Being respectful about Dartmoor wildlife means we often get some special visitors.
It was 2012 when we started work converting Old Armoury Barn from an empty shell to what you see today providing quality rental accommodation.
The design brief included the principles of authenticity, sustainability and locality and we also wanted to be as inclusive as we could.
This played itself out in a “light touch” upon the environment – whilst Dartmoor may be perceived as strong, renewing and timeless it is also true that it is a collection of fragile, interdependent ecosystems.
The sensitivity for the environment has paid us back with handsome dividends, we have enabled Dartmoor wildlife to become established way beyond our expectations.
The Dartmoor Wildlife You May Experience
Some of the Dartmoor wildlife residents that you may see if you sit quietly for long enough at the right time of day and season may surprise you.
In the twilight, particularly the evening, you will see long-eared bats perform high speed acrobatics as they feed on flies and other insects. They roost high up in the eaves of the neighbours houses only a few yards away.
Later after sunset you may hear, and if you are very lucky see, tawny owls hunting field mice, shrews and other small mammals. The tawny owls nest in a tall tree at the far end of St Lawrence Lane and presumably cover a large area of Ashburton but are sometimes seen hunting at the rear of The Armourers Forge.
We have damselflies and dragonflies around the pond that is full of smooth newts that vie for space with the frogs, toads and fish. The gardens are full of frogs – they have been found in window boxes and tubs – and with so many slow worms around Devon unsurprisingly there are a lot to be found in the gardens too.
In August 2020 on a hot sultry day we were surprised to find a grass snake in the pond. They are accomplished swimmers and use water as a fast path to a destination but must also be careful not to become lunch for the fish. The grass snake was seen several times over a week or so and we hope to see it again next year. If you see any amphibians or reptiles please do record them on The Amphibian and Reptile Conservation trust website here.
Jackdaws in Ashburton
You will almost certainly observe “the birds” at some time during your stay, we are often asked what they are and what they are doing. Typically you will see a collection of perhaps one hundred large, black, noisy birds flying in a formation not unlike the patterns that a murmuration of starlings make.
Yet these are not starlings nor crows, they are jackdaws and they live up well to their collective noun – a clattering of jackdaws. It is the jackdaws who litter the town with moss, they turn it over on the rooftops in search of grubs and it tends to roll off the roof and falls onto the pavements.
Dartmoor is the largest and highest upland in southern Britain, and the moors themselves are often exposed to strong winds and high rainfall. The soils are acidic and the area has been relatively undisturbed by intensive agriculture which means Dartmoor National Park can be especially interesting in terms of its wildlife.
By providing quality rental accommodation for our non-paying guests we have supported nature in our local ecosystem which has also helped in the gardens keeping pests under control naturally.
If you are fortunate to meet any of our non paying guests from the Dartmoor wildlife I hope that you enjoy their company.