WHERE OUR SHEEP LIVE
Our sheep live in the heart of the Devon countryside on free-draining, south-facing slopes, looking out to the hills of Dartmoor. No harmful chemicals are used on our sheep or on the land. The pastures are rich in herbs and wild flowers and are surrounded by deciduous woodland. Each field has its own area of woodland to provide natural shelter for the sheep. However some of the woodland is kept sheep-free to allow the trees, the flowers, the birds and the wildlife to thrive.
Click on a picture below to enlarge the view.

THE MEADOWS. The fields are sloping and face South, so they are free draining and  dry quickly in the sun and the winds. Usually the weather can be seen coming over from the hills of Dartmoor in the distance.                We avoid using weedkillers and fertilisers, so with each year the variety of herbs and wildflowers in the meadows increases.

NATURAL SHELTER. Each field has its own area of woodland as natural shelter for the sheep. The sheep love it, and not just on wet or windy days. Here they are enjoying the shade on a hot day in July.                                  However as you can see sheep can cause some damage to the trees and the banks. So ....

THE WOODLANDS. We keep some areas of woodland sheep free. They are home to a wide variety of birds, plants and animals.                                             The flowers start with primroses in march followed by bluebells, celandines, stitchwort, foxgloves, spotted orchids, etc. etc.

WILDLIFE IN THE WOODS. Rabbits, stoats, weasels, voles, shrews and badgers all live in or around the woods. It has been claimed that all five types of deer to be found in Britain use these woods, and this remarkable picture proves it. Unbelievably all five types can be seen here at once!           If you are having trouble spotting them click on the next picture for a slightly different camera angle.

BANKS AND HEDGES. The woodland is extended by wildlife corridors, banks and hedges, which are also kept sheep free. This increases further the number of birds, insects and plants able to enjoy this environment. The picture above shows some of the wildflowers to be found in the banks and hedges in July.   WINTER. Just occasionally we do get snow in this part of Devon, but it rarely lasts longer than a day with the sun and the wind on our south facing slopes.