Ausewell Wood appeal, Dartmoor
Wild, rugged and raw. This is a lost world that needs your help.
We began something special when we joined forces with the National Trust to buy Fingle Woods in Devon. Since then this fledgling partnership has taken flight and now, six years on, we've been handed a fantastic opportunity to strengthen it further by working together at Ausewell Wood.
Ausewell is close to the small Devon town of Ashburton, one of the gateways to Dartmoor. The river Dart runs along its western edge and the north-eastern section of wood starts as a level plateau before dropping steeply into the valley.
Wild Ausewell
The sheer scale of Ausewell is incredible – it’s like a lost world, beautiful but raw and uncompromising: 342 acres of a wild, rugged mix of wood and heath with dramatic rocky outcrops, boulders and screes, dense woodland and damp temperate rainforest along the famous River Dart.
It’s also a real haven for some of the UK’s most precious and endangered wildlife. Here raptors perch on rocks and at least 11 of the UK’s bat species, including the rare barbastelle, roost in forgotten mine shafts. In the quieter fringes, the hazel dormouse snoozes peacefully in the trees. And in summer pied flycatchers, redstarts and nightjars migrate here to breed.
Our vision for a lost world
We can’t miss this opportunity to bring such a historic and wonderful site back to life and let it achieve its full potential as a wildlife haven.
We estimate 160 acres of ancient woodland at Ausewell are in jeopardy after being clear-felled and planted with non-native conifers after the Second World War. The conifers prevent light reaching the delicate woodland floor.
By slowly removing them and allowing the light back in we can allow native species to take hold once more, which in turn will support a range of threatened wildlife.
Donate to this appeal
Thanks to your generous donations, Ausewell Wood is now in our care. But raising the purchase price was just the start - the restoration costs could amount to a further £1.5 million. Every donation is vital if we're to realise the wood's full potential.
Whatever you choose to give, donating online is secure, quick and cost effective so more money goes directly towards supporting our work at Ausewell Wood.