Devon self catering cottage and eco lodges
Part of the reason Popehouse moor is so special is simply that there's not much of this habitat left. Devon and Cornwall have lost 92 per cent of their culm grassland since 1900. A staggering 62% of sites and 48% of the total area disappeared between 1984 and 1991, much of it falling foul of modern farming or land reclamation.
At various times of the year, you're likely to find greater bird's-foot trefoil, meadow thistle, marsh thistle, devil's-bit scabious (the main food plant for the larvae of the rare marsh fritillary butterfly), ragged robin, saw-wort, lousewort, bog pimpernel, sneezewort (once thought to help clear stuffy heads!), cuckoo-flower and wild angelica, and an abundance of heath spotted orchid and southern marsh orchid.
Where it gets boggy, sphagnum moss thrives alongside delicate marsh violets, the lacy-fringed flower spires of bog bean.
The pasture also supports some important insects and animals. The Marsh fritillary, a spectacular butterfly with wings reminiscent of stained glass windows, has bred here in the past. It flies from mid May to mid July. This butterfly is listed as a priority species in the UK's biodiversity action plan, and is on Annex II of the European Union's Habitats Directive. It is part of the reason why protecting culm grassland is so important.
This secluded oasis is bordered on one side by a stream, where otter sometimes venture in the winter months. These charismatic creatures have even taken fish from our fishing pond!
The rules...
There are a few common sense 'house rules' for the reserve-such as no flower picking please, and no dogs. But other than that guests at our holiday lodges are welcome to share this special place with us. If you'd like more of a guided tour, we'd love to take you for a walk through the SSSI, and if you're an expert naturalist, we hope you'll add to our growing knowledge of this treasure.
Wildlife in Popehouse Moor SSSI nature reserve, Wheatland Farm
We take wildlife conservation seriously, encouraging dormice, barn owls, swallows, deer, foxes, badgers, otters, hedgerow birds and wildflowers across the farm as well as around the holiday cottage and lodges.
We're also lucky enough to have a 7-acre private nature reserve, which visiting wildlife lovers can enjoy and explore. Natural England (the government agency responsible for conserving the UK's wildlife) calls Popehouse Moor 'one of the best examples of the Culm grasslands of north Devon and north-east Cornwall' and has designated it a Site of Special Scientific Interest, marking it out as amongst the country's very best wildlife and geological sites.
To find out more about Popehouse Moor's wildlife, and how we work to conserve it with traditional grazing and scrub bashing, please visit the nature blog.
To find out more about findings of our 2009 botanical survey, click the link below.
Culm grassland is pasture dominated by purple moor grass, Molinia caerulea, and rushes, especially sharp-flowered rush Juncus acutiflorus. Some of the plant communities on Popehouse moor have a very restricted distribution across the country, and several rare and locally important plants grow here, including Wavy St Johns-Wort, Hypericum undulatum.
In July 2009 we had a botanical survey, concentrating on Popehouse Moor but including a few other plants spotted on the way down there. And this is what it turned up, 192 different plants, including grasses and 11 sedges. The Parrot's-feather might be dropping off this list soon though - it's an invasive non-native water weed at the moment found only in one small place - and so removed. Many many thanks to the botanists from the Devonshire Association for all their expertise.
