Wildwood Grove – Dulverton - United Kingdom

Basic Information
Site Name
Wildwood Grove – Dulverton
Short name
WG-Dulverton
Country
United Kingdom
Web Address
Wildwood Grove – project website
Site Description
The site comprises a mosaic of fields influenced by springs, seepage zones, wet ground, and a small headwater watercourse with downstream connectivity. These characteristics make the site suitable for long-term observation of hydrological, ecological, and soil processes during land-use transition. The site is being secured for long-term ecological use (minimum 30 years) and is intended to function as an open, non-extractive observation and monitoring site. No fixed experimental design has been imposed at this stage, allowing for phased and proportionate monitoring aligned with future research or evidence-led initiatives.
Last modified
2026-01-26 17:01:50

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General Characteristics and Status
Site Status
Operational
Year Established
2025
Observed properties
Recommended Citation
Burns, J. (2026). Wildwood Grove – Dulverton: Headwater land transition and restoration observatory. Somerset, United Kingdom.
Photos
Aerial view of Wildwood Grove headwater site near Dulverton, Somerset, UK
Aerial view of Wildwood Grove headwater site near Dulverton, Somerset, UK
Geographic
View in site map
Centroid/Representative Coordinates

Latitude: 51.030775 Longitude: -3.572338

Size
ca. 21.28ha
Elevation (average)
260.00msl
Elevation (min)
240.00msl
Elevation (max)
290.00msl
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Site information [.json]

Centroid/representative coordinates [.shp] [.kml] [.geojson]
Bounding Box [.shp] [.kml] [.geojson]
GEO-BON Biome
Fresh water rivers
Terrestrial
Biome
Grasslands
Ecosystem Type
Grasslands
Rivers
Biogeographical Region
Atlantic Bio-geographical Region
EUNIS habitat
Grasslands and lands dominated by forbs, mosses or lichens (E)
Inland surface waters (C)
Air Temperature: Average Annual
10.50°C
Precipitation Annual
1200.00mm
Landforms
River
Geology
The site lies within the Upper Exe catchment and is underlain by mixed Devonian sedimentary geology typical of Exmoor fringe landscapes. Local geology contributes to shallow groundwater emergence, spring formation, and variable permeability across the site.
Vegetation
Vegetation is currently dominated by improved and semi-improved grassland, with early successional changes evident following cessation of agricultural management. Areas adjacent to wet ground and watercourses show increasing structural and botanical diversity.
Soils
Soils are predominantly permanent grassland soils with areas of seasonal waterlogging and locally high soil moisture. Variability in drainage and soil wetness reflects underlying geology, historic management, and proximity to springs and surface flows.
Hydrology
The site contains multiple groundwater-influenced seepage zones, springs, and a small headwater watercourse with downstream connectivity. Historic agricultural drainage has influenced surface and subsurface flow pathways. The site is currently in an observation-led phase to document hydrological behaviour during early post-agricultural recovery.
Protection Level (IUCN category)
not applicable
Land Use
other uses
other uses » transitional areas
Site Type
Stationary land-based site
Design of Observation
mainly observation
Scale of Observation
sub-catchment within catchment
Permanent Power Supply
No
Equipment
Data infrastructure » Data storage » Structured file
Supporting infrastructure » Transportation » Vehicle 2WD
Supporting infrastructure » Transportation » Vehicle 4WD
Supporting infrastructure » Staff room at site » No staff room
Supporting infrastructure » Lodging at site » No lodging possible
Energy and data transmission infrastructure » Data transmission » Data Transmission Type (from site) » No data transmission from site
Energy and data transmission infrastructure » Data transmission » Data Transmission Type (within site) » No within site data transmission
Equipment notes
Wildwood Grove – Dulverton is operated as a low-infrastructure, land-based research platform during early post-agricultural transition. Instrumentation, power supply, and data transmission are mission-specific and deployed temporarily by visiting research teams where appropriate. Permanent fixed infrastructure is intentionally minimised to preserve ecological processes and future optionality.
Accessible All Year
Yes
All parts of Site Accessible
No
Access Type
footpath/trail
Permanent Operation
Yes
Operation Notes
Site is operated as a long-term observation and evidence platform.
Site visits and observations occur on an irregular and seasonal basis, driven by hydrological conditions, ecological processes, and research requirements rather than fixed sampling intervals.
Observation intensity varies through the year, with increased activity during wetter seasons and key ecological periods. No fixed maintenance schedule is defined at this stage.
Site Visit Interval
0
Maintenance Interval
0
General Data Policy
Formal acknowledgement of the dataset providers
The opportunity to collaborate on the project using the dataset
The opportunity to review the results based on the dataset
The data provider is given and agrees to a statement of uses to which the dataset will be put
Data Policy Notes
Data generated at Wildwood Grove – Dulverton is collected as part of a long-term, observation-led land transition and restoration programme.
During the early phases, data access is managed on a case-by-case basis to ensure appropriate use, correct interpretation, and alignment with the site’s ecological recovery objectives.
Collaborative use of data is encouraged, with appropriate acknowledgement of Wildwood Grove as the data source.
Public data release may occur at later stages where datasets are sufficiently mature, validated, and contextually supported.