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Home , Exmoor, Kilve, Nettlecombe Court, Porlock Bay, Porlock Weir, South Exmoor SSSI

Opportunities for Field Research FSC : and West

ABOUT THE FIELD CENTRE: Nettlecombe Court (Leonard Wills Field Centre) is a Tudor manor house in a secluded valley at the eastern edge of Exmoor National Park. It provides research opportunities to students both at the Centre and at other nearby locations by providing: field site advice, basic field equipment, workspace, free Wi-Fi and accommodation if required (subject to availability). Accommodation consists of single or twin rooms or dormitory rooms, all either en suite or with adjacent shower rooms. There are four fully equipped workrooms, a common room, lounge, cosy bar and small centre shop. The centre is half an hour from and the motorway network. Taunton railway station is less than 2 hours from London.

FIELD RESEARCH AREAS: Nettlecombe Court is well situated for a range of field research. It is surrounded by historic parkland, which include many veteran trees. Subjects of previous on-site research have included bats, , wax-cap fungi and wood- boring beetles. The centre is within easy driving distance of the ecosystems of Exmoor and the . Both areas have large herds of . Many local rivers and streams are available for ecological, fluvial and hydrological studies. The Exmoor and coast offer environments from the geologically important and fossil rich coastline and gently shelving rocky shores around and Kilve to the high sea cliffs beyond and . The extensive pebble ridge and at can be used for studies into coastal processes and ecological succession. The unusual boulder shore past is a particularly diverse rocky shore. There are also many local geographical studies that could be carried out on topics such as rural settlement patterns and impacts of .

Several scientific papers are available on research carried out in Nettlecombe, and Exmoor. Some have been printed in our online journal Field Studies . A nature review carried out in 2014 includes species list for a range of common taxa.

SOME SUGGESTED RESEARCH TOPICS Title Locations Bat ecology and distribution – wide variety of possibilities and existing projects NC, EX The influence of woodland structure on communities and biodiversity NC, QU, EX distribution and abundance NC, QU, EX Freshwater biological communities - ponds, rivers and upland and lowland streams NC, EX Impact of management strategies on moorland plant communities EX, QU Deer and tick ecology EX, QU The distribution and impact of heather beetles (Lochmaea suturalis) on heather morbidity QU, EX The impacts of trampling on vegetation and animal communities NC, EX, QU Rocky shore and intertidal community ecology PL, NS The influence of a freshwater stream of rocky shore communities PL Investigation of limpet (Patella spp.) population and morphology PL, NS Investigation of common topshell (Osilinius lineatus) population and morphology PL, NS Investigation of dogwhelk (Nucella lapillus) population and morphology PL, NS Plant communities at Porlock Salt Marsh (ecological succession processes) PL Coastal processes and management strategies PL, NS Tourism studies – Minehead, , Watchet Exmoor, Somerset Coast - Public perception of nature / ecosystem service and functionality studies - Impact of the use of ICT in fieldwork (in conjunction with FSC staff) - Effect of field courses on behaviour change in students (in conjunction with FSC staff) - Evaluating the impact of fieldwork on frequently used field sites - NC = Nettlecombe Estate, EX = Exmoor, QU = Quantock Hills, PL = Porlock Bay, NS = North Somerset Coast

This list is not exhaustive. Contact the Centre to discuss these suggestions or any others of you own in more detail. More information on key field sites is provided overleaf.

FIELD LOCATIONS

NETTLECOMBE ESTATE: Nettlecombe Park SSSI is an eighteenth century wood pasture and parkland interspersed with ancient sessile , some over 200 years old. Mature and over-mature timber provides habitats for epiphytic lichens and wood boring beetles, many nationally scarce. managed mixed deciduous and plantations surround the Estate. These contain fallow deer herds and pheasant rearing and shooting areas. Several small streams that run through the Estate and a large recently re-excavated pond, both have high freshwater invertebrate diversity. Endangered native white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) have been found. The nearby River Doniford, commonly used by otters (Lutra lutra), can also be accessed for research. The Estate is rich in woodland and grassland fungi with many wax cap species such as the Ballerina wax cap (Hygrocybe calyptriformis). Several bat species, including Daubenton’s (Myotis daubentonii) and Lesser Horseshoe (Rhinolophus hipposideros), are roost in the large oak trees and in and around the Centre and adjacent parish church. On-site monitoring: Daily meteorological readings have been taken since 1967. Regular live moth trapping is carried out. , mammals, invertebrates and fungi are systematically recorded.

NORTH SOMERSET COAST (5-15 miles from Nettlecombe): Much of the North Somerset coast is a regionally important geological site (RIGS) made up Jurassic and sedimentary rocks, rich in fossils. The cliffs between Watchet and Blue Anchor show a distinct pale, greenish blue colour due to the coloured alabaster found there. The rocky shore at Helwell Bay near Watchet, with its very large tidal range (12+m), is regularly surveyed for macroalgae, limpets and other gastropod snail species.

