Chudleigh Knighton Heath, near Chudleigh Knighton,

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, so designated because of its rare lowland heath vegetation. It is a habitat for many rare species including the ant, '' Formica exsecta''. This is one of only two wild colonies in England, the other being at Bovey Heath."A colony of a rare species of ant has been returned to its home in Devon six years after it was rescued by Paignton Zoo"

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

, 25 February 2004. The site is leased by the

Devon Wildlife Trust The Devon Wildlife Trust is a member of The Wildlife Trusts partnership covering the county of Devon, England. It is a registered charity, established in 1962 as the Devon Naturalists Trust, and its aim is to safeguard the future of the county's ...

from formerly WBB Minerals. The Trust have created several ponds noted for 12 breeding species of dragonfly including the scarce Keeled Skimmer."Quarry company extends lease of heathland nature reserve"

Western Daily Press The ''Western Daily Press'' is a regional newspaper covering parts of South West England, mainly Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset as well as the metropolitan areas of Bath and North East Somerset and the Bristol area. It is published M ...

, 29 November 2005. The Heath was once the village's main football pitch and was the venue for many sports days for Chudleigh Knighton Church of England Primary School. However the pitch fell into disrepair and was unsuitable for sporting activities, so the School opened its own private sports field opposite to the village play park. The football pitch is now used by local dog walkers, the football posts are still standing today, though they are a little rusty.

References

{{coord, 50.5849, -3.6421, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Nature reserves in Devon Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Devon Heathland Sites of Special Scientific Interest