Headcombe Copse ✦ Ancient woodland 22 ha
Plan your visit
🦉 Wildlife🦅 Birds🍄 Fungi
Free entry Dogs welcome 22 ha
Places › England › South West › Torridge Getting here
50.89068, -3.94318
Open directionsv Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
▾ 🌞 Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings 🍄 Mushroom foraging is at its best in summer here 🐕 Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days 🌤️ Visiting this summer
🌞 Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings 🍄 Mushroom foraging is at its best in summer here 🐕 Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days £ Free to visit — no entry charge🐕 Dogs welcome🌿 Ancient woodland — rare wildlife habitat🦉 Wildlife
Very strong match
Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles
Free
🦅 Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon +56 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon +56 more · last seen 2025
Free
🍄 Mushroom foraging
Strong match
Fungi — Sporodophoron cretaceum, Sticta fuliginosa s. lat., Phlyctis agelaea +79 more · last seen 2011; Fungi — Sporodophoron cretaceum, Sticta fuliginosa s. lat., Phlyctis agelaea +79 more · last seen 2011
Varies
🍂 Seasonal nature
Strong match
Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour; Plants — Floating Sweet-grass, Bluebell, Yellow Pimpernel +68 more · last seen 2025
Free
🦋 Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral +104 more · last seen 2024; Insects — Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral +104 more · last seen 2024
Free
Plants — Garlic Mustard, Autumn Hawkweed, Common Sorrel +6 more foraging species; Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic
Varies
Trails nearby Within roughly 5 km 2 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Tarka Trail Walking route ▾
Named route Ref TT Regional walking route
Show on map Little Dart Ridge & Valley Walk Walking route ▾
Named route Ref LDRV Regional walking route
Show on map ✦ Ancient woodland — continuously wooded since at least 1600 AD. A rare and irreplaceable habitat, rich in biodiversity and historical character.
Photos Thatched cottage, Hollocombe
‹ ›
Weather for this location Next 14 days Nearby places Useful places within 5 km
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id: 96f0b62c-ec60-4d3b-a1e6-71cfa8fb523a
UK green spaces mapped from open public data — so anyone can find the woodland, trail, or nature reserve closest to them.
© 2026 Glade · Made with care for UK green spaces
Wildlife to spot
1,983 records · National Biodiversity Network
▾
Wildlife to spot 1,983 records · National Biodiversity Network Barn Owl · Swallow · Long-tailed Tit · Yellowhammer · Spotted Flycatcher +24
Barn Owl Tyto alba2024 Swallow Hirundo rustica2023 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus2024 Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella2020 Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata2020 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2020 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita2020 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos2020 Treecreeper Certhia familiaris2020 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2020 Magpie Pica pica2020 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus2020 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major Coal Tit Periparus ater2024 Great Tit Parus major2024 Swift Apus apus2021 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus2020 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba2020 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus2020 Stonechat Saxicola rubicola2020 Blackbird Turdus merula2020 Skylark Alauda arvensis2020 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2020 Rook Corvus frugilegus2020 Robin Erithacus rubecula2020 Woodpigeon Columba palumbus2020 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2020 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2020 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus2018 Grey Squirrel · Hazel Dormouse · Lesser Horseshoe Bat · Pygmy Shrew · Roe Deer +12
Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Hazel Dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius Lesser Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus hipposideros2023 Pygmy Shrew Sorex minutus2021 Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus2023 Common Lizard · Grass Snake · Slow-worm
Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara Grass Snake Natrix helvetica2023 Slow-worm Anguis fragilis2023 🐸 Amphibians 2 species
spring
2022 ▾
Common Frog · Palmate Newt
Common Frog Rana temporaria Palmate Newt Lissotriton helveticus2021 Gatekeeper · Peacock · Small White · Green-veined White · Holly Blue +27
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus2019 Peacock Aglais io2019 Small White Pieris rapae2019 Green-veined White Pieris napi2019 Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus2019 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria Yellow Pimpernel · Bluebell · Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage · Ground-ivy · Red Campion +9
Yellow Pimpernel Lysimachia nemorum2019 Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium Ground-ivy Glechoma hederacea2019 Red Campion Silene dioica2019 Lungwort Pulmonaria officinalis Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot 1,983 records · National Biodiversity Network Barn Owl · Swallow · Long-tailed Tit · Yellowhammer · Spotted Flycatcher +24
