8% of Devon is covered in broadleaved woodland. 1% of this is ancient woodland.
Devon’s woodlands are a stronghold for iconic species such as hazel dormice.
High quality woodland pics needed.
Broadleaved woodland, Vicky Leyland
Wildlife-rich broadleaved woodlands are all about variety, both in woodlands and between them. They include trees of different species and ages, light and shade, lots of standing and fallen deadwood, leaf litter, open sunny flower-rich areas in the woods and areas of dense scrub, wetlands and streams on their edges.
Mammals: Bechstein’s bat, barbastelle bat (lesser and greater horseshoe, grey long-eared and serotine bats forage in woodlands), hazel dormouse, hedgehog, pine marten.
Birds: Lesser spotted woodpecker, pied flycatcher, wood warbler, marsh tit, spotted flycatcher.
Moths and butterflies: Wood white, pearl bordered, high brown and heath fritillaries, Dartmoor oak wood moths.
Other invertebrates: Six-spotted longhorn beetle, blue ground beetle, upland rainforest snails.
Plants, lichens and fungi: Bastard balm, rare whitebeams, rainforest lichens.
UK priority habitat: Lowland mixed deciduous woodland and upland oak woodland.
Statutory irreplaceable habitat: Ancient woodlands and veteran trees.
(need to shorten this intro – put more into drop downs?)
Before humans began woodland clearance, wild broadleaved woodland, known as wildwood, covered much of Devon. However, it looked very different to the small, isolated patches of woodland we see today. Grazing herbivores and natural processes such as flooding and disease would have created a continuous, dynamic mosaic of wildlife-rich, woody and open habitats, including flower-rich grasslands, heathlands and wetlands.
Woodland clearance isn’t a new thing. Humans began serious clearance of Devon’s woodlands during the Bronze Age (around 2500 – 800 BC). By 1086, only around 4% of Devon was wooded (however it’s likely that trees outside woodlands would have been dominant in the landscape). Our remaining woodlands have been carefully managed for 1,000s of years. Initially this would have been small-scale management for firewood and timber, but it increased from the 17th century as charcoal was needed for the industrial revolution and timber for ship building. Coppicing was common and created open areas in woodlands allowing light-loving species to grow. Areas were often coppiced in a rotation, creating mosaics of habitats of different ages and providing conditions needed by different species. Woodland management also favoured certain tree species such as oak, which is dominant in most of Devon’s woodlands.
Today, around 8% of Devon is covered in broadleaved woodland, 1% of which is ancient woodland. The majority of woodlands are small and often isolated in agricultulural or urban landscapes, causing issues for species which are poor at dispersing such as lichens and non- or weak-flying insects. Lack of management is leading to a lack of diversity of habitats in woodlands and long-term recording has shown huge declines in species such as woodland bats, birds and butterflies. See Key pressures and opportunites below for more information.
However, our woodlands are of critical wildlife value and support 1,000s of species. They remain a stronghold for iconic species such as hazel dormice and woodland birds such as flycatchers and woodpeckers. See the Devon Species of Conservation Concern spreadsheet in Information to find out which need woodland habitats.
See other pages for information on Wet woodland, Wood pasture and parkland, Conifer plantations, Ancient and veteran trees and Traditional orchards.
Woodlands vary, depending on the soil (for example its pH, nutrients and depth), climate, hydrology and management.
Exposed upland and coastal woodlands
Wistman’s Wood, Black Tor Copse and Dendle’s Wood (all part of Dartmoor SAC) are small relicts of Dartmoor’s ancient high oak woodlands. The harsh, wet climate and poor acid soils support stunted, gnarled oak trees, some shrubs and a few acid-loving plants, such as bilberry, hard fern, great wood rush and bracken. Cool, damp conditions and clean air provide perfect conditions for rare lichens and mosses. High rainfall creates acidic, nutrient-poor bark, which supports a group of very rare lichens known as the upland rainforest lichens.
Similar woodlands are found on the north-facing seacliffs on the Clovelly and Hartland coast, where the harsh Atlantic environment causes wind-stunted oak trees growing on maritime heathland.
