By: Blonde One
Site of Special Scientific Interest – Ideford Common
Luckily for me, Ideford Common is within a stone’s throw of work. I can get there within a few minutes drive and now that the evenings are getting lighter I hope to be able to visit there more times than I have ever done previously. Despite working at Trinity School for over 4 years, I have never ventured up to Ideford Common until this month. Lots of people have recommended it to me and I can now see why. It is a little bit like a flat Exmoor, as you can get some great sea views whilst being in the middle of moorland surrounded by gorgeous gorse bushes.
It holds SSSI status (site of special scientific interest) and has a wealth of features to keep us all interested. It represents about 2% of the remaining lowland heaths in Devon and is home to many birds and invertebrates. Binoculars are recommended! There are also historical sites of interest within the common as you will see from the map showing cairns. There are several points on the common to give great views either over to Dartmoor or down to the sea at Teignmouth.
It’s always good to explore new places and this one is definitely on the list to return to and maybe even to bring a Bronze DofE group to.