Barn Owl Tyto alba2024 Swallow Hirundo rustica2023 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus2024 Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella2020 Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata2020 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2020 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita2020 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos2020 Treecreeper Certhia familiaris2020 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2020 Magpie Pica pica2020 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus2020 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major Coal Tit Periparus ater2024 Great Tit Parus major2024 Swift Apus apus2021 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus2020 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba2020 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus2020 Stonechat Saxicola rubicola2020 Blackbird Turdus merula2020 Skylark Alauda arvensis2020 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2020 Rook Corvus frugilegus2020 Robin Erithacus rubecula2020 Woodpigeon Columba palumbus2020 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2020 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2020 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus2018 Grey Squirrel · Hazel Dormouse · Lesser Horseshoe Bat · Pygmy Shrew · Roe Deer +12
Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Hazel Dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius Lesser Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus hipposideros2023 Pygmy Shrew Sorex minutus2021 Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus2023 Common Lizard · Grass Snake · Slow-worm
Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara Grass Snake Natrix helvetica2023 Slow-worm Anguis fragilis2023 🐸 Amphibians 2 species
spring
2022 ▾
Common Frog · Palmate Newt
Common Frog Rana temporaria Palmate Newt Lissotriton helveticus2021 Gatekeeper · Peacock · Small White · Green-veined White · Holly Blue +27
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus2019 Peacock Aglais io2019 Small White Pieris rapae2019 Green-veined White Pieris napi2019 Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus2019 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria Yellow Pimpernel · Bluebell · Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage · Ground-ivy · Red Campion +9
Yellow Pimpernel Lysimachia nemorum2019 Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium Ground-ivy Glechoma hederacea2019 Red Campion Silene dioica2019 Lungwort Pulmonaria officinalis Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus2021
Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus2021
Stoat Mustela erminea2021
Stoat Mustela erminea2021
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes2021
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes2021
Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus2021
Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus2021
Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus
Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus
Greater Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum2023
Greater Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum2023
Otter Lutra lutra2022
Otter Lutra lutra2022
Bat Chiroptera2021
Bat Chiroptera2021
Brown Hare Lepus europaeus2021
Brown Hare Lepus europaeus2021
Harvest Mouse Micromys minutus2021
Harvest Mouse Micromys minutus2021
Water Shrew Neomys fodiens2018
Water Shrew Neomys fodiens2018 2019
2019
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina2019
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina2019
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta2019
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta2019
Comma Polygonia c-album2019
Comma Polygonia c-album2019
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus2019
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus2019
Large White Pieris brassicae2019
Large White Pieris brassicae2019
Humming-bird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum2019
Humming-bird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum2019
Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia2019
Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia2019
Common Blue Polyommatus icarus2018
Common Blue Polyommatus icarus2018
Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum
Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum
Helophilus pendulus Helophilus pendulus
Helophilus pendulus Helophilus pendulus
Volucella pellucens Volucella pellucens
Volucella pellucens Volucella pellucens
Cercopis vulnerata Cercopis vulnerata
Cercopis vulnerata Cercopis vulnerata
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula
Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula
Chrysolina banksii Chrysolina banksii
Chrysolina banksii Chrysolina banksii
Welsh Chafer Hoplia philanthus2023
Welsh Chafer Hoplia philanthus2023
Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator2022
Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator2022
Hairy-footed Flower Bee Anthophora plumipes2021
Hairy-footed Flower Bee Anthophora plumipes2021
Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae2019
Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae2019
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui2019
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui2019
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris2019
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris2019
Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus2019
Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus2019
Dark Arches Apamea monoglypha2019
Dark Arches Apamea monoglypha2019
Marbled White Melanargia galathea2018
Marbled White Melanargia galathea2018
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni2018
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni2018 2019
2019
Common Vetch Vicia sativa subsp. segetalis2019
Common Vetch Vicia sativa subsp. segetalis2019
Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea2019
Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea2019
Thyme-leaved Speedwell Veronica serpyllifolia2019
Thyme-leaved Speedwell Veronica serpyllifolia2019
Green Alkanet Pentaglottis sempervirens2019
Green Alkanet Pentaglottis sempervirens2019
Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana2019
Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana2019
Bugle Ajuga reptans2019
Bugle Ajuga reptans2019
Red Valerian Centranthus ruber2019
Red Valerian Centranthus ruber2019
Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca2019
Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca2019 Events & activities nearby Switch provider to compare local events, tours and bookable activities.
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