93 LODDISWELL


Heritage The name of Loddiswell derives from ‘Lod’s Well’, after a well in the village belonging centuries ago to somebody with the Saxon name of Lod. The well can still be seen in the village today, rebuilt and refurbished. A chapel was first built in Loddiswell in the years after the Norman Conquest, on lands granted by William the Conqueror. The font is all that remains of that original building, and is housed in the present Church of St Michael and All An- gels. The church as it stands today dates from the 14th Century. Loddiswell was at one time


known for the production of ochre, a mineral pigment dug from fields in the area. Found in yellow and red hues, it was com- monly used to paint houses. The railway line along the banks of the river used to carry the ‘Primrose Line’ between Kingsbridge and South Brent. The railway had a relatively short life, with the first train running in 1893, and the last only 70 years later. The route passes by the old Loddiswell train station which still retains the distinctive character of a rural branch line station.


Landscape Woodleigh Wood, alongside which you walk after crossing the railway bridge, is owned and managed by the Woodland Trust. The Trust works to protect, increase, and enhance


our native woodlands. There are now over 1000 woods new and old in its care, and Woodleigh Wood was the first of these sites to be bought after the formation of the Trust in 1972. Neighbouring land has been planted as a new wood in the memory of the Trust’s founder, Kenneth Watkins OBE. For more information on the Woodland Trust visit www. woodland-trust.org.uk.


Wildlife Hazel trees flank the stream between Reads Farm and the river. The trees were traditionally harvested by cutting every few years and then leaving them to regrow - a practice known as coppicing. Strong,


supple, and versatile, the wood is often used to make hurdles. (a kind of rustic, movable fencing). Jays can be seen and heard along this stretch of the walk. The size of a small crow, the Jay has a harsh, excitable call. A colourful bird, it has white and black markings against pinkish- brown plumage, and a brilliant blue patch on the wing. The riverside woods are rich


and diverse. Trees include Oak, Beech, Sycamore and Holly. Some Sweet Chestnut also grows here, with its serrated leaves, bristling spiky fruit cases, and character- istic bark forming a spiral design around the trunks of older trees. On the ground here grow the nar- row green blades of Wood Sedge, clumped together. These woods are home to the


Dormouse. This is a beautiful and rarely seen creature with golden brown fur, a thick bushy tail and large dark eyes. Their old English name was ‘sleeper’,and they spend up to three quarters oftheir lives asleep,cocooned in nests woven from honeysuckle bark and grasses. Daytime sightings of the


Otter are rare, but you may see their droppings on stones at the water’s edge. This ‘spraint’ is a


small, tarry deposit with a richly musky smell. Birds found close to the water include the Grey Wagtail, an elegant yellow and grey bird. It is often seen on rocks by the water, bobbing its long tail rapidly. The Dipper, another river dweller, is a small plump bird with rich brown plumage and a white bib. With a characteristic whirring flight low over the water, it also possesses the amazing ability to walk along the riverbed under the surface of the water. Between April and October, the Pond Skater is a common sight, often in groups on slower moving water close to the riverbank. These remarkable insects live suspended on the surface of the water, ‘rowing’ themselves along with flicks of their long legs. They are covered in fine velvety hairs which stop them falling through into the water below.


© South Devon AONB July 2009


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