Though common in south west England, coastal heath is rare in Europe, so the National Trust works hard to care for it.
Light grazing by sheep and swaling (burning) ensure that coarse scrub and bracken do not take over, helping the heather regenerate. This traditional approach has proved very successful and the moorland at Countisbury is in a very healthy condition.
The rare high brown fritillary has recently been helped by the introduction of Ruby Reds to the coastal heath. They're an old local breed of cattle that is particularly suited to grazing the rough bracken-invaded slopes where the butterfly lives.
The Watersmeet woodlands used to be coppiced in the 19th century, with wood being sold for construction and fuel.
The priority now is to promote the fantastic variety of native trees of different ages which thrive there. Alien plants like rhododendrons, sycamore and conifers are generally removed. Glades are created among the trees to encourage wildlife, especially butterflies and dead wood is left for insects, birds and bats.
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Much of the Watersmeet area is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of it's important semi-natural woodlands, it's coastal heath and it's geology.
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