Roundball Wood, part of Honiton - the Town in the Country, consists of woodland with adjoining meadow on the slopes of Roundball Hill in the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Honiton is the smallest of the 39 BBC Breathing Places Communities in England and the second smallest of the 54 communities in the United Kingdom. Roundball Wood is one of five BBC Breathing Places in Honiton. The Town Council leases and manages this small wood of exceptional nature conservation and landscape importance which has public access for leisure, education and conservation purposes. It lies within the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and can be seen from vantage points in the town. There are outstanding views from the wood and from the adjoining Roundball Hill across Honiton and the surrounding countryside in both the East Devon and the Blackdown Hills Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The wood has mature trees dating from the early part of the 19th Century and is rich in flora and fauna. The three access paths join a circular path which mainly runs within the wood but also runs through a different habitat, a long but narrow section of wildflower meadow set between the hill and the wood (see picture). The Woodland Heritage Champions Project selected Roundball Wood as the South West's example for inclusion in the Woodland Heritage Handbook then being compiled. Training days for local tree wardens and others, including Roundball Wood's volunteers, organised by the project were held in 2007 and 2008.

Partner: Honiton Town Council

Address: Roundball Wood, Woodhill View, Honiton.

OS Grid ref: SY158991

Further information: Three permissive paths over cattle pasture give access to the Wood: From Woodhill View (at the far end of that close), Battishorne Way (follow signpost to Wood on west side of the River Gissage bridge) and from Roundball Lane (near the A375 Sidmouth Road; this path includes particularly steep slopes and two flights of steps - see pictures). The waymarked circular path, which runs mainly inside but close to the perimeter of the Wood, is quite boggy in places so appropriate footwear is essential. A leaflet describing the wood is usually available free of charge from the Honiton Town Council Offices in New Street and from the Honiton Tourist Information Centre in the Lace Walk car park (check for opening times).

More Details available from: Administration Clerk

Email: infodesk@honiton.gov.uk

Tel: 01404 42957

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