Southern Marsh Orchids
Each spring, the grounds at Escot Estate burst into life with one of Britain’s most beautiful native wildflowers – the Southern Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa). Known for its striking pink-purple flower spikes and ability to thrive in damp grassland, the species is an important indicator of healthy habitats and careful land management. It typically flowers […]
Wild about No Mow May at Escot!
With spring, the combination of rain, sun and warmth sees gardens, parks and green spaces burst back into life. But while many people reach for the lawnmower at the first sign of growth, the increasingly popular movement of “No Mow May” encourages us to do the opposite. Rather, we let nature take the lead for […]
Dog Poo Plea!
Dog Poo – How Does It Affect The Environment? There are many reasons why dog poo poses a problem. Pet dogs are a non-native, introduced species, eating food which isn’t from the natural environment and pooping it out in nature. Not picking up and disposing of it responsibly has a detrimental effect on wildlife, livestock […]
Blooming spring beauties at Escot
As the days grow longer, Escot Estate undergoes a breathtaking transformation. From January to April, nature puts on a dazzling display with an array of vibrant spring flowers, signalling the arrival of a new season. Let’s take a journey through the Estate and our gardens and explore some of the iconic blooms that grace our […]
Is frogspawn on the decline?
We’re republishing this blog from 2021 as figures from 2023 show even more of a significant decline in frog numbers. Toad numbers have dropped by an extraordinary 68 per cent since the 1970s. This is the time of year when the frogs and toads have been doing their thing, with frogspawn appearing in ponds, lakes […]
Feed the birds!
We are very lucky on the Estate to have lots of native wild birds. Some of them are regular visitors to the garden at Escot House. These are the usual suspects in an English garden, including blackbirds, finches, tits, sparrows, doves and occasional woodpeckers, peacocks, pheasants and ducks! We’ve been putting out food for the […]
Autumn at Escot Estate
There’s never a dull moment at this time of year! As the sugars in the leaves turn them into those wonderful autumnal colours, so too the ground softens with the seasonal rains. Before it became too wet we managed to run an aerator, or slitter, over the Park, lent to us by Devon Wildlife Trust. […]
Wild Bee Swarms
We recently spotted something a little odd on the terrace by Escot House. On closer inspection it turned out to be a huge group of bees, seemingly fixed to the stone wall! So we had a chat with Malcolm Crook, who keeps 14 beehives on the Estate, 2 in Escot’s gardens, 2 in neighbouring Wildwood […]
Escot Ecology – Himalayan Balsam in the Tale Valley
The Tale Valley Trust organises three Himalayan Balsam removal dates in the year, where volunteers join in to take out this invasive plant. This is an abridged version of Mish Kennaway’s report for 2021. If you’d like to volunteer, please make a note of next year’s dates at the bottom of the article and get […]
Beavers at Escot
We recently posted a video on social media of a new wild beaver dam we’d come across on the Estate. There was a huge amount of interest! So we thought it would be helpful to explain more about beavers, their history and their reintroduction into Britain. There have been beavers on Escot Estate since 2007. […]
Bees at Escot Estate
Escot Estate is delighted to host a number of beehives in different locations. The beekeeper tells us Escot is his most productive site due to the diversity of year round nectar. We also have wild bee colonies which have made their homes within hollow trees. Rural estates are an important bank of old parkland trees […]
Encouraging wildflowers at Escot Estate
We’re enjoying a wonderful show of wildflowers this autumn (yes, it’s autumn!). But new patches of wildflowers don’t just appear from thin air. In fact, experts say 97% of the nation’s meadows have been eradicated since the 1930s, with popular species like wild strawberry, ragged robin and harebell facing steep declines. Campaigners say the collapse […]
