Goblin Combe environment centre at the turn of the 20th century
Goblin Combe is one of the many woodlands in the Forest of Avon. It is a great place to explore and it’s easy to get to. Whether you want to walk or just relax and admire the landscape.
The creation of Goblin Combe began over 200million years ago when the land was a dry desert. A powerful river caused by enormous storms would pour over the edge of the limestone creating waterfalls and eroding a deep gorge in the rock.
The river continued to flow with meltwater from retreating glaciers at the end of the last ice age, 10,000 years ago deepening the gorge even further. Human colonisation soon followed and the remains of Bronze Age settlements can still be seen in the woods in the form of stone walls, house platforms
and quarry pits.
Cleeve Toot at the turn of the 20th century
The woods were used for building, hunting, foraging, fuel and the making of utensils. The open grassland on the hilltops was used for grazing and crops. Much later, about 200 years ago, stone kilns were constructed to burn the limestone, producing lime to improve the soil for farming.
Today, the rare limestone heath of the hilltops and semi-ancient woodlands of the Combe are protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Woodland diversity is encouraged through glades, rides and hazel coppice. Over 30 species of butterfly have been recorded in this area, along with many limestone loving flowers.
In 1934 a new species of lichen was discovered at Goblin Combe, Belonia Calcicola. There were no further recorded regarding Belonia Carcicola until 1981 when a collection was found in Buttermere.
Goblin Combe is also home to another rare species of Lichen, Synalissa Symphorea. This species is listed as Vulnerable on the Red Data list.
