The National Trust rangers have been working hard to clear more than 300 fallen trees from footpaths and roads across West Exmoor following Storm Darragh.
This clearance work will restore access to miles of footpaths and ensure local roads are safe for drivers once again.
The West Exmoor team look after 1,200 acres of woodland, an area roughly the size of 16,000 tennis courts, containing around 400,000 trees. Nearly every footpath was blocked by fallen trees during the storm including the popular circular walk from Heddon Valley down to Heddon’s Mouth and preventing access to Watersmeet Tea-room.
Amy U’Ren, volunteering and community officer, said: “In the darker, gloomier months, access to nature is even more crucial for our wellbeing, and the rangers have been flat-out each day with their chainsaws working to get footpaths and access back to these special places.”
In the wider woods away from the footpaths and roads over 1,000 trees have fallen during the storm. However, there is one unexpected opportunity that has come out of this difficult situation. A number of the trees that have fallen within woodland that are not blocking paths will be left where they lie as ‘deadwood’ – a fantastic habitat for wildlife.
Tyler Farrow, a West Exmoor ranger, said: “Positives we can take away from this is that the newly opened areas of the canopy, due to fallen trees, will allow more light to reach the forest floor, encourage the growth of wildflowers and other species that are great winter food for songbirds, insects, and small mammals. This light also allows new trees to grow, creating a more diverse structure of tree ages and heights in the woodland, whilst also benefitting rare lichens.”
To find out more about our work, visiting or volunteering please visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/heddon-valley