The Haldon Hills, usually known simply as Haldon, is a ridge of high ground in Devon, England. It is situated between the River Exe and the River Teign and runs northwards from Teignmouth, on the coast, for about until it dwindles away north west of Exeter at the River Yeo, just south of Crediton. The highest points of just over 250 metres (820 ft) lie to the south west of Exeter. The southernmost part is known as Little Haldon; it is partially separated from the main bulk of the hills by a col formed by the valleys of the Dawlish Water to the east and the valley at Rixdale to the west.
Geology
Haldon is composed of New Red Sandstone covered by a more resistant layer of Upper Greensand. On the highest ground is a layer of gravel containing many flints that is up to 18 metres (60 ft) deep; it is all that remains of a cover of chalk some 180 metres (600 ft) thick that was deposited during the Late Cretaceous and then dissolved away during the tropical climate in the Eocene.
Around the highest ground there are several other rock types. To the south west, around Chudleigh, are limestones of Devonian age, but further north there are shales, sandstones and cherts from the Carboniferous. These are cut through in places by igneous intrusions, mainly of dolerite (quarried at Trusham), and there was also a degree of metalliferous mineralisation which led to the development of a number of mines around the valley of the River Teign; ores of lead, iron, copper, manganese and barite were mined here, for instance at Wheal Exmouth.
Ecology
Three areas of Haldon have been designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The largest is Haldon Forest which covers most of the high woodland north of the A380 road as far as the Haldon Belvedere. This area is primarily designated because of its bird life. It is a nationally significant habitat for the European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) with about 80 pairs breeding here. In addition six bird of prey species breed here: the nationally rare European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), the nationally scarce goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), the Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo), Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), common buzzard (Buteo buteo) and common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). In addition, there have been a total of 35 species of butterflies recorded, including the nationally rare high brown fritillary (Fabriciana adippe) and pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne). Many moth and dragonfly species are also present.
The other two SSSIs, Great Haldon Heaths and Little Haldon Heaths, consist of a lowland heath habitat of a type only found in south west England. The Devon Whitebeam (Sorbus devoniensis) is common on Little Haldon Heaths, and the rare Climbing Corydalis (Corydalis claviculata) and the parasitic Greater Dodder (Cuscuta europaea) are also found here.
History
Haldon is one of the few sites in Devon where there is evidence of settlement in early Neolithic times (around 4000 BC). There are an estimated 26 Bronze Age tumuli on Haldon, though because of the frequent use of the gravel and flints for road building, many more may have been destroyed. On Little Haldon, Castle Dyke, a probable Iron Age square enclosure about 100 metres (330 ft) on each side occupies a good defensive position. An ancient track known as the Portway that crosses Little Haldon passes by this earthwork.
The high ground of Haldon has always been an inconvenience for people travelling south and west from Exeter. There is some evidence of a Roman road leading from Exeter over Haldon towards Newton Abbot, and possibly on to Totnes, but current opinion is that it was never fully developed, being little more than a track. Most of the route of this road was turnpiked in 1760 and now lies under the A380 road. There are several sunken lanes of medieval date or earlier that ascend Haldon from the east. These include St. Andrew's Lane, and Holloway Lane that in places was deliberately cut over 6 m (20 ft) into the hillside.
Around Little Haldon there is evidence of about a dozen settlements of medieval date that have since been deserted, for instance Seacombe, in the col between Little Haldon and Haldon itself. Lidwell Chapel, which was probably founded in the 13th century, survives as a ruin on Little Haldon, close to Teignmouth and Dawlish. In the early 14th century it was used by the hermit Robert de Middlecote as a base for robbing and murdering travellers. The building contains a holy well, now badly eroded, which according to legend is said to be bottomless.