Wildlife and Landscape

The Trust’s length of the Bude Canal is fascinating and rewarding in terms of both its wildlife and landscape.

Wildlife:

At any time of the year you are likely to see a variety of flowers and wildlife along the towpath. From the Snowdrops of early spring through to the late summer flowers there is a good variety. In winter there may be Foxes in the surrounding fields or Buzzards overhead. In spring the resident birds are joined by spring migrants. In summer a good variety of butterflies and dragonflies can be observed.

Landscape:

The local landscape is particularly notable for its quiet remoteness, its timeless quality of invoking what the landscape must have been like when the canal was at the height of its working life. At that time such landscape character would have been common throughout the country, but today this area is one of the relatively few retaining these qualities largely unchanged. Hedged fields, small woods and copses, unimproved pasture and ancient farms are all features of the canal’s landscape.

Maintenance Plan

The Trust has adopted a Maintenance Plan which provides a framework in which to manage its property and assets. The Plan, which has been endorsed by all the Trust’s partners, recognises the importance of biodiversity on its lands. Current management practice set out in the Plan is informed by the natural environment with work being tailored to minimise negative impacts and to maintain a healthy ecosystem.

Wildlife and Landscape