Salcombe Ecology Network

The Salcombe Ecology Network is a cluster of 11 ecologically significant sites located east of Sidmouth. Managed by a coalition including the National Trust, the Sid Vale Association (SVA), and Sidmouth Town Council, it represents a vital natural resource defined by high connectivity and diverse habitats.

1. Strengths: A Foundation of Cohesion

The network’s primary power lies in its physical and protective cohesion.

• High Connectivity: 10 of the 11 sites are under the direct control of conservation organisations, with each site adjoining at least one other to facilitate species movement.

• Diverse Primary Habitats: The area contains a rich mosaic of broadleaved woodland, scrub, and neutral/calcareous grasslands.

• Strategic Positioning: The network acts as the "coastal anchor" for the Heaths to Sea Landscape Recovery Project, a 20-year plan to create a "nature highway" from the Pebblebed Heaths to the Jurassic Coast.

• Specialist Refuges: The network includes the Sidmouth to Beer Coast SSSI, which protects the UK’s westernmost species-rich chalk grassland, and the Norman Lockyer Observatory, which holds some of the last remaining Coastal Lowland Heath in East Devon.

2. Weaknesses: Identifying the Gaps

Despite its strengths, certain data points reveal critical gaps that management must address.

• Low Species Diversity: There is an "obvious lack" of mammal species and "very low" bird diversity, likely due to the prevalence of conifer plantations that do not support native woodland birds.

• Physical and Ecological Barriers: Salcombe Hill Road acts as a barrier to small mammals and insects. Furthermore, the dense woodland of Page Wood is an "impenetrable" barrier for grassland species, such as butterflies, trying to migrate between open sites.

• Under-represented Pollinators: Hymenoptera (bees and wasps) are scarce, potentially due to historic pesticide use and a lack of the Leguminosae (pea) family of flowers.

3. Opportunities: The "Active Delivery" Phase

As of early 2026, management has moved from surveying into active restoration.

• Restorative Farming: South Combe Farm is transitioning to permanent, wildflower-rich pastures using low-density cattle grazing.

• Technical Innovation: The use of GPS-linked "No Fence" collars allows managers to direct cattle to specific target areas for grazing without needing physical fences.

• Community Science: Alma Field serves as a "Community Nature Lab" for citizen science and community beehives, providing "nectar bridges" for pollinators.

4. Threats: Risks to Long-Term Health

• Invasive Species: Native populations are threatened by Spanish Bluebell hybrids and "garden escapees" like Hottentot Fig, which can smother cliff-top flora.

• Terrain Instability: The local "sandwich" geology (Greensand over mudstone) makes paths and habitats prone to erosion and "sliding".

• Agricultural Legacy: Past "improvements" have reduced acid-loving plants, and species like Corn Marigold are nearly gone due to a lack of regular soil disturbance.