Litcham Common is a County Wildlife Site (CWS) and Local Nature Reserve on the beautiful Nar Valley Way long-distance path. To the north lies the River Nar SSSI and at the Common’s eastern tip there is a connection with CWS Warren Woods – all part of an historically much larger area of common land known as Mileham Common.
This site is particularly special due to its diverse mosaic of habitats, including rare acid grassland and heathland, mature secondary woodland, scrub, lowland meadow and a number of ponds and flushes. This range of habitats promotes and supports a notable variety of plants, invertebrates and reptiles. Of archaeological interest is a surviving bronze age burial disc towards the south of the site.
Successful management to expand the heathland patchwork ensures you can discover all three prime species of heather: ling, bell and cross-leaved heath. Also to be spotted amongst the heather are the delicate heath and marsh bedstraw, sheep’ sorrel and sheep’s fescue. Making a rarer appearance are harebell, mouse-ear hawkweed, field woodrush, heath speedwell and red bartsia. Within patches of more neutral grassland bird’s-foot-trefoil, knapweed, and lesser stitchwort are easily uncovered during the late spring-summer months.
Elsewhere, much of the common is covered by either gorse, bracken and hawthorn scrub or broad-leaved semi-natural woodland of silver and downy birch, oak, crab apple and rowan, with honeysuckle occasionally entwined through the trees. Around the small seasonal ponds, visitors can discover marsh pennywort, lesser spearwort, marsh marigold, water lily, gypsywort and water mint.
With luck you may also sight the resident Dartmoor ponies and on warm sunny days in early spring, the stunning common adder which breeds on the Common.
Main habitats
Acid grassland, heathland, broad-leaved semi-natural woodland Scrub and marshy grassland.
Best time to visit
For floral diversity and to see the stunning pinks and purples of the heather, the best time to visit is July – September. To have a go at adder spotting, warm days in early spring are most fruitful.
Associated groups
The Litcham Common Conservation Group.
http://www.litcham.org/Litcham/Conservation_Group.html
Getting involved
Litcham Common Conservation Group meets on the second Saturday of each month to carry out scrub clearance, footpath maintenance, hay raking and litter picking.
Website
http://www.litcham.org/Litcham/Common.html