IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Chudleigh, NEWTON ABBOT, TQ13 0BT

The soundscape: birdsong. Dense pine and Norway Spruce forest to the right blocks traffic noise from the fast A380 about 800 metres away. Just here there is a stand of larch. To the left, oak, pine and birch and a short ride down to a track for forestry operations. The ride pictured seems to have been laid out for public access. It reaches a hairpin downslope then leads back to the unsigned car park Image No map seems to show exactly the paths and rides as they exist on the ground. The surface shows much broken flint: see Image

This well-made-up, if wet, track follows close to the perimeter of the triangular-shaped section of Haldon Forest between Ashcombe Cross, Beggar's Bush and Waddon Brakes.

The shallow root-plate is speckled with broken flints. "Sands and gravels of possibly Tertiary age and marine origin occur at 800 ft. O.D. on the Haldon Hills … much of the gravel consists of more or less worn masses of Chalk flint … although the nearest Chalk outlier now lies 15 miles away to the east" (British Regional Geology: South-West England). At some point this land was deemed suitable for forestry but trees falling over must always have been a risk. A map of 1906 shows heathland on this Haldon summit, with small fields and blocks of deciduous woodland on the slopes. The next map is not until 1954, showing the land afforested.

A forked lane junction not far from the A380, looking into the last light of the day.

Either natural regeneration is taking place or there has been some underplanting, using the spruce as a shade-casting nurse. The foliage and the elegant form suggest Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla). The foliage is similar to Yew but of varying length.

Looking across the field shown in Image from the lane on the right of it.

The lane, overhung with beech trees, runs beside an unnamed wood on the left, with wonderful views ahead across Chudleigh to the Teign valley and Dartmoor.

This must have been taken from the same spot as Image, looking to the left along the top edge of the field; the horses in Image are riding along the lane which runs behind the field boundary.

A little further down Image The wood on the left comes to an end just before the bend where the walker is.

Taken from beside the lane junction shown in Image; on the right, behind the beeches, is the lane shown in Image An expansive view opens out behind, with countryside near Chudleigh, and the Teign valley and Dartmoor beyond.