Harpford Wood

There is a unique magic to forgotten places, especially where the rigid lines of industry have softened under nature's patient hand. Across the landscape, abandoned canals, quarries, and railways tell a story of transformation, of wildness returning to the spaces we once carved out for progress. In East Devon, Harpford Wood is a living chapter in this story, a place defined by the ghost of a Victorian railway.

What was once an artery for steam and commerce—the disused Sidmouth branch railway line—is now the wood's vital "saving grace." This corridor, cut through the landscape over a century ago, has been reclaimed and repurposed by the wild. It has transformed Harpford Wood into a crucial sanctuary, a wildlife corridor that demonstrates nature’s remarkable power to adapt and thrive.

Harpford Wood is a large, 71.84-hectare (177.52-acre) woodland located on the northern side of Sidmouth. Managed by Clinton Devon Estates, it is a landscape of contrasts. The wood presents a dual structure: a mix of ancient broadleaf woodland, distinguished by its "huge trees," coexists with large areas of 20th-century conifer plantation established to bolster national timber reserves.

This duality is rooted in the ground itself. The wood sits on a transition zone between two geological formations whose characters shape the life above. The moisture-retaining Sidmouth Mudstone yields heavy, nutrient-rich soils that support the classic broadleaf species and a host of damp-loving invertebrates. In contrast, the free-draining Otter Sandstone gives rise to entirely different communities, including localized patches of heathland-associated flora, creating a rich ecological mosaic.

The Sidmouth branch railway operated from 1874 until its closure in 1967. For nearly a century, it was a conduit of human activity, but it was also being unwittingly managed for nature. While the railway was active, the periodic clearing of vegetation to prevent fires from steam engines likely maintained the corridor as an open, sunlit glade. Since the last train departed, it has become something else entirely: a perfectly engineered habitat for wildlife. The very act of its construction, which scarred the landscape with cuttings and embankments, unintentionally created a series of unique microclimates that now foster exceptional biodiversity.

This abandoned industrial artery has become a mosaic of environments:

• Sunny Embankments: The high, sloped banks of the railway now serve as sheltered, south-facing grassland strips, creating the perfect warm, sunlit conditions for heat-loving insects and wildflowers.

• Shaded Cuttings: The deep, steep-sided cuts through the earth act as cool, humid ravines where moisture is retained, allowing a rich variety of ferns and mosses to thrive away from the sun.

• Brick-lined Tunnels: The enduring brick and stone structures, such as tunnels and culverts, offer dark, stable environments that provide potential roosting sites and hibernacula for local bat populations.

It is a profound irony that this industrial scar has become the primary artery for life in the wood. Today, this ghost railway serves not only wildlife but also people, providing a flat, easy recreational path as part of National Cycle Network Route 248—a peaceful walk through a landscape forged by steam.

Botanical surveys have documented an impressive 113 plant species within Harpford Wood. However, this number tells a deeper story of the wood's complex history. Of these species, only 65.5% are classified as woodland specialists, a figure below the 70% threshold typical of stable, undisturbed ancient woodland. This botanical signature reflects the historical disturbance of both 20th-century coniferization and the railway’s construction.

Yet, the wood’s ancient soul endures, revealed by the presence of key indicator species that signal a long and stable ecological history. These living relics include:

• Native Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)

• Primrose (Primula vulgaris)

• Yellow Pimpernel (Lysimachia nemorum)

The damp railway cuttings and sandstone gulleys are a particular sanctuary for non-vascular plants. In these sheltered, humid corners, the air is thick with the scent of damp earth and greenery. It is here that spectacular ferns, most notably the Hart’s-tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium), unfurl their fronds alongside distinctive mosses like the Common Tree-moss (Climacium dendroides), a species that resembles a miniature forest floor all on its own.

The mosaic of dense conifer stands, ancient broadleaf glades, and the open railway corridor supports a rich diversity of fauna. Harpford Wood is a haven for everything from common woodland residents to some of the UK’s most highly protected and elusive species.

Harpford Wood is an "exceptional site for Lepidoptera." This is thanks to the "edge effect" created by the interface between the shaded woodland and the sunny, open railway path, a combination that benefits many butterfly species. Key residents include the powerful Silver-washed Fritillary, which patrols the sun-dappled glades alongside the Speckled Wood, Peacock, and Red Admiral butterflies. The fritillary’s presence tells a story of co-dependence; this striking butterfly is dependent on the common dog-violet, which grows in the sunny patches created by the railway corridor and serves as its primary larval food plant.

Beneath the canopy, the wet woodlands in the gulleys are "powerhouses" for insect production. These damp environments produce millions of invertebrates per hectare, including rare fungus gnats like Mycetophila sublunata and Mycomya parva. This abundance of insect life forms the foundation of the wood's food web, sustaining its local bat and bird populations.

The wood and its surrounding landscape provide a critical refuge for several key mammal species. Of highest conservation priority is the Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius), a shy, nocturnal creature that depends on the species-rich hedgerows that border the wood for food and movement. The stable, well-drained railway embankments are home to numerous badger setts, while Roe deer are frequently seen moving through the conifer plantations.

But it is after dark that the wood’s national significance truly reveals itself. The corridor is a vital foraging and commuting route for several bat species, including Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bats. Most importantly, it serves the UK's rarest bat species, the Grey Long-eared Bat. Known as the "whispering bat" for its quiet echolocation, this animal relies on landscapes just like this. With two of the UK's only eight known maternity roosts located in the nearby Axe Valley, Harpford Wood provides a "critical link in the genetic and foraging connectivity between" these nationally vital colonies.

As dusk falls, the wood's dominant nocturnal predator makes its presence known. The haunting call of the Tawny Owl is a regular feature of the forest, a final reminder of the wild life that stirs as the sun sets.

Harpford Wood is more than just a collection of trees; it is a living museum where industrial history and natural resilience have intertwined to create something extraordinary. The ghost of the Sidmouth railway has not left a scar but a lifeline, a unique corridor that has become the wood's saving grace. It stands as a powerful example of how nature can reclaim, adapt, and ultimately thrive in the spaces we leave behind.