Having saved the valley where the Rivers Strane and Swincombe meet from plans to build a reservoir, the Dartmoor Preservation are pleased to now share an ambitious 5 year plan for managing this precious landscape.
Nestled where the River Strane meets the River Swincombe lies a remarkable 50-acre expanse of true Dartmoor moorland, owned and lovingly managed by the Dartmoor Preservation Association. This landscape, with its striking open vistas and wild charm, was once under threat of flooding to create a reservoir. The campaign to save it was championed by the formidable Lady Sayer, who described Foxtor Plain as “a great natural amphitheatre … a place of immense spaciousness and wildness … Dartmoor itself.” Her words capture the austere beauty and inspirational character of this extraordinary place—a beauty not defined by prettiness, but by its raw, untamed nature.
In 1970, the reservoir proposal was initially rejected, though the threat resurfaced several times during the 1970s and early 1980s. Finally, in 1985, the DPA used a generous bequest to purchase 50 acres in the very area where the Swincombe reservoir dam had been planned. With ownership secured, the valley was forever protected from flooding, ensuring that this precious habitat would remain intact for generations to come.
Since acquiring the land, the DPA has devoted itself to nurturing the health of the mires and open moorland. Nearby Fox Tor mire, famously believed to have inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Grimpen Mire in The Hound of the Baskervilles, is the only SSSI mire on Dartmoor considered to be in favourable condition. Maintaining open moorland requires thoughtful grazing, which preserves the dramatic views while supporting the delicate wildlife and rare plants that thrive here.
In late 2025 the charity consulted with ecologist Albert Knott, commissioning visits to all four of their land holdings, with a view to creating a robust, refreshed set of Land Management plans. The DPA are now ready to begin work based on these recommendations, underpinned by the latest research on Molinia control.
The Swincombe site is home to rich wetland habitats, including quaking Sphagnum bogs, mires, and flushes. Among the special plants found here are White Sedge, Lemon-scented Fern, Lesser Spearwort, and Bog Stitchwort. These species are indicators of healthy wetland ecosystems: Lemon-scented Fern flourishes in damp, acidic soils, Lesser Spearwort, with its bright yellow flowers, thrives along water edges; while Bog Stitchwort spreads across boggy areas, carpeting the ground with green.
The Strane and Swincombe rivers themselves are vibrant habitats, supporting aquatic plants such as Intermediate Water-starwort, Floating Club-rush, Floating Sweet-grass, Jointed Rush, Blinks, Alternate Water Milfoil, Bog Pondweed, and Round-leaved Crowfoot. Many of these species play crucial ecological roles: Water-starwort oxygenates the water, improving its quality, while Bog Pondweed thrives in still, acidic, low-nutrient waters, reflecting the purity of these Dartmoor rivers.
The bottom of the small valley also holds an excellent example of tin streaming workings. This niche industry is largely only known on Dartmoor and the SW peninsular and is of international importance as a unique ancient method of tin extraction.
The contrast between the wet mires and bogs and the dry, rocky heathland, dotted with ferns and heathers, underscores the diversity of Dartmoor’s landscapes. It is this richness of habitats, alongside careful stewardship, that makes the Swincombe site such an ecological jewel.
Through foresight, dedication, and careful management, the DPA has preserved a slice of Dartmoor that captures the spirit of the moor: wild, inspiring, and untamed. For those who visit, Swincombe offers more than a landscape—it is an experience of Dartmoor at its most raw and magnificent, a reminder of why protecting such places matters now more than ever.
Work that will continue:
-Ecological monitoring and surveying
-Protection of the rare tin streaming works along the Swincombe
Additional approaches for 2026 and beyond:
-Engagement with the Central Dartmoor Landscape Recovery Area to collaborate on habitat maintenance, tree planting (where appropriate) and Natural Flood Management.
-Cutting Molinia to open grazing and encouraging cattle into newly-opened areas to prevent invasive regrowth.
