About the reserve

This reserve offers a wonderful mix of young woodland, mature beech woodland, chalk downland and meadow. The walk to the top of the steep chalk downland slope is worth the effort for the spectacular views of the Woodford Valley below. The Devenish is within hiking distance from central Salisbury and is close to Old Sarum.

Wildflowers reach their peak in early summer and include fragrant orchid, clustered bellflower, harebells and common rock rose, which are important food plants for butterflies. Look for the brown argus, green veined white, and small skipper. Songsters include garden warblers and blackcaps while buzzards wheel overhead. The large beech trees along the road are more than 200 years old. Once part of a beech walk in the landscaped grounds of Durnford Manor, these veteran trees are dying. However, deadwood is a valuable habitat for many invertebrates. One of the most spectacular here is the rhinoceros beetle.

On top of the reserve are some lovely old hornbeams, beeches, yew and hazel. The mixed woodland was planted about 40 years ago and there is a lot of secondary growth, such as ash. We are trying to extend the wildlife-rich wood pasture (trees interspersed with grass) by thinning out ash and larch trees. We also coppice the wood to create sunny areas for wildflowers. Sheep graze the reserve throughout the year, eating down the tougher grasses and ash saplings.

Re-opening the Devenish

The Devenish will be reopening on December 1st 2024. While closed, we've been hard at work making improvements for both your safety and the health of our woodland on the reserve.

A note about current conditions:

You may notice changes to the woodland due to the recent removal of ash trees affected by ash dieback. Forestry machinery was necessary to safely extract these diseased trees. This has meant some of our pathways have become uneven. Please take care when accessing the site and use the marked pathways. Wellington boots or sturdy walking boots are highly recommended.

While the woodland may look sparse now, this newly created space will let in sunlight and encourage new growth. Our other sites with similar tree removals have shown promising signs of recovery and even welcomed new species.

We also ask visitors to be aware that whilst we have removed the majority of the diseased ash trees, some remain along paths and within the woodlands. Many of these trees have been retained because they have extremely high wildlife value or were showing exceptional resilience to the disease.

We appreciate your patience, understanding and cooperation whilst this essential work was carried out and as we continue to protect this reserve for nature, wildlife and people.