Blackdown Hills

Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) straddles the border between Devon and Somerset in southwest England, covering approximately 370 square kilometres of upland heath, ancient woodland, traditional farmland, and deep wooded valleys known locally as combes. Designated in 1991, the AONB protects a plateau landscape rising to 315 metres at its highest point on Beacon Hill, underlain by Cretaceous Upper Greensand that gives the area its characteristic soils, vegetation, and panoramic views. The Blackdown Hills represent a distinctive element of the Devon and Somerset landscape, less visited than Exmoor or Dartmoor but valued for their quiet, rural character and exceptional biodiversity. The area is characterized by a network of small farms, ancient lanes, and hedgerow-lined fields that together constitute a cultural landscape of considerable historical depth.

The Blackdown Hills support exceptional biodiversity associated with the mosaic of habitats maintained by traditional low-intensity farming practices. The area is nationally important for dormice, with the dense hedgerow network providing the connectivity these animals require to move between patches of woodland and scrub. Several species of bat, including the greater horseshoe bat, use the wooded combes and hedgerow corridors for foraging. Buzzard, sparrowhawk, and peregrine falcon are resident raptors. The heathland areas on the plateau summit support Dartford warbler, stonechat, and nightjar, all species associated with lowland heath. The flower-rich meadows, increasingly rare in the intensively farmed British landscape, support diverse invertebrate communities including several declining butterfly species. Brown trout inhabit the headwater streams draining the plateau.

The Blackdown Hills contain a high diversity of plant habitats reflecting the varied geology, soils, and historical land management of the area. Ancient semi-natural woodland occupies the steep valley sides, dominated by sessile oak with hazel coppice understory in many areas. These ancient woods support rich bryophyte communities and shade-tolerant herbs including wild garlic, bluebell, and dog's mercury. The plateau top carries remnant heathland vegetation including heather, cross-leaved heath, and western gorse, most extensive near Staple Hill. Traditional hay meadows on the valley floors retain diverse flora including yellow rattle, meadow cranesbill, and several orchid species. Roadside hedgebanks, a particularly distinctive feature of the Devon-Somerset landscape, are ancient habitat features supporting rich communities of ferns, mosses, and wildflowers.

The Blackdown Hills are underlain primarily by Upper Greensand, a Cretaceous sedimentary deposit of marine origin consisting of glauconitic sandstone and calcareous beds. This resistant rock forms the plateau and gives the area its distinctive elevated character relative to the surrounding lower ground of the Vale of Taunton Deane and the Axe valley. The Upper Greensand weathers to produce a distinctive reddish-brown soil that is relatively acidic and well-drained on the plateau, supporting heathland vegetation. Where springs issue from the base of the Greensand, the groundwater has filtered through the rock and emerges as particularly pure, lime-rich water that feeds the clear headwater streams of the area. Exposures of the underlying Chalk are absent from the Blackdown Hills proper, but chalk flints are found as transported materials in some valley deposits.

The Blackdown Hills experience a temperate oceanic climate characteristic of southwest England, with mild winters, warm summers, and precipitation distributed throughout the year. The elevated plateau receives significantly higher rainfall than the surrounding lowlands, with annual totals typically between 1,000 and 1,200 millimetres. The plateau is exposed to prevailing southwesterly winds coming off the Atlantic, which carry moisture from the ocean and deposit significant rainfall against the western-facing slopes and plateau. Winters are mild by British standards, with frosts occurring but prolonged freezing periods being uncommon. Snow falls occasionally on the higher ground but rarely persists for more than a few days. Summer temperatures are pleasant, with July averages around sixteen to eighteen degrees Celsius. Mist and low cloud are common on the plateau during autumn and winter.

The Blackdown Hills have been settled and farmed since prehistoric times, with evidence of Bronze Age activity including hillforts and burial mounds on the higher ground. The Iron Age hillfort at Castle Neroche, strategically positioned on the western escarpment, testifies to the defensive importance of the plateau margin during the pre-Roman period. The area was used as a hunting forest by medieval Norman lords, with the Forest of Neroche covering much of the western Blackdowns and managed as a royal hunting ground. Traditional agricultural practices including cattle grazing, hay making, and coppice management of woodland have shaped the landscape over many centuries and directly maintain the biodiversity values for which the AONB is designated. The many ancient lanes and hedgebanks of the area reflect centuries of agricultural organization.

The Blackdown Hills were designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1991, recognizing the scenic quality and ecological importance of the landscape. AONBs are a protected landscape designation in England and Wales that carries planning policy protections without creating the management infrastructure of a national park. A dedicated Blackdown Hills AONB Partnership was established to coordinate management of the designated area, bringing together local authorities, Natural England, land management organizations, and community groups. The partnership produced a management plan setting out priorities for landscape, biodiversity, and community objectives. The area contains several Sites of Special Scientific Interest within its boundaries, providing additional legal protection for the most ecologically sensitive habitats. The AONB has participated in agri-environment schemes that incentivize farmers to maintain traditional land management practices.

The Blackdown Hills offer extensive opportunities for walking, cycling, and horse riding through a quiet, atmospheric landscape of wooded combes, traditional farmland, and upland heath. The Blackdown Hills section of the Two Moors Way long-distance footpath passes through the area, providing a waymarked route for multi-day walkers. The summit of Wellington Monument, a tall obelisk erected to commemorate the Duke of Wellington's victory at Waterloo, offers panoramic views across Devon and Somerset from its position on the plateau edge. The ancient woodland of the Neroche Forest at Castle Neroche has been enhanced with waymarked trails and interpretive features. The characteristic deep, narrow lanes of the Blackdowns are particularly appreciated by cyclists seeking quiet routes. The village of Hemyock, with its castle remains, is a popular historical attraction within the AONB.

The Blackdown Hills AONB is located approximately 15 kilometres south of Taunton in Somerset and 15 kilometres north of Honiton in Devon, with the M5 motorway providing good access to the northern part of the AONB from Taunton. The main towns serving as bases for visitors are Wellington in Somerset and Honiton in Devon, both offering accommodation and services. A network of minor roads provides access to many parts of the AONB by car, though public transport within the hill area is limited. The AONB Partnership provides walking and cycling route information, maps, and guidance through its website and printed materials. Several farm-based visitor attractions, including nature reserves and farm shops, are located within the AONB. Self-catering holiday accommodation is available in many rural properties throughout the area.

Conservation priorities in the Blackdown Hills AONB focus on maintaining the traditional farming landscape and its associated biodiversity in the face of agricultural intensification and rural economic change. The continuation of low-intensity livestock grazing and traditional hay meadow management is considered essential for maintaining the flower-rich grasslands and the associated invertebrate and bird communities. Agri-environment agreements with individual farmers form the primary mechanism for delivering conservation objectives across the privately owned land that makes up most of the AONB. The ancient woodland areas require ongoing management, including restoration of lapsed coppice, to maintain their structural diversity and biodiversity value. Hedgerow management is a significant concern, with inappropriate flail cutting threatening the dormouse habitat network. The AONB Partnership works to engage local communities in understanding and valuing the landscape through education and volunteering programmes.