PORLOCK BAY AND GORE POINT (15 miles from Nettlecombe): The 4 km long Porlock Bay consists of a wide pebble beach, backed by a pebble ridge and saltmarsh. It is an SSSI due to its active coastal geomorphological features and salt marsh and coastal vegetated shingle habitats. A permanent ridge breach caused by a storm in 1996 resulted in a more extensive saltmarsh developing dominated by common glasswort (Salicornia europaea) and sea blite (Suaeda maritima). Gore Point, west of Porlock Weir, is an unusual boulder shore with a rich diversity of rocky shore species. A stream flowing over the shore allows research on how marine species can adapt to freshwater influence.

EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK (5-40 miles from Nettlecombe): Large, remote tracts of open moorland, rare in southern Britain, combined with deep wooded valleys, agricultural land and fast flowing streams make up the rich and distinct mosaic of the National Park. It has a dramatic coastline with the highest sea cliffs in . There are many research opportunities on the ecology, conservation and management of heather moorland and peat bog. There is a population of 3,000+ red deer (Cervus elaphus). The wooded valleys are rich in epiphytic lichens and other woodland flora and fauna. The freshwater ecology and fluvial geomorphology of upland streams such as Nutscale Water and rivers such as the Horner have been studied extensively.

QUANTOCK HILLS AONB (10-20 miles from Nettlecombe): England's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Area, the Quantocks is a 15 mile long range of hills west of . Like Exmoor, the Quantocks consist of moorland, oak woodlands, ancient parklands and agricultural land, which offer great ecological diversity. There is a red deer population of 400+. Deer and sheep ticks, often carrying caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, and the Heather beetle (Lochmaea suturalis), which attacks heather plants, are problematic species found on the Quantocks and on Exmoor.

TAUNTON (15 miles from Nettlecombe): With a population of about 65,000, the county town of Somerset has over 1,000 years of religious and military history, including a monastery dating back to the 10th century and Taunton Castle with Anglo Saxon origins. It has good transport links, which support its central role in region’s economy. Taunton was named as a 'Strategically Important Town' in the Regional Spatial Strategy, allowing it to receive funding for large-scale regeneration and town centre redevelopment projects with the aim to sustain it as a central hub for business in the South West.

RURAL SETTLEMENTS: West Somerset has many rural settlements and small towns within and outside the National Park, which lend themselves to research into population change, rural deprivation, rebranding and tourism. Minehead, a coastal town 10 miles from Nettlecombe, has one of the UK's three remaining Butlins holiday camps, with tourism part of its economy since Victorian times. Extensive new coastal defences have been built to defend the town from flooding. Watchet, a small harbour town 5 miles from Nettlecombe, has been subject to recent regenerations attempts including the construction of a new marina. The medieval village of Dunster, within the National Park, is a favourite tourist destination, with its Castle, Yarn Market, Tithe Barn and a wealth of listed buildings.

THE BENEFITS OF CARRYING OUT FIELD RESEARCH BASED AT NETTLECOMBE COURT

 FSC Staff Support. Local knowledge and practical advice on locations, field sites and access agreements.  FSC Safety Systems. Exemplar risk assessments for field sites. Indirect supervision for lone working field researchers.  Environmental Context. Existing studies provide an environmental context for new research.  Meteorological Data. Meteorological records since 1967 collected in line with Met Office standards.  Long-Term Data. Free access to any existing data sets and monitoring or survey data.  Local Partners and Research links. Links to local partner organisations and conservation bodies such as Exmoor , the Quantock Hills AONB Service, the and Somerset Wildlife Trust.  Secure Site. Safe installation of monitoring equipment. Field sites managed to support long-term data collection.  Facilities. Workspace (with free Wi-Fi) for individual researchers and groups, with access to field equipment.  Accommodation. Full board and lodgings (subject to availability).

HOW TO USE FSC NETTLECOMBE COURT FOR YOUR RESEARCH:

Summer Research Camps The Centre offers accommodation and basic research facilities, in selected weeks over the summer, open to any higher education students collecting field data for research projects or dissertations. Visit the FSC Higher Education web pages to find dates. During these periods centre staff are on-site each morning for advice on field sites and existing research data. Students may book any number of days during the allocated periods at £35 per night. They will need to arrange transport to the Centre and to field sites during their stay, although many good field sites are within distance of Nettlecombe Court.

Individual Research visits Researchers may contact the Centre, outside the Summer Research Camp periods, to arrange research opportunities, either on a daily basis or to stay with accommodation and food provided. Day visits are free, residential fees and availability are dependent on which other customer groups are in residence.

ANNUAL RESEARCH SEMINARS Researchers using FSC Centres are encouraged to present their work to academics, professionals and amateur naturalists at one of our Annual Research Seminars. These are currently held at FSC Dale Fort in Pembrokeshire, FSC Slapton in South , FSC Millport in Scotland and FSC Malham in the Yorkshire Dales. They provide opportunities to share current research and to network with other researchers. The FSC also encourages submission of articles to the online 'Field Studies' journal.

FOR MORE INFORMATION FSC Nettlecombe Court, The Leonard Wills Field Centre, , Taunton, TA4 4HT. Tel: 01984 640320 Email: [email protected], Web: www.field-studies-council.org/centres/nettlecombe

Mark Ward and Nick Lapthorn, Updated October 2017