Our work at Fingle Woods

An ancient woodland

Fingle Woods is an 825-acre ancient woodland site located in the Teign Valley on the northern fringes of Dartmoor National Park in Devon. It is located downstream of Fingle Bridge on the southern side of the river.

In 2013 the site was bought by the National Trust and Woodland Trust to restore it for the benefit of wildlife and public access.

The restoration plan for Fingle

The plan now is to restore the ancient woodland which has been damaged by the planting of non-native conifers, and gradually return the wood to its former glory.

This will take over 200 years and is one of the largest woodland restoration projects in the country.

Only two per cent of woodland in the UK is ancient woodland, and this is why restoring woodland like Fingle is so important, to protect the long-term future of the species that thrive here.

Wildlife at Fingle Woods

The unspoilt fragments of the woods are home to an abundance of wildlife.

The wild daffodils in early spring give way to bluebells in early summer to create a continuous carpet of colour across the dappled woodland, reflecting the distinct character of this part of the area.

Redstarts and wood warblers can be seen along the woodland edges while pied flycatchers, typically found on the western coast, hunt for insects in the mature undergrowth, and wetland species thrive in the fertile grounds bordering the River Teign.