Glen Goyle

Have you ever wondered what natural secrets lie just out of sight in a familiar seaside town? In Sidmouth, a popular and well-explored destination, there are still hidden gems waiting to be discovered. One such place is Glen Goyle, a secretive, steep-sided valley that many visitors—and even some locals—might overlook. Through this sheltered hollow, a stream known as the Bickwell Brook has patiently etched its way through ancient rock, nurturing a sliver of wilderness between the town and the sea. Join us on a journey into this quiet corner of the town.

Glen Goyle is a small valley located on the west side of Sidmouth. The Bickwell Brook, which runs through the glen before reaching Town Beach, was once a tributary of the River Sid. It was cut off by rising sea levels after the last ice age and now forms its own distinct valley. Its location makes it a peaceful interlude on local walks; a popular tree trail, for instance, leads walkers down through the secretive Glen Goyle on its way to the celebrated Connaught Gardens, placing this natural feature right at the heart of Sidmouth's scenic landscape.

The name "goyle" is a local East Devon term for a steep-sided valley, and Glen Goyle is a classic example. These dramatic features were cut into the landscape during the late Quaternary Period by the immense erosive power of summer meltwater flowing through the region's soft sand and mudstone rocks. You can feel that ancient power today in the dramatic steepness of the path as it descends into the valley's shade.

The habitat here is directly shaped by its geology. The surrounding Greensand slopes are composed of a well-drained, permeable sandy loam. This particular soil type is ideal for supporting the growth of woodland, providing the perfect conditions for the rich variety of trees and plants that now thrive on the valley sides.

Glen Goyle is a tranquil, lesser-known green space that was historically part of Victorian parkland but became overgrown and neglected but has been restored by the Friends of Glen Goyle (FOGG). The Friends of Glen Goyle (FOGG) is a volunteer conservation group dedicated to the restoration and management of Glen Goyle, a "secret" Victorian-era sunken garden and steep-sided valley (a "goyle") located on the west side of Sidmouth.

Established in 2021 as a daughter project of the Vision Group for Sidmouth (VGS), the group has successfully transformed the site from a neglected, overgrown wilderness into a thriving biodiversity hotspot that won an "Outstanding" award from the RHS Britain in Bloom "It's Your Neighbourhood" scheme.

Glen Goyle follows the Bickwell Brook as it flows toward the sea. Because of its steep sides and sheltered position, it possesses a unique, humid microclimate that differs significantly from the more exposed River Sid valley.

• The "Goyle" Geology: The valley was carved by ice-age meltwater through soft sandstone and mudstone, creating the deep, shaded environment that now supports specialized flora.

• Public and Private Sections: The upper, public section (accessible via Manor Road) is where the Friends of Glen Goyle focus their physical work. The lower section is private and forms part of the gardens of the Belmont and Royal Glen hotels.

• The Fernery: One of the project’s crown jewels is a specialized fernery created by local naturalist Ed Dolphin. It features a collection of ferns native to the Sid Valley, many of which were first documented in the 19th century by the historian Peter Orlando Hutchinson.

• Victorian "Arboretum" Restoration: The site contains rare specimen trees, including a Handkerchief Tree (Davidia involucrata) and a Chilean Lantern Tree (Crinodendron hookerianum). The group manages these while clearing away invasive brambles and ivy that previously smothered them.

• Wildlife Enhancements: Following a 2024 visit from the Devon Wildlife Trust, the group integrated "wilder" features, including:

  • Bat and Owl Boxes: To support the nocturnal predators that use the valley as a dark corridor.

  • Bug Hotels and Hedgehog Runs: To increase the "permeability" of the garden for small mammals and invertebrates.

• Pond Restoration: Ongoing efforts (into 2026) focus on restoring the old Victorian pond to support amphibians and aquatic insects.

The group’s philosophy is to manage the site so it is "balanced, not manicured."

• Education: FOGG acts as an "outdoor classroom," where volunteers receive horticultural training.

• Heritage: They aim to celebrate the "Secret History" of the site, using the plant life to reveal the history of Sidmouth’s grand Victorian houses and their plant-collector owners (like the Veitch family).

• Biodiversity: By replacing "rank" vegetation with nectar-rich shrubs and bulbs, they have significantly increased the hoverfly and bee populations in the town’s western quarter.

The valley and its surrounding neighbourhood are home to a remarkable diversity of flora and fauna, making any walk through the area a rewarding experience for the nature-lover.

Plants Along the Path

Glen Goyle is a feature on local guided nature walks, such as the Sidmouth Tree Trail. This route reveals the area to be a magnificent arboretum, passing through landmarks like Knowle Gardens, which is a fine arboretum in its own right. A walk through the glen and its environs offers the chance to see a surprising variety of remarkable trees. Some highlights include:

• Ancient oak woodland, carpeted with bluebells in the spring.

• The majestic Handkerchief tree (Davidia involucrata), which produces stunning white bracts that resemble handkerchiefs hanging from its branches.

• The beautiful flowering Judas tree (Cercis siliquastrum), which erupts in a riot of magenta blossom directly on its branches each spring.

• The ancient Ginko biloba, or Maidenhair-tree, a living fossil whose lineage stretches back hundreds of millions of years.

Wildlife in the Neighbourhood

Glen Goyle itself is a quiet wildlife corridor, and it is part of a wider local ecosystem that is rich in biodiversity. This is best exemplified by the nearby Knapp nature reserve, also managed by the Sid Vale Association, which serves as a sanctuary for many of the species you might encounter in the area.

Keep a keen eye out, as this mosaic of meadows and hedgerows provides a sanctuary for some of East Devon's most cherished creatures, including:

• The rare Hazel Dormouse, which clings to the ancient hedgerows.

• Badgers

• Foxes

• Green Woodpeckers

• Several species of bat, including Pipistrelles, Serotines, Noctules, and the rare Lesser Horseshoe Bat.

Glen Goyle is more than just a dip in the landscape; it is a beautiful and accessible piece of Sidmouth's natural heritage, carved by time and teeming with life. It serves as a quiet reminder of the wildness that can be found just steps away from the bustling seafront. The next time you walk the Sidmouth coast, will you venture down into this secretive goyle? Will you seek out the living fossil Ginko, listen for the call of the Green Woodpecker, or simply stand in the quiet of a valley carved by ice-age floods?