VOLEHOUSE MOOR
DEVON WILDLIFE TRUST
Nearest Town: Woolfardisworthy
OS Map: SS 342 172
Location and access: From the A388, Bideford to Holsworthy road, turn off at Stibb Cross in the direction of Woolsery (Woolfardisworthy). This is a left turn if travelling in the direction of Bideford or right if travelling towards Holsworthy. From Stibb Cross continue in the direction of Woolsery for approximately 6.4km, passing through Thorne Moor Cross, Wrangworthy Cross and Common Moor. At Powler's Piece turn left towards Bradworthy and continue for just over 1.6km, passing over the River Torridge at Kismeldon Bridge. Two hundred metres after Kismeldon Bridge take the next right turn. Follow this road for a further 1.6km past Kismeldon Farm and East Volehouse Farm. Shortly after East Volehouse Farm there is a gate on the right. This is the entrance to the southern end of the nature reserve. To access the northern end, continue past the southern entrance and turn right at the next junction. Proceed down the hill and over the River Torridge. Four hundred metres past the river there is another gate on the right. This is the northern entrance.
Features:
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Culm Grassland
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Wildflowers
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Butterflies and insects
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Dormice
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 Volehouse Moor was bought by DWT in 1997 and is one of our finest Culm grassland reserves. With a tremendous mixture of grassland, woods and a stretch of the river Torridge, this is a very diverse site. On the south side of the river, purple moor grass predominates, though some fields are mostly covered by rushes. This shows that the land was improved for agriculture in the past but is now gradually reverting to Culm grassland. The whole area is managed by a mix of cattle grazing, swaling and scrub control. We encourage visitors to use environmentally friendly forms of transport wherever possible. Most of our reserves are easily accessible by bicycle, with many close to the National Cycle Network. Click here to view a location map of the reserve on the National Cycle Network website.
Walks
With no formal routes or recognised trails, visitors are free to explore as they like. There is no crossing point over the river so each half of the site must be explored separately. The going is generally rough and boggy and wellingtons are strongly advised, especially for the northern part. The southern part is easier and offers slightly less demanding terrain, though it is still extremely muddy in places.
 
More Information:
Vegetation
The dominant vegetation type at Volehouse Moor is Culm Grassland. This rough pastureland supports a wide variety of habitat types, mostly very wet in character and ranging from rush-dominated fields to areas dominated by very large purple moor-grass tussocks. These wet grasslands support a great diversity of plant species which includes impressive displays of heath-spotted orchid, meadow thistle, ragged robin and valerian. In the very wet areas bogbean can be found whereas the relatively drier areas are home to heathers and louseworts. Other parts of the nature reserve have been subject to various degrees of agricultural improvement leading to well-drained fields with a more uniform flora containing fewer plants. Some of these areas are gradually reverting to more species-rich grassland (although this is a process that takes many years) and in areas black knapweed and yellow rattle are becoming common. Elsewhere on the nature reserve there are areas of dense willow and oak scrub and on the south bank of the river stands a small woodland dominated by oak and ash with much willow and many fine hazels.
Fauna
In common with most Culm Grassland sites, Volehouse Moor supports important populations of many insects. The nature reserve is probably the best site Devon for the marsh fritillary butterfly at the moment, a European rarity whose main stronghold is in south-west England. Along the river in midsummer large numbers of beautiful demoiselles (Britain's most spectacular damselfly) can be seen. The nature reserve supports many species of bird including buzzards, tree pipits, blackcaps, garden warblers and even some woodland species such as woodpeckers. Kingfishers and otters frequent the river. Dormice inhabit the hedgerows and some of the dryer scrub.
Management
A combination of light summer grazing and winter burning or swaling is employed to maintain the rich diversity of grassland habitats. In some areas where scrub has encroached onto the grassland it has been cleared to allow the re-establishment of culm grassland. Some of the hedges will be laid or steeped, this will encourage good dense re-growth and a wider range of available habitats on the hedge banks.
Reports
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The Devon Wildlife Trust cares for some 40 nature reserves around the county, totaling more than 1,300 hectares (3,300 acres) in all.
