Photography by Brad Roach
Conservation
Dartmoor contains 10% of Europe’s Bronze Age remains and many of these sites are becoming smothered in gorse and bracken because there are so few grazing animals out on the moor. As a result, many of the projects that we undertake are tied to this archaeology.
Most of our long-term projects, such as the clearance of the Plymouth and Devonport Leats across Roborough Down, gorse and bracken clearance at Buckland Common Settlement and bracken clearance at Venford Reservoir farmstead are funded by organisations such as the Roborough Commoners Association, Historic England and South West Water.
We also undertake habitat improvement projects creating butterfly friendly habitats at Common Wood, near Horndon and on Roborough Down.
Projects on DPA Land
The DPA owns 4 pieces of land on Dartmoor. We run a monthly programme of conservation work on our land at High House Waste, near Cornwood.
Work parties carry out gorse and bracken control to improve moorland biodiversity, encourage natural tree regeneration and conserve the archaeological features.
The DPA has owns a set of hay meadows at Pudsham Down. The volunteers are carrying out a land management programme to enhance the growth of flowers and encourage nesting birds.
The summer orchid count recorded over 4,500, of 5 different species in just 3 small fields.
