Parish Biodiversity Audit for Chardstock C. Martin Drake 2014 Version 1 Written with the help of Devon Biodiversity Records Centre, county recorders and Chardstock parishioners. Dr C. Martin Drake Orchid House Burridge Axminster Devon EX13 7DF [email protected] 1 Summary Chardstock parish is special in an East Devon context for a number of reasons. While it has no outstanding sites, and is barely touched by the Rive Axe SSSI and SAC, it has ten County Wildlife Sites covering a range of habitats, outstandingly clean water in the network of streams and seepages, relatively a large amount of wet alder and willow carr woodland, varied underlying geology giving rise to vegetation and insects assemblages that reflect the range from base-rich to acidic conditions, a dense network of hedgerows and relatively benign farming practices dominated by beef and dairy farms. 2 CONTENTS SUMMARY FOR CHARDSTOCK ......................................................................................... 2 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 5 LOCATION AND OCCUPANTS ................................................................................................. 5 GEOLOGY ........................................................................................................................... 6 LAND-USE ........................................................................................................................... 6 DESIGNATED SITES ........................................................................................................... 7 BLACKDOWN HILLS AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY .............................................. 7 RIVER AXE SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST AND SPECIAL AREA OF CONSERVATION ..... 8 COUNTY WILDLIFE SITES ................................................................................................... 10 Bewley Farm County Wildlife Site ................................................................................ 10 Brockfield Bottom County Wildlife Site ......................................................................... 11 Castle Wood Meadows County Wildlife Site ................................................................ 12 Cotley Wash County Wildlife Site ................................................................................ 13 Egg Moor Fields County Wildlife Site........................................................................... 14 Narfords County Wildlife Site ....................................................................................... 15 Reads Hill County Wildlife Site .................................................................................... 16 Storridge Hill County Wildlife Site ................................................................................ 17 Sycamore Farm County Wildlife Site ........................................................................... 18 The Parks County Wildlife Site .................................................................................... 18 UNCONFIRMED WILDLIFE SITES (POTENTIAL COUNTY WILDLIFE SITES)................................. 20 Bewley Down Unconfirmed Wildlife Site ...................................................................... 20 Brockfield Copse Unconfirmed Wildlife Site ................................................................. 20 Chardstock Court & The Parks Unconfirmed Wildlife Site ............................................ 21 Hook Meadow Unconfirmed Wildlife Site ..................................................................... 22 Keates Farm Field Unconfirmed Wildlife Site ............................................................... 22 Old Twist Unconfirmed Wildlife Site ............................................................................. 22 The Half Moon Unconfirmed Wildlife Site .................................................................... 22 Tytherleigh Woods Unconfirmed Wildlife Site .............................................................. 23 Whitehouse Unconfirmed Wildlife Site ......................................................................... 23 OTHER SITES OF WILDLIFE INTEREST ................................................................................. 23 Bewley Down .............................................................................................................. 24 Birchill Common .......................................................................................................... 24 Burridge Common ....................................................................................................... 24 Cotley Wash Brake ...................................................................................................... 25 Farway Farm ............................................................................................................... 25 Holy City (East) ........................................................................................................... 25 Holy City (West) .......................................................................................................... 25 Hook Farm .................................................................................................................. 25 NEW SITES WORTHY OF CLOSER SURVEY ............................................................................ 25 Burridge Pasture ......................................................................................................... 25 Whitehouse Fields ....................................................................................................... 26 HABITATS .......................................................................................................................... 27 Water courses ............................................................................................................. 27 Wet heath and mire – Rhôs pasture ............................................................................ 28 Wet woodland ............................................................................................................. 29 Dry woodland .............................................................................................................. 30 Unimproved grassland ................................................................................................ 30 Hedges ........................................................................................................................ 31 Green Lanes ............................................................................................................... 32 3 Verges ......................................................................................................................... 33 Veteran Trees ............................................................................................................. 34 Orchards ..................................................................................................................... 34 Pits and quarries ......................................................................................................... 35 Public open space ....................................................................................................... 35 St Andrew’s Church and churchyard ........................................................................... 35 The built environment; stone walls, bridges, houses and barns ................................... 36 Arable land .................................................................................................................. 36 SPECIES ............................................................................................................................ 36 Plants .......................................................................................................................... 36 Fungi and Lichens ....................................................................................................... 39 Mammals .................................................................................................................... 39 Reptiles and Amphibians ............................................................................................. 41 Fish ............................................................................................................................. 41 Birds ............................................................................................................................ 41 Invertebrates ............................................................................................................... 42 IDEAS FOR LOCAL ACTION ............................................................................................. 44 Further survey ............................................................................................................. 44 Influence the management of Public Open Space ....................................................... 45 Build relationships with local landowners ..................................................................... 45 Wildlife gardening ........................................................................................................ 45 Involvement and education .......................................................................................... 45 USEFUL SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION ..................................................................... 45 POSSIBLE SOURCES