Holnicote Estate

Information Fact Sheet

 

  • AREA 5042 hectares / 12500 acres / 20 sq. miles
  • 6000 acres of moorland
  • 2500 acres of woodland
  • 4.5 miles of coastline
  • 150 miles / 240 km of rights of way
  • over 170 cottages and houses
  • 14 farms
  • Recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book Several estate settlements recorded e.g. Bagley, Hagley, Holnicote etc
  • Given to the Trust in 1944 by Sir Richard Acland family owned the estate for nearly 200 years. Together with Killerton it is the largest gift the NT has ever received.
  • Areas of Dunkery moorland donated in 1930’s by Col. Walter Wiggin and Mrs Allan Hughes
  • Dunkery Beacon 519 metres / 1713 feet, highest point on Exmoor
  • Moorland plants include Common Ling, Bell Heather and Bilberry 3 heathers including Cross Leaved Heath
  • Horner Wood one of the largest ancient oak woodlands in England, largest unenclosed. 
  • The wood and most of the moorland declared a National Nature Reserve in 1995, Dunkery and Horner Woods one of the largest inland NNR’s
  • Villages and hamlets on the Estate include Allerford, Blackford, Bossington, Cloutsham, Horner, Luccombe, West Luccombe, Selworthy, Tivington, Stoke Pero. Some of the houses date back to the medieval period oldest cottage 1360?, 53 thatched cottages, Old Gateway 1475.
  • Other places of note are Piles Mill (16/17th century water mill); Selworthy Beacon; Selworthy & Allerford Woods; Webbers Post; Blackford Dovecote; Blackford Plantation; Tivington Woods; Selworthy to Bossinton Wall at some 3km in length; Coastal lime kiln; Ley Hill; Crawter Hill; Bossington Hill; Bury Castle Hill Fort; Bossington Beach and Hurlestone coastguard station; The Cross; Rugged coast path
  • 150 Scheduled Ancient Monuments
  • Two easy access trails
  • Eight Grade II* Listed Buildings
  • 100 Grade II Listed Buildings
  • Three medieval packhorse bridges
  • Five remains of 18th/19th century lime kilns
  • Early medieval village sites; Ley Hill, Bagley, Sweetworthy
  • Three 1940 pill boxes and extensive WWII features
  • Post medieval butter well
  • Norman dovecote
  • Extensive range of vernacular buildings
  • Three holiday cottages
  • One tearoom
  • One shop/information centre
  • A working blacksmith’s forge
  • 240 species of lichen on the trees, 330 in total 440 species of fungi (1993) in Horner Woods
  • Major site for rare thatch moss – leptidontium gammascens (one of 3 sites in UK)
  • 14 out of the 16 species of bat generally agreed that it is 15 out of 17 now (pips have been sub-divided’
  • Red and Roe Deer on the estate but not Fallow Deer. Approx 500 Red Deer at any one time?
  • Dartford Warblers, Nightjars, Peregrine Falcons, Hobbys, Hen Harriers, Merlin, Buzzards etc etc note: Dartfords really suffered over past few winters and have dramatically reduced
  • Exmoor is on of the UK’s strongholds for the Heath Fritillary. Also Dark Green/Silver Washed/Small Pearl Bordered but High Brown Fritillary not recorded on estate and in Somerset since 2000
  • Rare coastal plants; Babbingtons Leek; Yellow Horned Poppy and Sea Arrow Grass
  • Rare arable weeds including Weasel’s Snout and Prickly Poppy

“Holnicote Estate has an area of 5042 Hectares, which is 12500 acres, or 20 Sq. Miles”

Designations:

 

  • NNR Dunkery and Horner 1626 hectares
  • North Exmoor SSSI
  • Exmoor Coast SSI
  • Porlock Bay SSSI
  • Exmoor Heath SAC
  • Exmoor & Quantock Oakwoods SAC
  • Heritage Coast
  • Within Exmoor National Park