Beer Mill
Beer Mill is a 112 acre ecologically-rich wildlife site in Devon, England.
The site comprises several threatened habitats – Atlantic oak woodland, willow carr, wildflower meadow and culm grassland – which provide home to an abundance of wildlife. This irreplaceable land supports endangered species like merlins, willow tits and adders, while locking away carbon in its deep, wet soils.
Crucially, Beer Mill includes nearly 40 acres of Culm grassland— one of the UK’s most endangered habitats, with over 92% lost since the mid-20th century and just 1% remaining today.
Unique to North Devon and North Cornwall, this rare wet moorland locks in carbon, slows water flow, prevents flooding, and supports an extraordinary variety of life.
- A mosaic of habitats: Atlantic oak woodland, willow carr, wildflower meadows and culm grassland
- Close to 100 recorded species of birds, herptiles and mammals—including hazel dormice, polecats, merlins, willow tits, and adders
- Rich insect life and flora including devil’s-bit scabious, bird’s-foot trefoil, helleborines and sundews
- A vast network of wetlands, aiding natural flood mitigation and water purification
- Deep, undisturbed soils that act as critical carbon sinks
Various wildlife organisations have surveyed Beer Mill for years, and we have an extensive species list to show for it.
Our ‘Please Save Beer Mill For Nature’ crowd funding campaign was a resounding success! Thanks to your incredible support, donations not only surpassed our initial £80,000 target but came within just £1,000 of our stretch goal. Your generosity has enabled us to pay the deposit, securing this 112-acre wild haven teeming with life, and to begin repaying the remaining £400,000 land-purchase loan, which we will continue to pay off over the next four years.
Your generosity enabled us to secure the initial deposit, and we are delighted to share that the purchase is now fully complete.
Acquisition of this site was made possible by philanthropic loans from a group of individuals who share a passion for restoring land to Nature and people. For more info about other sites acquired through the Funding Nature Project.
We will be repaying this loan over the next few years through ongoing fundraising and donor support.
Thank you again for all your support in making this possible. Together, we have officially saved Beer Mill for nature!
Our plan for Beer Mill
- Continue the careful grazing and habitat management under the existing Higher Tier stewardship agreement, while carrying out further habitat improvements to enhance biodiversity and encourage the return of key species—such as beavers—to the landscape.
- Monitor species richness through a comprehensive programme of biodiversity surveys led by our ecologists. This will include acoustic monitoring of birds and bats, trail cameras and field sign surveys for mammals, vegetation assessments, and invertebrate monitoring in collaboration with organisations such as Buglife and Butterfly Conservation.
- Explore the potential for species reintroductions, including marsh fritillary butterflies, water voles and glow worms, to restore lost ecological functions and support the recovery of locally threatened wildlife.
- Ensure Beer Mill remains a space where the local community can connect with, learn from, and be inspired by nature. We will maintain and expand public access through regular school visits, volunteer sessions, guided walks, and by opening up an accessible nature trail for the local community.
Chris Packham on Beer Mill
