Spotlight on Heather

For thousands of years the prominent position occupied by Wooston Hillfort has played an important role for both wildlife and the human species. Long before the Iron Age settlers, the look of this bulging spur of land has transformed from one era to the next. It has been the scene of numerous backdrops for different dramas that played out over the centuries. If you go there today, the expansive views across rolling Devon farmland to the east or the depths of the Teign gorge to the west evoke feelings of wonder from the vast and ever-changing landscape. Perhaps you may allow your eyes to drop from the distant horizons to take in the details of the hillfort itself, the intentionally undulating forms of the prehistoric ramparts. But only a few years ago, this important ancient landmark was swathed in conifer trees and choked with head-high vegetation and, since the Fingle Woods restoration began, these changes are continuing. Through late summer and into the autumn, the most obvious visual impact comes from the clumps, clusters and carpets of heather that are reclaiming their place on the exposed acidic soil. There are two species of low-growing, acid-loving plants we refer to as ‘heather’ on the hillfort. Larger areas are covered with the lilac coloured common heather (Calluna vulgaris) or ‘ling’ but, popping up in between, are vibrant rosy pink spikes of the bell heather (Erica cinerea) where small ‘bells’ hang in wait for the enthusiastic pollinators to do their work. In late summer, the hillfort is buzzing with life.

Here at Fingle, we can encourage a richer patchwork of habitats to form as the development of a new hillfort management plan is underway, aiming to support the diverse matrix of life. It may not necessarily be a woodland - heath is an important part of the mix, where species such as ground nesting birds can make their home, butterflies can find nectar and maintain their populations in a patch of optimum habitat. Alongside a programme of cyclical gorse cutting, pulling up birch seedlings and rolling of bracken, the ponies will play their part in grazing patches of vegetation and creating a varied sward alongside a line of trees for bats to forage and roost, clumps of gorse for interesting invertebrates, small trees for birds to perch and a scrubby patch for dormice to nest. Preserving the Scheduled Ancient Monument provides a perfect opportunity to conserve a number of wild species of plants and animals too. So, we look forward to a more diverse future and hold out a ray of hope for the heather.by Matt Parkins A full transcript of Adrian Colston’s 2018 lecture can be found here