Achillea millefolium Yarrow
Achillea ptarmica Sneezewort
Agrostis canina sens. lat. Velvet Bent
Agrostis capillaris Common Bent
Agrostis stolonifera Creeping Bent
Ajuga reptans Bugle
Alnus glutinosa Alder
Alopecurus geniculatus Marsh Foxtail
Anagallis arvensis Scarlet Pimpernel
Angelica sylvestris Wild Angelica
Anthoxanthum odoratum Sweet Vernal-grass
Anthriscus sylvestris Cow Parsley
Arctium minus Lesser Burdock
Arrhenatherum elatius False Oat-Grass
Arenaria serpyllifolia sens. lat. Thyme leaved sandwort
Asplenium trichomanes Maidenhair Spleenwort
Athyrium filix-femina Lady-fern
Bellis perennis Daisy
Betula pubescens Downy Birch
Blechnum spicant Hard-fern
Callitriche stagnalis sens. lat. Common Water Starwort
Calluna vulgaris Heather
Cardamine flexuosa Wavy Bitter-cress
Cardamine pratensis Cuckooflower
Carex binervis Green-ribbed Sedge
Carex echinata Star Sedge
Carex hostiana Tawny Sedge
Carex laevigata Smooth-Stalked Sedge
Carex nigra Common Sedge
Carex ovalis Oval Sedge
Carex panicea Carnation Sedge
Carex paniculata Greater Tussock-sedge
Carex pendula Pendulous Sedge
Carex remota Remote Sedge
Carex viridula subsp. oedocarpa Common Yellow-sedge
Castanea sativa Sweet Chestnut
Centaurea nigra Common Knapweed
Cerastium fontanum Common Mouse-ear
Cerastium glomeratum Sticky Mouse-ear
Chaerophyllum temulum Rough Chervil
Circaea lutetiana Enchanter's-nightshade
Cirsium arvense Creeping Thistle
Cirsium dissectum Meadow Thistle
Cirsium palustre Marsh Thistle
Epilobium parviflorum Hoary Willowherb
Equisetum arvense Field Horsetail
Eupatorium cannabinum Hemp-agrimony
Fagus sylvatica Beech
Festuca rubra agg. Red Fescue
Filipendula ulmaria Meadowsweet
Fraxinus excelsior Ash
Galeopsis tetrahit agg. Common Hemp-nettle (agg.)
Galium aparine Cleavers
Galium palustre Marsh-bedstraw
Galium uliginosum Fen Bedstraw
Geranium pyrenaicum Hedgerow Crane's-bill
Geranium robertianum Herb-Robert
Geum urbanum Wood Avens
Glyceria fluitans Floating Sweet-grass
Gnaphalium uliginosum Marsh Cudweed
Hedera helix Common Ivy
Heracleum sphondylium Hogweed
Holcus lanatus Yorkshire-fog
Holcus mollis Creeping Soft-grass
Hyacinthoides non-scripta Bluebell
Hydrocotyle vulgaris Marsh Pennywort
Hypericum pulchrum Slender St John's-wort
Hypericum tetrapterum Square-stalked St John's-wort
Hypericum undulatum Wavy St John's-wort
Hypochaeris radicata Cat's-ear
Ilex aquifolium Holly
Isolepis setacea Bristle Club-rush
Juncus acutiflorus Sharp-flowered Rush
Juncus bufonius sens. lat. Toad Rush
Juncus conglomeratus Compact Rush
Juncus effusus Soft-rush
Lapsana communis Nipplewort
Lathyrus linifolius Bitter-vetch
Lemna minor Common Duckweed
Leucanthemum vulgare Oxeye Daisy
Lolium perenne Perennial Rye-grass
Lonicera periclymenum Honeysuckle
Cirsium vulgare Spear Thistle
Conopodium majus Pignut
Coronopus didymus Lesser Swine-cress
Corylus avellana Hazel
Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn
Crepis capillaris Smooth Hawk's-beard
Cynosurus cristatus Crested Dog's-tail
Dactylis glomerata Cock's-foot
Dactylorhiza maculata Heath Spotted-orchid
Dactylorhiza praetermissa Southern Marsh-orchid
Daucus carota Wild Carrot
Deschampsia cespitosa Tufted Hair-grass
Digitalis purpurea Foxglove
Dipsacus fullonum sens. lat. Wild Teasel
Dryopteris affinis Scaly Male-fern
Dryopteris dilatata Broad Buckler-fern
Epilobium montanum Broad-leaved Willowherb
Epilobium obscurum Short-fruited Willowherb
Epilobium palustre Marsh Willowherb
Lotus pedunculatus Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil
Luzula campestris Field Wood-rush
Luzula multiflora Heath Wood-rush
Lychnis flos-cuculi Ragged-Robin
Matricaria discoidea Pineappleweed
Melampyrum pratense Common Cow-wheat
Mentha aquatica Water Mint
Menyanthes trifoliata Bogbean
Molinia caerulea Purple Moor-grass
Myosotis arvensis Field Forget-me-not
Myosotis secunda Creeping Forget-me-not
Myosotis ramosissima Early Forget-me-not
Oenanthe crocata Hemlock Water-dropwort
Oxalis acetosella Wood-sorrel
Pedicularis palustris Marsh Lousewort
Pedicularis sylvatica Lousewort
Persicaria hydropiper Water-pepper
Persicaria maculosa Redshank
Phleum pratense sens. lat. Timothy grass
Plantago lanceolata Ribwort Plantain
Plantago major Greater Plantain
Poa annua Annual Meadow-grass
Poa nemoralis Wood Meadow-grass
Poa trivialis Rough Meadow-grass
Polygonum aviculare agg. Knot-grass (agg.)
