Stover Country Park Wildlife

About this route

Stover Country Park covers 114 acres which consist of six main habitats types: freshwater, marshland, coniferous plantation, mixed broadleaved woodland, lowland heath and grassland.

These habitats are easily accessible from a network of surfaced and un-surfaced paths. Extensive deciduous and coniferous woodland are interspersed with pockets of lowland heath and grassland providing habitats for a range of visiting and resident wildlife.

There is a substantial variety of wildlife, notably dragonflies and wildfowl, as well as other bird life, insects and mammals. 19 species of dragonflies and damselflies have been recorded here including rarities such as the hairy dragonfly, the migrant hawker and the red-eyed damselfly.

There is ongoing management work to increase the area of heath, which supports breeding nightjars.

Getting Around

By bus: regular bus services link Stover Country Park to major towns and villages including Exeter and Plymouth, visit the Travel Devon website for further information.
By road: entrance to the park is off the A382 Bovey Tracey to Newton Abbot road.
By foot: the Templer Way long distance walking route passes through the Country Park.
By bike: a cycle route links the Country Park with Newton Abbot and Bovey Tracey.

Facilities

Car parking, visitor centre, toilets, picnic tables, fully accessible bird hide, aerial walkway

Terrain

Network of surfaced and unsurfaced paths allow you to explore the woodlands and lake.

Accessibility
Explore more, click to download pdf: Download

Interesting information

Stover is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Local Nature Reserve.

The country park has an Aerial Walkway which was opened in 2003 by Andrew Cooper (BBC Wildlife Film Producer). The walkway enables all visitors to gain a bird’s eye view of the woodland and ponds below.

The Nature Interpretation Centre is situated near the entrance of the park and consists of a visitor centre, classroom, rangers’ office and public toilets. Additional recreation resources include interpretation boards, aerial walkway, a bird hide, a car park and picnic areas.

The British Dragonfly Society has officially declared Stover Country Park as a Hotspot for Dragonflies. “Dragonfly Hotspots are special places, carefully chosen because they support a good variety of Dragonfly and Damselfly species, are easy to access, and can provide opportunities for local communities to get involved with Dragonfly conservation and events.” The Dragonfly Hotspot project is developing but currently Stover is one of only 14 places in Great Britain to receive the ‘hotspot’ designation which is fantastic news and adds to its interest as a place to visit.