Who are we?
We are Sue and Angie, and our joint mission here at Brackenwood is to re-wild, conserve and protect the land and lake as best we can.
We have travelled the world together, mainly in search of wildlife, and have become increasingly concerned with the state of our planet. As with many others, we have made changes in our lives: reducing waste, recycling, and so on, but we wanted to achieve more. Brackenwood has given us the chance to do exactly that.
We aim for everything here to be environmentally sound and have minimum impact with maximum benefit, so, we are busy planting trees and shrubs, creating a safe haven that is as self-sustaining as possible. A portion of the money you pay goes to Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT), so that we can help them to keep up the wonderful work they do.
RE-WILDING? NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS
It’s not as simple as just letting the land go back to nature, it takes careful planning, hard, mucky work and a lot of research. Choosing trees and plants that are right for the land type and support the species we have, not just planting new wildflowers, but encouraging the ones we already have. Knowing which ‘weeds’ are good and which are not. Creating safe spaces for insects and mammals to thrive so that animals further up the food chain will also do well. We’ve done so much already, but there’s lots left to do. That’s why eco-friendly camping and glamping makes absolute sense to help us to continue the work we are doing here, whilst also giving others the chance to enjoy the fabulous results and get back to nature.
Healthy land
We have spent a lot of time, and sometimes back-breaking effort, removing debris, old and new from the site, to make sure the land is healthy and can support wildflowers and the wildlife we are inviting in.
The right planting
We have planted 900 trees and hedgerow shrubs on site so far. All native species and all specifically chosen for their beneficial qualities to either the land or it’s inhabitants, from food sources, to nesting and shelter – all play the part.
Supporting
Whilst we want the area to remain as natural as possible, we do have to give a little support, creating the right kind of habitat for nature to thrive, such as building a floating island to encourage birds.
Planning ahead
We are planning for the long term and we have lots of ideas, but one of the things we will continue doing is creating more stoat walls, made from the rocks and stones we have gathered from the land itself…
Our growing family
Sue Dawson
Sue and I (Angie) set this venture up together during the Covid Pandemic. We always had a plan to do something ‘worthwhile’ environmentally, some kind of legacy that would benefit all involved… and Covid just brought it forward a little.
Sue worked for a medical equipment supplier but has recently given it up to focus on our work here and is our resident bird expert.
If you see someone surgically attached to a pair of binoculars, lurking in a corner, that’ll be Sue. Don’t worry – its the feathered visitors she is stalking!
Any questions, interesting sightings or other bird related minutiae… Sue’s yer gal!
Angie Davies
I was always a country girl at heart and when the opportunity arose to return to Devon after too many years away and live out the ‘back to nature’ dream, well, I couldn’t get here fast enough. Sue and I shared the same plan for our forever home and so, hard work as it was, we loved setting this place up.
We can’t wait to see how Brackenwood grows and thrives and if we can make our guests happy whilst helping protect and conserve the land here then we are doing our jobs.
I am a graphic designer so, if you see any signage that you don’t like or information that you can’t read properly, then let me know as it’s probably my fault!
Flint
Pixie
Pure mischief in a tuxedo, mayhem follows her wherever she goes, but she is a delight all the same. We welcomed this bundle of chaos in 2018. We think she’s a dog in a cat’s body, she will follow at your feet and sit by your side (until something else grabs her attention). However, obedience is not in her nature.
Pixie is permanently playful, the eternal kitten really. She happier outdoors than in… She loves nothing better than to explore the woods, unless the sun is shining of course, and then she might find a warm window sill to snooze the day away on.
Bonnie, Clyde, Bo & Peep
We have four, very different, sheep. Bonnie is huge and white, and came to us at 7 days old, Clyde is equally large but black – again we had him from 10 days old. The other two are brother and sister duo, Bo & Peep, they came to us at around 3 months old.
All of them love to play and get particularly excited around feeding times – there are lots of jumps and kicks to celebrate.
They spend much of their day in the paddock, but are free to wander in and out of the barn as they like (very pampered sheep!).
The sheep are among the few rescues here who actively contribute to the day to day maintenance, by mowing the grass!
Ollie
Loki
Loki (God of mischief) is the leader of the herd, and he is a proper Dude. He is def in charge of the herd and likes to make sure everyone knows it.
His fave thing is to rub his horns up and down a brush handle, but if there isn’t one to hand, he may decide to use your shins!
He is not quite as vocal (but once he gets going he can bleat louder than most!) as the other three, but he is the most thuggish. He loves a head rub and a head scratch, just don’t grab his horns (they don’t like that!) and be aware that if you bend down he likes to pull and eat your hair!
Thor
Thor (God of Thunder – NOT) is the most timid of the boys, born on boxing day 2021, he defers to his brother (Loki) for most things and he will often hang behind until he knows it’s safe. He does have a love hate relationship with Flint though and they often tussle over hay rights.
He is probably the noisiest of them all and will bleat incessantly as you walk away.
He is generally very gentle though and if you give him a scratch, pretty much anywhere, he will stand still forever couple that with a treat and he might never leave you alone!
Parsnip, Srout and Spud
Rescued Bronze Turkeys, named for the dinner they escaped! They are very large, Very noisy and utterly harmless. They will run towards you simply because they get excited to see guests and have an in-built fear of missing out!
Gentle giants, these three are absolutely bonkers. They have free rein on where they go, so don’t be surprised if you see them cosying up with the goats and sheep…
Rescued ducks
We have a number of ex-commercial rescue ducks as well. A mix of Cherry Valley, Khaki Campbells, call ducks, runner/Campbell crosses and the morrisons 3 – so named as they were hatched from Morrison’s eggs if you can believe it.
There are three drakes (Douglas, Has and Rowan) who help protect our ladies and generally keep everyone in check.
They lay the best eggs and if you want to try them for yourselves, they are available in the honesty box.
We also have two elderly Muscovy ducks. They are free to roam with the others, but they prefer stying by their coop and the covered pond.
Rescued commercial hens
The ladies (and 2 cockerels, Ernie and Fernando) – some call it madness, we call it rescue with no boundaries. The hens are named after women (and men) in songs and although we started with just 5, we now have a proper flock! They are nosy, messy and utterly addictive. Some love attention others just like to be around you, but they are all great entertainment value.
If you buy any eggs from us during your stay, this is where they will have come from. If you want to say thank you, they love any kind of green leaves, or native fruits, especially salad. Just make sure there’s no dressing, seasoning or sauce on anything you give, it has to be raw and natural and please check with us first.
Cyril
Cyril, is a spur thigh tortoise. He was found wandering the streets and through a series of events he found his way to us. We did eventually find his owners, but they did not want him back. He was captive bred in around 2007, so he is still a young man and is likely to outlive us!
Full of character, Cyril loves nothing better than to sun himself and make sure that all intruders are chased off! He can move quite fast for a little guy. He will do anything for quince blossom, loves dandelions and hates pigeons…
During your stay here, you may see him wandering the patio (which is escape proof), he wanders in and out of the house as he pleases, but always spends the night indoors, safe and warm.