Polypodium interjectum Intermediate Polypody
Populus tremula Aspen
Potentilla erecta Tormentil
Potentilla sterilis Barren Strawberry
Primula vulgaris Primrose
Prunella vulgaris Selfheal
Pulicaria dysenterica Common Fleabane
Quercus robur Pedunculate Oak
Ranunculus acris Meadow Buttercup
Ranunculus flammula Lesser Spearwort
Ranunculus hederaceus Ivy-leaved Crowfoot
Ranunculus repens Creeping Buttercup
Ranunculus lingua Greater Spearwort
Senecio aquaticus Marsh Ragwort
Senecio jacobaea Common Ragwort
Senecio vulgaris Groundsel
Serratula tinctoria Saw-wort
Silene dioica Red Campion
Solanum dulcamara Bittersweet
Sonchus arvensis Perennial Sow-thistle
Sonchus asper Prickly Sow-thistle
Sonchus oleraceus Smooth Sow-thistle
Sorbus aucuparia Rowan
Stachys officinalis Betony
Stachys palustris Marsh Woundwort
Stachys sylvatica Hedge Woundwort
Stellaria holostea Greater Stitchwort
Stellaria uliginosa Bog Stitchwort
Succisa pratensis Devil's-bit Scabious
Taraxacum aggregate Dandelion
Teucrium scorodonia Wood Sage
Trifolium dubium Lesser Trefoil
Myriophyllum aquaticum Parrot's-feather
Rhinanthus minor Yellow-rattle
Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum agg. Water Cress
Rosa arvensis Field-rose
Rumex acetosa Common Sorrel
Veronica scutellata Marsh Speedwell
Ranunculus sceleratus Celery-leaved Buttercup
Cichorium intybus Chicory
Rumex obtusifolius Broad-leaved Dock
Rumex sanguineus Wood Dock
Sagina procumbens Procumbent Pearlwort
Salix aurita Eared Willow
Salix cinerea subsp. oleifolia Rusty Willow
Salix repens Creeping Willow
Salix x multinervis S. aurita x cinerea
Sambucus nigra Elder
Sanicula europaea Sanicle
Scrophularia auriculata Water Figwort
Scutellaria minor Lesser Skullcap
Trifolium pratense Red Clover
Trifolium repens White Clover
Tripleurospermum inodorum Scentless Mayweed
Typha latifolia Bulrush
Ulex europaeus Gorse
Ulex gallii Western Gorse
Urtica dioica Common Nettle
Valeriana officinalis Common Valerian
Veronica arvensis Wall Speedwell
Veronica beccabunga Brooklime
Veronica serpyllifolia Thyme-leaved Speedwell
Vicia hirsuta Hairy Tare
Viola palustris Marsh Violet
Viola riviniana Common Dog-violet
Vulpia bromoides Squirreltail Fescue
July 2009 survey
