Rare woodland near Lustleigh gains key Dartmoor conservation boost

A 10-acre woodland site near Lustleigh has been formally recognised for its importance to wildlife, in a move conservationists say will provide ‘vital protection’ in future planning decisions.

The woodland at Wray Valley, in the Dartmoor National Park, has been designated a County Wildlife Site (CWS) by the Devon Biodiversity Records Centre. 

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An expert survey was carried out by Richard Green Ecology and resulted in the area receiving the special designation.

County Wildlife Site status is a non-statutory designation, meaning it does not give direct legal protection, however, it is treated as a “material consideration” in the planning process.

This means councils are required to take the site’s ecological value into account when assessing development proposals.

Wray Valley has been identified as containing rare ‘wet woodland’ and ‘lowland deciduous habitats’ which are considered important at county level.

ABOVE: A view of the rare wet woodland at Wray Valley (Photo credit: Wray Valley)

Michelle Grist, co-owner of the Wray Valley site, said the recognition marked “a proud moment for us as stewards of this valley”.

“This new planning protection helps us safeguard these rare ‘nature sponges’ for generations to come,” she said.

The site also operates as a small B&B and campsite set within the woodland. 

According to the owners, visitors are able to stay within the surrounding habitat, although the designation applies to the woodland itself rather than the tourism business.

To guide future conservation work, a formal woodland management plan has been produced by the Bulworthy Project. 

The plan focuses on improving biodiversity across the site despite there being no legal requirement to do so.

County Wildlife Sites represent some of the most significant wildlife areas in Devon outside nationally protected Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). 

ABOVE: Guests at Wray Valley can stay in the B&B or ‘nearly-wild’ campsite (Photo credit: Wray Valley)

They are identified through scientific survey and local expert review.

The survey work at Wray Valley was supported by Dartmoor National Park’s Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, which funds projects that benefit nature, climate, heritage and communities within protected landscapes.

Wray Valley’s owners say conservation has been a long-term focus for the site, which has previously received a Green Tourism Gold award and a Devon tourism sustainability award.

The newly designated woodland lies within the Wray Valley landscape east of Lustleigh, an area known for ancient woodland, steep river valleys and traditional farmland on the eastern fringe of Dartmoor.