Green vision for Meadowbrook Park
Meadowbrook Park is 10 acres of land in the heart of Dartington. It includes recreational buildings, a bike track, woodlands, a section of the Bidwell brook and playing fields (aka Dorothy Elmhirst Playing Field).
The land is owned by The Dartington Hall Trust on long lease to Dartington Recreation Association (DRA, the charity behind this website).
Earthjump CIC in collaboration with (DRA) Dartington Recreation Association has worked with the wider Meadowbrook community to develop a Green Vision for the park:
Maintain and enhance the important habitats and species.
Provide high quality sites for education, recreation and sport.
Maintain and enhance public enjoyment of the green spaces.
Agree management objectives for the green spaces.
Identify management actions to undertake in order to achieve these goals.
Conserve a much valued green space in the heart of Dartington.
Provide relevant information to help inform the management plan.
Wild meadow areas (semi-improved neutral grassland)
The most established of meadows is in the Rabbit Triangle in the west of the park, a damp site. Imagery from 1946 shows this was grassland then. Historically, the rabbit population has kept the grass short. Notable species include Southern Marsh Orchids (9 plants recorded 2022) and Common Spotted Orchids.
Semi-natural broadleaved woodland
Much of the woodland in the park has grown since 1946 (See photo bellow) where trees exist mainly in a narrow strip along Bidwell brook
Door mouse boxes
In 2021 four dormouse boxes were installed.
Young trees in Dorothy Elmhurst field
In November 2019 pupils from Dartington Primary and the Wave Academy planted saplings of rowan, wild cherry, field maple and silver birch, donated by the Woodland Trust on the Bike Track edge of the field and field edge adjacent to the A385 (refer to Photo 13). These trees are now cared for by volunteers from the local community who water, weed and mulch them as required. There are three mountain ash adjacent to the A385 parallel to the drainage ditch and eight silver birch, eleven cherry and four rowan on the field.
Fauna species
Notable sightings because of their rarity, status as protected species, public appeal are detailed below.
Reptiles
Rough grassland and scrub habitat can be found across the site and slow worms and a grass snake has been recorded on the edge of the Dorothy Elmhirst Field under reptile felts.
Amphibians
It is likely the park is being used by the common toad for foraging and refuge, a Priority Species included on Section 41 of the NERC Act (2006) due to widespread decline.
Birds
Parkland and woodland species are present including greater spotted woodpeckers and song thrush. Kingfishers have also been seen along the brook.
Mammals
Small mammals
The park presents foraging and nesting potential for dormice. Since 2021 no dormouse have been found in the boxes. Mammal surveys (2023) have recorded stoats, bank voles and wood mice on site. The woodland composition and structure is optimal habitat for Dormice although there are pathways and dog walkers using the woods, which is known to deter this species.
Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs have been observed in the playground and adjacent woods.
Bats
A number of mature trees, bat boxes and the buildings within the park are suitable for roosting bats. The park is within the 'Greater Horseshoe Bat Landscape Connectivity Zone'; Bidwell brook and surrounding woodland is suitable foraging habitat for this and other bat species. Greater and lesser horseshoe bat, common and soprano pipistrelle, long-eared bat, Myotid bat (exact species unknown), noctule and barbastelle bat have been recorded.
Otters
Otters use dense areas of vegetation alongside the watercourse for breeding and refuge. It is more likely that Bidwell Brook is used for foraging and dispersal by otters. There are recent records of otters 50 meters upstream to the west in 2022.
Badgers
Badgers have been recorded in the woods to the west of the site and it is possible they forage in the park
Invertebrates
Signal crayfish are present.
Butterfly species recorded on site include: Brimstone, Orange-tip, Large Skipper, Speckled Wood, Silver-washed Fritillary, Large and Small White, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Comma, Peacock, Red Admiral, Tortoiseshell.