Fortescue

It is a curious truth of human nature that we can travel the world in search of wonder, yet remain blind to the marvels unfolding in our own backyards. We walk the same paths day after day, our eyes fixed on a destination, and easily overlook the intricate natural dramas playing out at our feet. The hamlet of Fortescue, nestled in the heart of the Sid Valley, is a perfect case in point. To the casual observer, it is a quiet, unassuming place—a bridge, a path, a cluster of houses. But look a little closer, and you will find a vibrant ecological hub, a microcosm of the entire East Devon landscape teeming with life.

Fortescue is a small hamlet located in the middle reaches of the Sid Valley, serving as a vital ecological transition zone between the rural landscape of Sidford and the town of Sidmouth. Its true significance, however, lies not in its buildings but in the public footpath that begins there. This path guides walkers across the River Sid via a pedestrian bridge, connecting the hamlet directly to the expansive parkland known as The Byes.

Though geographically small, this specific area is a critical hub in the Sid Valley's biodiversity network. It functions as a "green highway," a crucial artery that funnels wildlife between the valley floor, the surrounding hills, and the coast, connecting disparate environments and allowing nature to move freely through an increasingly fragmented world.

The secret to Fortescue’s ecological richness lies in the deep story of its landscape. What appears as a simple riverbank is, in reality, a "heterogeneous mosaic of habitats," where different worlds collide and overlap, each founded on the valley’s underlying geology. The valley floor is carved from Triassic Otter Sandstone, while the steep sides are layered with distinct formations like the Upper Greensand, creating the conditions for this remarkable diversity.

From the public footpath alone, one can observe several distinct ecosystems:

• The River Sid: The lifeblood of the valley, the river here is famously "flashy," its water levels responding with "extreme rapidity" to rainfall. This powerful, dynamic force constantly scours the channel, creating and reshaping the gravel bars that provide a unique habitat for specialized plants and invertebrates.

• Pastures and Meadows: Stretching out from the path are fields of improved and semi-improved pastures on the rich alluvial soils of the valley floor, offering open ground for grazing animals and a hunting thoroughfare for birds of prey.

Hedgerows and Woodlands: A "robust border of dense hedgerow scrub" lines the footpath, offering shelter and food. Alongside the river, damp, shaded woodlands cling to the steep valley sides, creating a cooler, darker world where ancient floral communities thrive.

The Fortescue area is a "critical conduit" for Roe Deer. They move through this corridor daily, emerging from the protective cover of Bluebell Wood to browse in the open pastures before descending to the river for water.

The ancient hedgerows are more than just boundary markers; they are "green highways" for bats. The Sid Valley is a key area for rare species, including the Lesser Horseshoe Bat, which relies on these dark, sheltered corridors to navigate between roosts and foraging grounds. Down by the water, European Otters are making a recovery. These elusive predators use the River Sid as a riparian corridor, moving silently through the valley under the cover of the riverbanks on their nocturnal travels.

The Small but Mighty

A closer look reveals a world of smaller creatures. The well-trodden footpaths and patches of bare earth around Fortescue provide nesting sites for solitary bees like the Ashy Mining Bee and the Tawny Mining Bee. In the height of summer, the surface of the River Sid comes alive with a "huge number of River Pond Skaters" gliding across the water. The surrounding fields are a haven for butterflies, where the Meadow Brown is particularly prevalent, flitting amongst the grasses.

Eyes on the Skies: Birds of Prey

The open valley floor and steep, wooded sides create a perfect hunting thoroughfare for magnificent birds of prey. The Common Buzzard is a "frequent sight," either circling effortlessly on thermal currents high above the valley or using the elevated perches offered by fence posts and high trees to scan the fields for its next meal. The Kestrel is also present in the nearby open grasslands and heathlands. This agile falcon is famed for its ability to hover perfectly still in mid-air—a behaviour that earned it the old name "windhover"—as it tracks small mammals across the open ground below.

A Floral Legacy: The Plants of Fortescue

For its modest size, the Fortescue site is remarkably diverse, supporting 131 recorded species, including 88 distinct flowering plants. The damp woodlands along the riverbanks are home to characteristic species such as Ramsons (wild garlic), which carpet the ground in spring, and delicate Snowdrops, one of the first heralds of the changing seasons.

However, this floral legacy faces a modern threat from the invasive Himalayan Balsam, a plant aptly described as an "unwelcome garden escape." This unwelcome traveler on the green highway has established itself at Fortescue Farm. It uses the river itself as a method of conquest, its explosive seed pods spreading its progeny rapidly along the watercourse, outcompeting native flora. Fortunately, a dedicated volunteer group known as the "Sid Bashers" is actively managing the plant at Fortescue, working tirelessly to contain it and prevent its spread downstream into ecologically sensitive meadows.

Fortescue is more than just a place on a map; it is a vital connection point. It is the path that allows the Roe Deer to move from woodland to meadow, the river that guides the otter, and the hedgerow that pilots the bat. This small, easily overlooked stretch of path and riverbank demonstrates the immense ecological value of interconnected natural spaces. For nature to thrive, it needs not only protected islands of habitat but also the safe passages that allow life to flow between them.