Blagdon Cross: Plants For A Future's Devon Site

Blagdon Cross was purchased in 1997 with the purpose of developing a Demonstration Garden and Ecovillage. A lot of activity has occurred on the site including: gaining temporary planning permission; attracting several hundred people to the site; successfully obtaining a �,000 grant for educational activities, and completing the associated work.

Over the years the site has become a wildlife paradise and has recovered from severe degradation. There are 5 acres of mature woodland and 15 acres of seven year old woodland. Approximately four acres are culm grassland a rare habitat specific to Devon. The remainder of the land has been naturally regenerating and illustrates how wildlife flourishes under low impact management without the use of animals.

The site has now been sold as a nature reserve focussing on the rewilding.

• Photo Album showing the pictures of the site and various events held there.
• History page has more details about the history of the site and the planning saga.
• Wilderness has some thoughts on wilderness and some photos of the different habitats.
• MSc disertation has a extensive report on time spent at Plants for a Future.
• Botanical survey a botanical survey of the site commisioned in September 2007.

Aspects of the Site

A view over the whole site, with Culm grassland in the foreground and native woodland on the horizon.

Site Map, courtesy of Gale and Snowdon Architects

Please note, this map shows original plans for the site not the current state. There are no buildings/lake or maintained gardens.

In total the site consists of 84 acres. This is divided up into a number of fields:

The Demonstration Gardens

The first field you enter at the far south of the site. This has been the focus of most of our activity. Several thousand trees have been planted here. This include Italian and Red alders which have grown vigorously and have now reached 30 feet. Many other fruit and nut trees have also been planted including Hippophae salicifolia Willow-leaved Sea Buckthorn, Monkey Puzzles. Several beds which a wide range of perennial plant have also been constructed.

There has also been some major construction work with the building of a new entrance and car park. Currently a mobile home, a tree bog and other small scale structures providing basic facilities are in this field. The access track to all other fields runs down one side.

In one corner of the field there is a one acre copse of native woodland, including several hazels. The North West corner has been left wild and orchids and ragged robin have been found here. Forty other native plants have been identified in this field.

Work area/culm grassland

The next field north was intended to be the main working area. One part has been levelled in preparation for an agricultural shed and a large reservoir constructed to store water. A further area has been levelled in preparation for a set of polytunnels.

Half the field consisted of Culm Grassland. While much of it still remains as grassland it has been colonised by goat willow. A small stream runs down one side of the field.

Camping Field/Lake Field

The next field north is the lowest part of the site. Original plans were to construct a lake here as part of a large whole site wet system.

This area was also intended as a camping field and there has previously been outline planning permission for 28 holiday chalets here.

Much of the field is very boggy with a profusion of reeds and other water-loving wetland plants.

Buddafield

At one point this field for used by Buddafield, a Buddist group who have run several retreats and courses here. A large area is relatively clear making it an ideal place for future courses and outdoor events. Part of the field has been fenced off and initial planting for a meditation garden has been carried out.

Gorse is the dominant vegetation in this field, providing natural shelter and there is a band of native woodland down one side.

The Orchard Field

This field is remarkable in that it has not been colonised like much of the site by Gorse, Goat Willow or bramble. It still retains a predominantly grassland vegetation, even though it has not been grazed by farm animals.

Why this is, is an interesting question. Possible answers include the fact that it is relatively high and the prevailing wind has not contained many seeds. It was also quite heavily grassed when we bought the site, conditions which have made it harder for species to get established.

The Living Field

This field was intended to be the main living area and has had the least activity of the whole site. It has a mix of vegetation with bramble, gorse and goat willow all established.

One idea for this field is that the woodland to the north be extended by establishing a tree nursery or short rotation coppice for energy crops.

Much of the site has been colonised native species: gorse, goat willow and bramble. The site has a heavy clay soil which has been greatly improved by an extensive fallow period. When the site was first bought many fields were either bare or very wet, as indicated by the large number of reeds. The land is considerably drier now and there are far fewer reeds.

The Woodland

The most northerly 20 acres consist of new and existing woodland. About 4 acres in the west are an existing coppice woodland believed to be 50-70 years old. The rest was planted with about 20,000 trees in the winter of 1997/1998 with the aid of a Forestry Commission grant.

The new coppice

A thin strip along the southern edge of the woodland has been planted with coppice and fruit bearing trees, including hazel.

The new planting

The main planting covers two fields. Predominantly woodland trees have been planted include many alders which just love the site. Many reaching over 30 foot.

The whole planting is surrounded by a deer/rabbit fence. Unfortunately this has been breached and repaired in several places and there has been considerable deer damage with many trees being browsed to knee height.

The existing woodland

This four acre woodland was initially planted as a coppice woodland and contain many hazel and alder. Last winter (2003/2004) we coppiced two large patches of this woodland. This is good practice for overgrown coppice and should allow the hazel stools to re-grow providing quality hazel slips in four to seven years time.