Billacombe

Also within

Devon County

Condition (Natural England)

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Devonian · Rock Type: Limestone

Description

Billacombe SSSI Description This site supports a population of the nationally rare field eryngo Eryngium campestre, a plant that is specially protected under the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The locality consists of a gently sloping field with a southerly aspect and the soils, which overlie Devonian limestone, are generally thin and well drained. A species-rich sward of neutral grassland occupies much of the site. Among the most abundant grass species are yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens, bents Agrostis spp. and red fescue Festuca rubra with occasional cock’s-foot Dactylis glomerata and false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius. Many broad-leaved herbs occur with frequent common knapweed Centaurea nigra, burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga, field scabious Knautia arvensis, yarrow Achillea millefolium, ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata, red clover Trifolium pratense and local patches of lady’s bedstraw Galium verum and common rest-harrow Ononis repens. Of occasional distribution are wild carrot Daucus carota, oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, bulbous buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus and field bindweed Convolvulus arvensis.

Species mentioned

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.

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.