Talking Walk with Dr David Allen on Stockland’s Turbaries

Meet on the lane near Sandpits: Grid Reference ST251028

Dr David Allen is a third generation resident of Stockland. After more than 20 years as an agricultural botanist in Africa, David returned to his native parish where he took on the management of the Stockland Turbaries on behalf of the Parish Council. Turbaries date from Medieval times when land, too poor to be considered Commons, was known as Manorial Wate on which parishioners had the right to dig peat. They were fuel allotments. Among the parishes within the Blackdown Hills that possess turbaries, Stockland is fortunate to have 165 acres, in seven blocks. They have been managed for wildlife over the past 25 years and are extremely important as carbon stores and thus an important part of the plan to manage climate change. We will be visiting two of the important sites which are very different: Horner Hill and Bucehayes Common. The walk will involve some uneven ground and uphill walking.