Short birdwatching visit · RSPB
Chapel Wood
- Tier
- Local green space
- Best season
- year-round
- Headline birds
- Tawny Owl · Nuthatch · Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Parking
- Only limited roadside-verge parking is available; avoid blocking access.
- Hides
- An old-quarry viewpoint has a seat and views into the tree canopy.
- Step-free
- Not stated by the operator
Spreacombe · EX33 1JA
Chapel Wood is a small, steep woodland reserve near Spreacombe in north Devon. A circular walk climbs through a landscape of streams, old trees and an Iron Age hill fort. The RSPB names Tawny Owl, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Green Woodpecker as part of its woodland birdlife. Spring flowers add interest, while the quarry viewpoint gives a different angle into the canopy. The terrain makes this a walking visit for people comfortable with natural slopes and steps, rather than a level woodland stroll. Keep to the signed access across the neighbouring field.
Birds and seasons
- Tawny Owl · Headline bird — Typically year-round Source for Tawny Owl
- Nuthatch · Headline bird — Typically year-round Source for Nuthatch
- Great Spotted Woodpecker · Headline bird — Typically year-round Source for Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Green Woodpecker — Typically year-round Source for Green Woodpecker
Plan your visit
- Hides and viewpoints
- An old-quarry viewpoint has a seat and views into the tree canopy.
- Paths
- The waymarked circular trail is about one mile, on unsurfaced paths with steep steps.
- Toilets
- No reserve toilets; public facilities are in Braunton and Woolacombe.
- Parking
- Only limited roadside-verge parking is available; avoid blocking access.
- Dogs
- Dogs must remain on leads throughout the reserve.
- Access notes
- Uneven ground, steep slopes and steps make the circuit unsuitable for many mobility needs.
- Step-free access
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
Getting there: Follow the RSPB signs from the Spreacombe road and use the designated field-crossing approach.
Sources
Social preview photograph: Common Starling standing in grass in Oxfordshire. Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and converted for the preview.
Nearby special trips
- Isley Marsh · 5.6 straight-line miles
- Rhosili Headland and The Vile · 29.3 straight-line miles
- Blackpill Shore · 31.7 straight-line miles
Continue birding nearby
Nearest full guide: Lundy, 21.4 miles away in a straight line.
- Isley Marsh · 5.6 miles in a straight line
- Overton Mere · 27.1 miles in a straight line
- Maer Lake · 27.1 miles in a straight line