Sheltered upland and coastal woodlands
As conditions become less harsh, Devon’s upland and coastal woodlands grade into a more lowland woodland community. These woods have shrubs such as hazel, holly and rowan and a richer ground flora of grasses, bluebells and wood sorrel.
On the edges of Dartmoor, these woodlands include Yarner, Bovey Valley, Hembury, Sampford Spiney, Shaugh Prior, Teign Valley and Holne (all of which are part of the South Dartmoor SAC) and lower parts of Dendle’s Wood. They’re largely ancient oak and hazel woodlands, which have evolved from historic coppicing. However, some are secondary woodlands which have grown on abandoned commons.
Many are found in wildlife-rich mosaics with areas of heathland and acid grasslands. Open areas with bracken and violets support the rare high brown and pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies. Cow-wheat is a critical food plant for heath fritillary butterflies, now only found in one site on the western edge of Dartmoor. Wild daffodils can be seen in some woodlands. Large wood ant nests are common. Birds include pied flycatchers, wood warbler and redstart. Ash, small-leaved lime and wild service tree are found on patches of more calcareous soils.
Many of these woodlands are found along rivers, where the humid microclimate supports lichens, bryophytes and ferns such as royal fern and the Tunbridge filmy-fern.
Watersmeet, found on the East Lyn river on the Exmoor coast, is one of largest remaining semi-natural ancient woodlands in the south west. It has a classic sequence of woodlands, from well-drained poor soils on valley tops to deeper and wetter soils lower down, with alder and willow wet woodlands. The woodlands are dominated by oak and grazing means grasses dominate the ground flora. Watersmeet supports rare whitebeams as well as rare lichens, upland woodland birds and high brown fritillaries.
The bark in these humid, sheltered woodlands is less acidic than in exposed woodlands and supports a different group of very rare lichens. Lichen experts call these woodlands ‘southern oceanic’ rainforest.
Lowland woodlands
Devon’s lowland woodlands are found across the county, again often in steep river valleys or on poorer soils where land hasn’t been cleared for agriculture. The species mix is similar to the more sheltered Dartmoor and Exmoor woodlands with oak, ash and hazel, honeysuckle, bramble and ivy. The ground flora can include bluebell, wood sorrel, wild garlic and ancient woodland indicators such as woodruff, sanicle, yellow archangel, wood spurge and opposite-leaved golden saxirage in wetter areas. These woodlands support hazel dormice and a wealth of species such as specialist woodland bats (including Bechstein’s and barbastelle) birds and insects. They occur across Devon and examples include the woodlands of the south Devon estuaries such as the Dart and Erme.
River corridor woodlands provide critical wildlife corridors and are a key part of the river ecosystem. They stabilise banks, reduce pollution and regulate water temperature. Tree roots and woody debris falling into watercourses provide important habitats. See Watercourse corridors for more information. In wider, flatter floodplains, riparian woodland has been lost and what remains is often fragmented or a line of bankside trees.
Calcareous soils
Woodlands found on limestone soils (Torbay, Plymouth and Kingskerswell) and chalk (east Devon coast) support a mix of trees that, until recently, would have been dominated by ash. Field maple is often present and the ground flora includes species such as dog’s mercury, which isn’t found on acid soils.
Temperate rainforest
There is currently a huge interest in the UK’s temperate rainforests. They occur in the wet and humid west of the UK and support characteristic bryophytes and lichens. Lichen experts divide temperate rainforests into three types: upland rainforest, lowland rainforest and southern oceanic woodlands.
Devon has upland rainforests and southern oceanic woodlands. Upland rainforests include the more exposed woodlands described above. They support a group of rare lichens that live on the very acidic bark found on trees in these areas. Southern oceanic woodlands are defined by lichen species which live on less acidic bark in more sheltered, humid areas. These humid woodlands are found across much of Devon. See Lichens for more information.
Ancient woodlands
Devon’s most species-rich broadleaved woodlands are ancient, semi-natural woodlands that have been in existence since at least 1600. Because they’re more than 400 years old, ancient woodlands provide a continuity of species, habitats and soils that may date back to the original Devon wildwood. They make up just over 1% of land in Devon and are concentrated on steeper land around rivers, estuaries and moorland edges where the ground is harder to clear and less suitable for agriculture and development.
The mosaic of habitats and structural diversity in and between woodlands is essential for wildlife.
