Giant animal to join wildlife at Meeth Quarry

In its first year as a Devon Wildlife Trust nature reserve, Meeth Quarry has been giving up its wildlife secrets.

With rare butterflies and bats making a home there, the former industrial site has truly been reclaimed by nature.

Now, at a Discovery Day event at the reserve on Sunday 6 July, members of the public are being invited to help create a large animal sculpture from natural materials.  

Sculptor Tom Hyde, based in north Cornwall, will be on site all day creating a wooden animal more than six feet high. Visitors can add on and weave in other tree and plant material to create a huge animal whose appearance will change with the seasons.

Meeth Quarry, near Hatherleigh in North Devon, is 150 hectares of rolling landscape, deep water filled lakes and beautiful views. Next to the Tarka Trail, the site was an operational clay quarry until 2004 and throughout its working life remained off-limits to the general public.

In December 2012 the charity Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) purchased the 150 hectare site using funds provided by Viridor Credits Environmental Company and generous individual donors. After months of work the reserve was opened to the public in May 2013.

Since that opening, there have been changes at the reserve – for both wildlife and people. DWT’s Dan Smith explains:  “It’s been a busy winter for our nature reserves team: additional footpaths have been created so people can explore even more of the woodland and see more of the ponds and lakes.

"And the resident Exmoor ponies have also been very active: their grazing has created more open areas to allow a diverse range of wild flowers to flourish. It’s already been a very good summer for orchids at Meeth.”

Dan added: “A multi-purpose trail, ideal for wheelchairs, pushchairs and mobility scooters has also been improved since the opening – so this event, and the nature reserve on other days, really is for everyone to enjoy.”

Meeth Quarry is already noted as one of the best places to see dragonflies and damselflies in Devon. At the Discovery Day event, children can get up close to these insects with a spot of pond-dipping. The site is also a rare nature reserve that can be explored by bike. Keen cyclists of all ages will be able to join a group family cycle ride through the reserve and on a short section of the adjacent Tarka Trail.

Ian Chadwick is Devon Wildlife Trust’s Nature Reserves Officer for Meeth Quarry and will be leading guided walks during the event.

The wildlife of the site is so rich that there are still surprises for Ian: “When DWT bought this place we knew it was great for dragonflies – but Meeth Quarry appears to be one of the best places in the country for wood white butterflies, which are declining nationally and not really found in the south west so much, so that was a great result.

"The reserve is also home to a number of willow tits, which is a scarce bird for Devon.”

Looking ahead to the Discovery Day, Ian says: “When I come to work here on a morning I might spot a roe deer or a skylark – and if stay late there’s a chance I’ll see a glow worm and maybe a species of bat that hasn’t been recorded here before. So if I leave the reserve on Sunday past a seven foot hare made of willow, it will just be another animal to add to the list!”