The natural environment is the setting for projects from the ENVIRONMENT CORE AREA. It has provided the materials that shape the built heritage of the area, which now underpins projects in the COMMUNITY CORE AREA and the ECONOMIC CORE AREA.
5 . 1 Quarrying, geological SSSIs and their economic, research and heritage value Working quarries lie in the east of the area and are significant in commercial and employment terms for the area. Both working quarries and old quarries have recently been surveyed in a county-wide geological research project for the important information they provide on global geological history. Devon geology is of international importance in stratigraphical dating and rock formation. In the past, local quarries supplied stone for building, contributing to the distinctive settlement characteristics of the area. The warm red local sandstone is a feature of prestigious local listed buildings such as St.Peter’s Church in Tiverton and St. Andrew’s in Halberton, and of parts of Bickleigh and Tiverton Castles. Traditional barns scattered across the countryside also witness to the importance of local building stone, which give a distinctive character to the landscape.
5 . 1 . 1 Working limestone quarries form the backbone of employment in Burlescombe and Westleigh in the east of the district.
5 . 1 . 2 In the north, old quarries feature on the hillsides approaching Bampton. Old quarries are found at other locations in the valley, such as Raddon near Thorverton.
5.1.3 The Exe valley area contains five geological SSSIs, mainly associated with limestone and sandstone quarries. These are located at Stout’s Cottage, Westleigh, Lower Westcott, Bickleigh Woods, Kersdown Quarry and Five Oaks, Bampton.
5.1.4 Five Oaks is an important palaeogeographic site with exposed Carboniferous rocks.
5.2 Biodiversity and environmental projects supported by the plan The area has a rich biodiversity, and a large area of semi-natural ancient woodland. The woodland extending south on both sides of the Exe and Batherm as far south as Tiverton is included in the EXE VALLEY FOREST PROJECT, which has funding for five years from late 2006 and is lead by Exmoor National Park. The Culm Measures rock formations with their internationally important and unique flora and fauna are part of the SO U T H WE S T FO R E S T S PROJECT, stretching from the west bank of the Exe to the Atlantic coast. Both projects are supported by the Exe Valley Plan. The SPORT AND COUNTRY PARK PROJECT is searching for a suitable site near Tiverton and the River Exe for a feasibility study. A site that includes a forested area is desirable. This would give potential both for water activities and outdoor fitness circuits, and for recreational and interest activities such as woodland and grassland trails, accessible for disabled users. Palmerston Park Woods on the western outskirts of Tiverton is being conserved to enable local people to enjoy recreational walks in the semi-natural woodlands.
5.2.1 The area is home to a number of rare species.
5.2.2 Valley sides in the north and central part of the valley are heavily wooded, with semi-natural broad-leafed woodland predominating.
5.2.3 In the west of the area, the landscape rises to moorland near Rackenford. This area forms part of the geological Culm Measures, wedged between Dartmoor to the south and Exmoor to the north.
5 . 2 . 4 The Culm Grassland is a Special Area of Conservation, of international importance, and forms part of a Devon Wildlife Trust Reserve. This reserve includes Hares Down, Knowstone Moor and Rackenford Moor, which are also individually SSSIs.
5.2.5 Tidcombe Lane Fen on the eastern edge of Tiverton is a marshland SSSI beside the Ailsa Brook, a tributary of the river Lowman, and contains rare species of flora.
5.2.6 There are 100 County Wildlife Sites in the Tiverton market town area.
5.2.7 Within 5 km of Tiverton, four site groups are of particular interest: Aller’s Wood (ancient semi-natural woodland which has been partly replanted); Back’s, Great Henbeer and Pitt Wood (broadleaved semi-natural woodland); Higher Coombeland (semi-natural broad-leaved woodland); Hensleigh group (extensive unimproved neutral grassland and semi-natural broad-leaved woodland) (Mid Devon County Wildlife Survey 2004).
The Exe Valley Plan -