Ancient and veteran trees: One of the most critical and species-rich elements of all woodlands, ancient and veteran trees provide habitat for 1,000s of species, particularly invertebrates that are food for species such as bats and birds. Old trees often have cracks and loose bark that provide roosts for rare bats such as barbastelle and Bechstein’s and holes where birds such as pied flycatchers, owls and woodpeckers nest.
Deadwood and leaf litter: Standing and fallen deadwood are both important and used by different species, particularly invertebrates, fungi and lichens. Focus Species that rely on deadwood include deadwood lichens, the blue ground beetle and the six-spotted longhorn beetle. The Dartmoor ancient oak moth group depend on leaf litter, deadwood and fungi. The nationally scarce wood cricket (a Devon Species of Conservation Concern) likes deep leaf litter in woodland clearings. See links in What we need to do and where below. The Ancient and veteran tree page has more information on deadwood.
Well-lit tree bark: Tree bark supports a wealth of rare lichen communities. Acidic bark in exposed upland and coastal woodlands (upland rainforests) supports the rare parmelion lichen community. The only locations for the horsehair lichen in the UK are Blackator Copse and Wistman’s Wood on Dartmoor. Less acidic bark in more sheltered woodlands (known as southern oceanic woodlands) supports very rare lobarion lichens.
A mix of shady and sunny glades, rides and edges: These areas provide pollen and food plants for invertebrates such as the very rare heath fritillary butterfly caterpillar that feeds on cow-wheat and the wood white butterfly that feeds on vetches in dappled shade. Unlike other grasshoppers, the nationally scarce woodland grasshopper prefers woodland rides and areas of grassy scrub.
Native species: Wildlife living in woodlands has shaped the mix of native broadleaved trees and shrubs (such as oak, ash, elm, hazel and birch) and ground flora. For example, white admiral butterfly caterpillars feed exclusively on honeysuckle (which hazel dormice use to build nests) and white-letter hairstreak caterpillars feed on elm. Oak is a critical habitat for xxx species.
Shrub layer: Some species, such as pied flycatchers, wood warblers, lesser spotted woodpeckers and the blue ground beetle, prefer open woodlands with a sparse shrub layer. Other species, such as marsh tits and lesser spotted woodpeckers, prefer a dense shrub layer. Therefore, we need mosaics of different habitats in our woodlands, which rotational management can achieve.
Bracken and violet habitats on woodland edges and in clearings: These habitats provide shelter and food plants for the caterpillars of the pearl-bordered fritillary and high brown fritillary butterflies.
Connectivity and wooded landscapes: Because hazel dormice live in trees and shrubs and rarely touch the ground, they need connected habitats so they can disperse and find new habitat. Species such as lichens and bryophytes are very poor at dispersing and need a continuity of veteran trees close by. Declining bird species such as lesser spotted woodpeckers need large, mature woodlands or well-wooded landscapes.
Lots of invertebrates: Species such as bats and birds rely on a constant supply of small invertebrates, which in turn rely on a mosaic of microhabitats.
This is draft – to be finished following Consultation to ensure latest data from NE and DBRC.
Area
There are 55,235 hectares of broadleaved woodland in Devon, covering 8% of the county. This represents 69% of total woodland cover (the rest being conifer or mixed). 15% of this broadleaved woodland is ancient semi-natural, covering 8,492 hectares, or 1.2% of the county.
Area under management
Woodlands under management generally have a greater variety of habitats within them and are better for wildlife.
in 2025, 47% of Devon’s woodlands were assessed by the Forestry Commission as being under some form of management (having either a management plan or felling licence). However, even where management plans are in place, there is no requirement that the works actually take place and 47% may be a significant over-estimate, or the number of woodlands being managed may be greater than 47% as small areas of woodlands can be felled without a licence or management plan in place.
Designations and condition
Statutory designations
46 broadleaved woodlands are designated as SSSIs in whole or part. These cover around 3,700 hectares. Examples are Wistmans Wood, Hembury Woods (on Dartmoor), Warleigh Woods (on the Tamar) and Horner and Hawkcombe woods (on Exmoor)
Need to add SACs – South Dartmoor Woods.
