Haddon hill overlooks Wimbleball Lake, the largest inland lake in the South West, and is mostly heathland with it's own herd of Exmoor ponies
Haddon Hill offers uncrowded walking.
Haddon Hill is one of the few
remaining blocks of lowland heathland on the Brendon Hills to the east of the National Park with most areas having either been ploughed for agricultural use or planted with conifers since the 1970s. Haddon Hill is particularly important for wildlife and has been recognised under a European directive as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) as well as being a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It supports a healthy colony of heath fritillary butterfly, a species which is nationally endangered.
Hadborough Plantation, which lies to the south of the main heathland block, was planted with conifers in the 1970s when many areas of heathland were lost. In 2003 the process of restoring the site back to heathland began as a large area of the conifers was felled and the stumps ground down. Left to its
own devices, heathland plants such as heather, bell heather, tormentil, whortleberry, purple moor-grass and gorse began to appear and by the summer of 2004 there was a purple haze across the site as small heather plants flowered. The growth of heathland vegetation has been so successful that management is now required to ensure that species such as gorse do not become too dominant. In November 2004, the Exmoor ponies which graze on the hill were moved onto the new heathland compartment. During the winter, gorse can form 30% of an Exmoor pony's diet, so they are ideal animals for keeping gorse in check allowing the other plants to thrive.
As you cross the ford on Haddon Hill, you will see the remains of a miniature mock castle can be seen. This was once part of the pleasure grounds of a small country house which stood at Withiel Florey. The house was built at the end of the eighteenth century and pulled down by 1830. It was surrounded by a small park with lakes and gardens, now all reverted to farmland.
At the end of this pleasure ground, in a beech copse, are the ruins of one of the estate workers cottages, disguised as any 'eyecatcher' in the form of a mock castle, to be seen from the house.
There is a National Park Authority car-park just off the B3190 at Grid Ref SS969285.
Haddon Hill looking over Wimbleball Reservoir
(contributed by Andrew Caldwell of Weatherham Farm) |
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