Holyford Woods. Colyford

I have been asked to write about the history of the woods for the benefit of people new to our area, and at the same time update those who know and love them. They have been special to me for over 60 years, so I needed no persuasion.

The quiet and peaceful woods are tucked away in a deep valley below Seaton Down, north of the A3052. The north side consists of oak and ash, under-grown with holly, hazel and hawthorn and some birch. The Holyford Brook runs along the valley, first through a rocky goyle, then a marsh filled with willow and alder. It flows to the Axe, on its way becoming Stafford Brook. The south side of the valley was mostly covered with furze, but conifers were planted in the 1960s. Most on The Hangings were felled in 2005, and this part has been left to regenerate naturally.

This magical place has not always been so peaceful. At times it must have echoed to saws and axes and many voices. In 1005, King Ethelred granted the boundaries of Flete (Seaton) and Colyton, still the Parish Boundary, along which a pathway, ‘Coombeway to Horregan’, ran up from the Axe valley to Horriford Farm, and into the woods. In Saxon times the valley was subdivided by banks, which are still evident, into wood pasture, and the names Bridewell Copse and Holyford Coppice still survive. Between 1647 and 1677 the tenant of Borcombe Farm, Southleigh had the right to take ‘hedgebote, stakebote, ploughbote and firebote’, and dig marl. Other local farmers must have held similar leases. There was regular coppicing, alder wood was taken out for clog making, firewood was collected, and animals grazed. Between the mid 19th Century and 1930 the area was owned by the Pole Estate of Shute. Charcoal was burned, and in 1889 lime from pits in the wood was burnt at Gatcombe Farm, south of the A3052.

By 1930 Seaton needed an increased water supply, so the Council made a reservoir at the eastern end of the Woods, and the water was pumped up to the water tower at the top of Seaton Down Hill. In 1954 East Devon Water Board took over and built the second reservoir in 1961, when the south side was cleared of furze and planted with conifers. Sensing a threat to the rest of the woods, Brigadier Nott-Bower successfully campaigned to preserve them, and that, together with the large number of people who signed a petition, saved them from further felling.

In 1974 South West Water took over the waterworks, and in 1980 planned a dam beside the pumping station that would flood the whole valley. The Holyford Woodland Preservation Society was formed. A well-publicised petition was handed to the Authority, pointing out that the woods were the only ancient woodlands with public access left in East Devon. Then a geological survey showed that the valley was not suitable for water storage; the pumping station closed and the reservoirs were left to nature.

In 2001 the Authority put the whole valley on the market, with the 56 acres of woodland as a separate lot. East Devon District Council Rural Affairs Officer Geoff Jones contacted local councils and societies, asking that letters should be sent to the Authority requesting the woods be saved as a valuable local public amenity.
The Holyford Woodland Preservation Society sprang into action. The local press were involved. Yet another petition was started, and letters written to all and sundry. A fund was set up to buy the woods. An open day was held on Tree Seed Gathering Day. The response was amazing, and AVDCS joined local councils and organisations offering support. By mid-November £22,500 had been pledged. Geoff Jones gave a strong recommendation to East Devon Planning Committee that led to a grant of £30,000 being set aside for the purchase. November 28th was a great day, when the submitted sealed bid was accepted by S.W. Water, and East Devon Policy Committee confirmed the £30,000 grant.

The resultant publicity led to more money being donated until the total exceeded £35,000. East Devon District Council took on the freehold of Holyford Woods with a 125-year Lease with the Woodland Preservation Society. The Society voted to form the legally constituted The Holyford Woodland Trust, with nine trustees. The Trust took on the lease, together with the preservation and protection of the ancient woods and the water sources within them. The Trust meets four times a year; anyone is welcome to attend.

The East Devon District Council Countryside Team, led by Fraser Rush, drew up a management plan, and care for the woods day-to-day. James Chubb, the Education Officer, leads parties of school children and students on study trips. There is a Bluebell Day every year. Work-parties arranged by AVDCS carry out glade clearance work, and the day-to-day strimming and removal of fallen timber is done by Dave Palmer, the Countryside Ranger. Members of the Trust keep an eye on everything.

The woods have received two awards. In 2004 English Nature awarded Holyford Woods Local Nature Reserve status, the 1000th in the country, and in 2007 they received a Green Flag Award, normally given to parks and open places The woods are only the second nature reserve to receive this.

If you go down to the woods today you will find peace and quiet, with so much to enjoy. This hidden valley is home to birds, deer, bats, dormice, butterflies, insects and flowers, particularly the breathtaking bluebells, and the stately foxgloves. Besides my seat at the top of Holyford Coppice, there are lots of fallen trees and stumps on which to sit and watch and listen. In spring the bird song can be quite deafening, Keep an eye open for the Roe buck. He is used to people and dogs. Recently he was only 20yards from me in the conifers, so relaxed that when a shower came he decided to lie down, in spite of the dog straining on his lead. Pure magic.

How lucky we are that so many people were prepared to save this perfect little corner for us and future generations to enjoy.