67% of SSSIs are recognised as being in favourable condition and 31% as unfavourable or recovering. Consultation Q: What are the key reasons for being unfavourable?
County Wildlife Sites (CWS)
740 CWS in Devon have broadleaved woodland (just lowland?)
CWS data for lowland mixed deciduous woodland shows that of 179 sites monitored, 72 (40%) were assessed as green, 100 as amber (56%) and seven as red. Issues include inappropriate grazing by livestock, dominance of invasive species and heavy shading from species such as holly.
Devon’s woodlands have all been managed by humans for thousands of years, for fuel, timber, farming and food. Although this management changed the makeup of the woodlands, rotational coppicing replicated natural processes by creating a varied age structure in and between woodlands. Today, woodlands are ideally managed through continuous cover forestry, which ensures that the woodland retains or develops a strong, nature-rich, structure. Some of Devon’s most nature-rich woodlands are managed for timber, such as those managed by the Perridge Estate, the Clinton Devon Estates and the National Trust and Woodland Trust at Fingle in the Teign Valley.
However, 53% of Devon’s woodlands are thought to be unmanaged and only 30 hectares are recorded as being actively coppiced. Management of woodlands at scale can be costly and markets for broadleaved woodland products, beyond firewood and some specialist timber outlets, are limited.
There are opportunities to develop markets for broadleaved timber to support the management of broadleaved woodlands. Specialist manufacturing timber (as demonstrated by Dartmoor’s Future Forests), alongside local firewood and some specialist charcoal markets, can all help to bring woodlands back into management. Holne Chase woodland on Dartmoor is a good example of a private owner managing an SSSI broadleaf woodland to produce timber and firewood while benefitting nature, though thinning which introduces more light.
Plym Woods is another example where broadleaved woodland is being managed (in this case by Forestry England) with a focus on restoring ancient woodland and where there are existing markets for both the broadleaved and conifer timber that’s harvested as part of the long-term management plan.
Charities, including Devon Wildlife Trust, the National Trust and the Woodland Trust all own and manage broadleaved woodland where the timber produced goes to a range of uses with commercial value. Woods at Holne, Hembury, Avon Valley, Dart Valley and Holnicote are all under management plans where production of timber is part of nature recovery.
Technologies, such as glulam, also offer opportunities for markets for limited amounts of broadleaved timber.
Many of Devon’s woodlands are now small and isolated from each other. This has huge impacts on species that are poor at dispersing such as lichens, bryophytes and insects such as wood white butterflies, which are weak fliers. To meet different species’ needs, we need bigger woodlands that are well connected by a range of habitats.
There are extensive areas of plantations on ancient woodland sites across Devon. Managing these sites with systems that mimic natural processes, such as continuous cover forestry rather than clear felling, can produce nature-rich woodlands and retain commercial timber value. However, some species, such as nightjar, rely on clear-felled open areas and so a mosaic of habitats is always needed.
Restoring PAWS is a priority in the LNRS.
Grey squirrels strip bark, which can damage or kill young trees. Deer graze on young trees and shrubs and can prevent them from developing. Both are a huge problem when regenerating or creating woodland. Without adequate control, the presence of both species is a significant deterrent for landowners who want to plant new broadleaved woodland.
Developing venison markets provides an opportunity to help pay for deer management.
Predators, such as pine martens and goshawks, are a natural control of grey squirrels.
Add opportunities. Collaborative landscape scale programmes to control deer and squirrels?
Ornamental non-native species (such as rhododendron, cherry laurel and Himalayan balsam) and regenerating non-native timber species (such as western hemlock and spruce) can spread rapidly in woodlands and suppress native trees, shrubs and ground flora.
Broadleaved woodlands are often used for pheasant shooting. However, introducing pheasants and their feed can markedly change the native ground flora and fauna and impact on nature recovery.
The accidental introduction of pests and diseases is increasing rapidly. Two of Devon’s most prolific native woodland trees, elm and ash, have been (or will be) largely lost from the landscape due to Dutch elm disease and ash dieback.
The health benefits of contact with the natural world are now well known. There are huge opportunities to increase appropriate access to existing woodlands and create new opportunities near to where people live. Woodlands and trees also have huge benefits in terms of absorbing pollution and noise and reducing temperatures. The importance of woodlands for health and wellbeing means that they’re an integral part of green infrastructure strategies being developed by a number of local authorities in Devon. See Connecting people and nature for more information.
