The Exmoor Coast Project is a landscape-scale project covering 35 miles of coastline between Combe Martin in North Devon and Minehead in West Somerset. This ambitious project is a collaborative effort to increase diversity and bring natural processes back to this stretch of coastline, creating a richer, healthier and more vibrant coast, benefiting both the wildlife and people.
22nd April - 31st May
Spring's here and the trees are bursting with pink and white petals. Join in with the celebration of blossom and discover a range of events and walks to recharge.
For many people, blossom is a symbol of hope and renewal as the winter fades. The Exmoor coast blossom programme seeks to inspire everyone, everywhere to celebrate blossom season and connect people with nature, beauty and history. In addition, this initiative aims to encourage tree planting, bringing benefits to wildlife and pollinators, as well as enhancing the beauty of the visual landscape.
The Exmoor coast Blossom Festival provides an opportunity for people to connect with nature and each other in a joyful celebration.
Over the past 30 years, human activity has changed Exmoor’s landscape, causing a 40% decline in wildlife and nature. Much of the land is now dominated by single-species habitats, reducing biodiversity. Heavy grazing has damaged grasslands and heath, while thin, compacted soils mean water runs off quickly, worsened by historic drainage and burning for agriculture. Our woodlands also face threats from invasive species like grey squirrels and rhododendron, along with sustained browsing pressure from deer.
On the Exmoor Coast, we're working to reverse this decline by restoring 35 miles of coastal land, which involves:
Over the last 5 years with the help of staff, volunteers and supporters, we’ve planted nearly 150,000 trees, creating 170 hectares of new woodland, 90 hectares of wetland, and 15 hectares of wildflower meadows. Find out more about our work below.
‘To create a resilient, connected mosaic of habitats for nature to thrive and for people to enjoy. Resulting in a sustainable landscape serving people whilst caring for the environment and the wildlife within.’
This rare butterfly has declined by 65% since 1978 and is now only found in a handful of locations in the UK. But in the Heddon Valley, we're helping it thrive by restoring its vital habitat. Mangalitsa pigs and English Longhorn cattle are being used as 'living lawnmowers' to create space for Common Dog-violets, the caterpillars' main food source.
Thanks to our collaboration with Butterfly Conservation and our fantastic volunteers, we've planted 508 violets, sown 6,000 violet seeds, improved 5 hectares of woodlands, cleared 1.5 hectares of scrub, and created 5.6 hectares of grassland habitat to ensure this butterfly has a future.
Once a fundamental part of our landscape, the Pine Marten is now critically endangered in England and Wales. But exciting work is now underway to restore this animal to the areas in which it used to thrive.
The Two Moors Pine Marten Project is working to reintroduce Pine Martens to both Exmoor and Dartmoor. This project is in partnership with Dartmoor National Park, Exmoor National Park, Somerset Wildlife Trust, Forestry England and the Woodland Trust.
Find out more about this project here.
Our aim is to establish the longest continuous stretch of temperate rainforest along the Exmoor Coast, linking West Exmoor and West Somerset across 35 miles of connected habitats.
Temperate rainforests, also known as Atlantic or Celtic rainforests, are characterised by their wet climate, making them the perfect home for a unique variety of rare ferns, mosses, lichens and other wildlife including pine martens and pied flycatchers. They are also a key player in protecting both the UK’s biodiversity and helping to tackle climate change. However, over centuries much of the UK's temperate rainforest has been lost, due to air pollution, non-native invasive species, deforestation, intensive land management and diseases like ash dieback.
We already begun to increase our woodlands and we are continuing to expand this work across the whole of Exmoor coast. With a landscape-scale approach, we aim to restore and protect this vital habitat for both wildlife and people.
We are implementing conservation grazing across 1,800 hectares with the use of Old English Longhorn cattle, Exmoor ponies and Mangalitsa pigs. These animals each have a different style of grazing and browsing, which contributes to a more natural environment. Pigs turn up the soil and allow plants to seed, cattle browse and break up vegetation which allows more light to reach the ground, and pony grazing creates patches of short sward. All of this encourages diverse plant growth and results in a healthier habitat where wildflowers, insects, and all the species that rely on them can thrive.
The cattle are fitted with “no-fence” collars. These relatively new pieces of equipment allow the cows to be tracked using GPS and mean that we can use virtual patch margins to contain them without the use of fences. This technology allows us to graze the area without physical fences that would disrupt the landscape or limit public access.
Our community project work connects people with nature, particularly for those who may have had limited access to outdoor experiences. The Blossom Project is one example of this engagement work. Thanks to this project, we have gifted approximately 420 trees to local schools, community groups, and residents, promoting environmental stewardship and biodiversity.
Working in partnership with a range of local groups and organisations, we offer enriching outdoor experiences – such as forest school days and rockpool rambles – tailored to engage and inspire individuals of all ages. We also support local initiatives, including the planting of 21 heritage apple trees at the new Lynton Community Orchard. In addition, we regularly host public events, including the popular Wassailing celebrations at Heddon Valley, a much-loved tradition that brings the community together each winter in a joyful celebration of nature, music, and orchard heritage.
We look forward to continuing these partnerships and creating more opportunities for the community to connect with and enjoy nature.
2021
We welcomed the arrival of three mangolista pigs at Tattiscombe in 2021. As they turn up the ground, they create seeding opportunities and a varied grassland structure. This is part of the 1800 hectares of conservation grazing along the Exmoor coast. We have been making space for nature at Tattiscombe with new ponds and wetland areas, which support a wide variety of insects, amphibians and birds.
This project is funded by the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund. The fund is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.
