Daddyhole
Also within
Devon County King Charles Way - Kingswear to Lyme Regis National TrailSouth West Coast Path National Trail
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SX926627 | — | Favourable | 0.16 | 2011-07-28 |
| SX926628 | — | Favourable | 2.3 | 2011-07-28 |
| SX926629 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 1.35 | 2011-07-28 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Devonian · Rock Type: Limestone
Description
Daddyhole SSSI Description This site is important for its geological features, and also supports several rare and locally distributed plant and animal species. The site includes the type section of the Devonian Daddyhole Limestone, displaying the lithological characteristics of this carbonate unit and its rich fauna, particularly of corals. The limestones are noteworthy in containing desiccation cracks; an uncommon feature in the marine Torquay Limestone indicating subaerial exposure. In Daddyhole Cove an alternating sequence of shales and limestones indicates local facies variation in the Late Eifelian, important in interpreting the palaeoecology of the Middle Devonian limestones of the Torbay area. These units are displayed in a large recumbent fold. The cliffs here support a rich flora characteristic of limestone, with the nationally rare white rock-rose Helianthemum apenninum and small rest-harrow Ononis reclinata and the nationally scarce ivy broomrape Orobanche hederae, and autumn squill Scilla autumnalis. The nationally rare snail Truncatinella callicratis has been recorded here.
Species mentioned
Show the 5 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| white rock-rose | Helianthemum apenninum | VU | herb | cistaceae |
| small rest-harrow | Ononis reclinata | NT | herb | fabaceae |
| ivy broomrape | Orobanche hederae | LC | herb | orobanchaceae |
| autumn squill | Scilla autumnalis | LC | herb | liliaceae |
| British whorl snail | Truncatinella callicratis | Not listed in GB list | snail | vertiginidae |
Insects to look out for
These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| Silver studded blue Plebejus argus |
Vulnerable | Ononis spp. |
Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.