Sub-dividing woodlands to sell lots for recreational use, commonly known as wood lotting, has a significant harmful effect. It prevents woodlands being managed cohesively and brings recreational pressures.
Climate change will significantly affect the health of individual trees, the tree species that survive in woodlands and the species chosen to create new woodlands.
The urgent need for carbon sequestration and adaptation (including the benefits of woodlands in towns to regulate temperature) has opened up new opportunities for woodland creation projects. Many organisations, including local authorities, South West Water and the National Trust, now have woodland creation targets.
The ability of trees to absorb and store carbon led to the development of the Woodland Carbon Code. This nationally-accredited scheme provides funding and incentives to create new woodland and retain existing broadleaf woodland over the long term.
Consultation Q: Are there still few opportunities in Devon to buy carbon credits through the Woodland Carbon Code, and if so why?
Woodlands are now recognised as an integral part of the solution to improve water quality and reduce flooding. This new understanding has increased funding opportunities such as the Water Restoration Fund. See Water quality and flood risk for more information.
There is currently a huge interest in temperate rainforests. The Southwest Rainforest Alliance is a voluntary group of conservation bodies, local authorities, landowners and specialists that recognises the importance of the region’s surviving temperate rainforests and is working to protect, enhance and restore this valuable and internationally distinctive habitat.
The current national focus on increasing tree cover has increased funding opportunities through Environmental Land Management, the England Woodland Creation Offer and the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme. This has led to more funding for landscape-scale projects such as the Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest.
A wide range of government bodies manage, fund and regulate woodland management and creation, including the Forestry Commission, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Ministry of Defence and National Highways. However, work is not always as joined up as it could be and the sector can be confusing to land managers and community groups who want to take action or find funding.
There are a huge number of organisations across Devon that manage land, provide funding and work with land managers to manage and create woodlands. These organisations include the Woodland Trust, Plantlife, the Wildlife Trust, the National Trust, Southwest Lakes Trust and FWAG (the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group).
There is huge interest among community groups to manage and increase woodland cover across Devon and groups are being set up to work on specific woodlands, such as Axewoods in east Devon. See Find out more below for more information.
Consultation Q: Is development loss a major issue in Devon?
Better (wildlife-rich), bigger, more and resilient broadleaved woodlands that are connected to a network of habitats across the landscape, particularly where this will benefit ancient woodlands, Focus Species and provide wider social benefits.
See Find out more below for detailed guidance and sources of funding and advice.
Management actions for all woodlands should include:
Other management actions may include (depending on the woodland):
It’s important to ensure that woodland regeneration and creation do not damage or remove existing wildlife-rich habitats.
More detailed actions are set out for the following Focus Species:
Follow the links below to the relevant Focus Species pages as well as to relevant habitat and wider theme pages:
Wildlife will benefit from these actions being implemented across Devon. However, actions are prioritised to the following High Opportunity Areas (in bold). See Mapping for the LNRS Viewer and information on how areas have been mapped.
Woodland management:
Woodland creation:
Woodland management and creation:
Woodland management and creation should also be targeted to ‘Natural Flood Management high priority catchments’ (see other useful layers on the LNRS Viewer).
Broadleaved woodlands should be included as part of a mosaic of habitats in:
Advice should be obtained before any woodland creation in the following High Opportunity Areas to ensure that it will not harm existing wildlife:
Consultation Q: Is the list above clear and helpful? How could it be better set out? Is anything missing?
Case studies and Where to visit will be agreed following discussion through public consultation period and then finalised.
There’s lots of great work going on across Devon for broadleaved woodland. For example:
Landowners across Devon are managing broadleaved woodlands to both produce timber and help nature recover. The Clinton Devon, Tavistock Woodlands and Perridge estates are examples of how commercial woodland management and nature recovery can work together.
A number of charities also manage broadleaved woodland with nature recovery as a priority. The Woodland Trust, Devon Wildlife Trust and National Trust all manage woodlands with key sites in the Avon Valley and on Dartmoor and Exmoor.
