About the reserve

The airy grasslands above the Combe make a marked contrast to the dark woodland below. A great spot for butterflies, with a magical view across Mendip. The damp wooded Combe is home to the rare moonwort fern which grows under the old yew trees. The woodland and scrub on the reserve support a thriving population of the hazel dormouse, one of the largest in the area. Goblin Combe is a gorge cut into the limestone by melting snow and ice during the last ice age. Climb steeply to the limestone grassland and patches of heath above. In late summer the grassland is dotted with autumn gentian, autumn lady's tresses and yellow-wort. Over 30 species of butterfly have been recorded here, including grizzled and dingy skippers, brown argus and green hairstreak.