amenity Grassland—mown lawns that serve as essential green lungs for the town.

• The Observatory: The Lockyer Observatory site is another key area where amenity grassland is maintained.

3. Minimal Sites: Lanes and Waysides

These are areas heavily influenced by humans in the past but where intervention is now "minimal," allowing nature to regenerate.

• Undisturbed Habitats: These include road verges and redundant railways that act as quiet corridors for wildlife.

• Seasonal Management: Sites like Dunscombe Lane or the Harford Trailway might only receive a single trim in the autumn, leaving them undisturbed for the rest of the year.

• Herb-Rich Verges: Bickwell and the Upper Byes provide narrow but rich habitats for insects and wildflowers.

At a Glance: Sidmouth’s Surveyed Sites

Category Typical Sites Primary Habitat Type

Managed Connaught Gardens, Glen Goyle, Town Parks Cultivated/Disturbed land

Maintained The Byes, Sidmouth Cemetery, Powys House Amenity Grassland

Minimal Harpford Trailway, Dunscombe Lane, Bickwell Road verges and redundant railways