New broadleaved woodlands are being created across Devon. Recent examples include Yonder Oak near Exeter, which was created by the Woodland Trust, and Wembury and South Brent, which was created by the Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest in partnership with the National Trust and South Hams District Council.
Always follow the Countryside Code and keep to footpaths and sites which are managed for public access. A few examples of places to go are given below, for information on visiting these and other sites see the Explore Devon website.
Add more links and tidy up, and finalise following discussion through public consultation.
Align with the Devon Tree and Woodland Strategy and any subsequent thinking since TOW published…
There are a range of national and local targets that set the context for nature recovery for Broadleaved Woodlands. These include:
Better
– Long Term. 95% at JNCC Favourable Conservation Status
– Long Term. 80% in good condition as per Woodland Condition Assessment
– Long term. Woodlands in active management for biodiversity, climate and sustainable forestry
– Short Term. 70% of woodlands in active management by 2030
– Short Term. Majority of PAWs in restoration by 2030.
Bigger, connected and more
– Long Term. Expanded as part of 16.5% woodland cover by 2050
– Short term. Part of 3,000 ha’s of new woodland by 2030
Further information on Upland Oak woodlands in Devon
SW Rainforest Alliance is working to restore and expand Temperate Rainforests.
Ancient Country: The historic character of rural Devon, Sam Turner, 2007. Devon Archaeological Society Occasional Paper 20
Confor
Forestry Commission
The Woodland Trust
National Forest Inventory (NFI) is an ongoing programme to monitor UK woodlands and forests with surveys conducted every 10-15 years by Forest Research.
Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI) – A database of the locations of over 52,000 ancient woodland sites in England. Ancient woodland is woodland that has persisted since 1600 in England. More detail is available at this Natural England link. Of this Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland (ASNW) has developed naturally and Plantations on Ancient Woodland sites (PAWS) have been felled and replaced by non-native (mostly conifer) species.
Undertake management in accordance with United Kingdom Forestry Standard (UKFS) and
Forestry Commission Woodland Management Guidance to maximise opportunities for public funding.
Forest Research advice on management of native and ancient woodland is at FR Guidance
Further information on Lowland Mixed Deciduous Woodlands is at DWT Lowland Guidance (out of date?) and FC Lowland Guidance
Detailed advice and support on management can be found on Continuous Cover Forestry and CCF summary
Forest Research guidance on riparian woodland Creating and managing riparian woodland
Undertake creation in accordance with United Kingdom Forestry Standard (UKFS) and Forestry Commission Woodland Creation Offer to maximise opportunities for public funding
Natural regeneration
Where there is sufficient seed source in the soil and suitable site conditions, the benefits of natural regeneration include greater ecological complexity and diversity, increased resilience to climate change and disease, and avoiding the risk (with planting) of introducing new pests and diseases. See Find out more for more details.
Natural regeneration requires less management, less resources (no need for tree shelters, ties, containers or for growing trees and transporting them), and can be more cost effective than planting.
If your chosen site has poor seed stock sources (e.g. if it has been intensively farmed), direct seeding can be a good option to introduce seeds while encouraging natural establishment.
In reality, many schemes seeking naturalistic outcomes for biodiversity may include a mix of natural regeneration and some planting
The Woodland Trust provides advice on selecting suitable native tree species.
All planting must consider the soil type. Many previous planting that did not adequately understand the soil failed as a result. Forest research’s online mapping system provides information on the suitability of a wide range of tree species based on a site’s soil characteristics – but relies on correct information being input. The system factors in likely climatic changes, so recommended tree species should survive warmer temperatures, drier summer conditions and wetter winter conditions than today.
There are lots of groups across Devon and a few examples given below. See WAD pages on the LNP website for more information on community wildlife groups across Devon.
Axewoods is a not-for-profit volunteer organisation that aims to provide free woodland management to local farmers, charities, landowners and organisations.
Devon’s broadleaved woodlands are made up of the following National Forestry Inventory categories – see xxxx for further details
– Broadleaved. 50,011ha
– Active coppice. 30ha
– Low density woodland. 151ha
– Shrub. 394ha
– Assumed woodland. 1,787ha
– Young trees. 2,802ha
– Failed woods. 60ha.
Note that these figures will include single species plantations, especially beech but also increasingly small areas of other species such as eucalyptus.
