Introduction
This limestone gorge on the Herefordshire/Shropshire border through which flows the River Teme holds one of the few remnants of an ancient woodland that would have covered a large area of the Welsh Borders during medieval times. The reserve has a range of woodland types and is important for a number of woodland and riverine species as well as a number of geologically important exposures. It is also a registered landscape park and garden important both for its industrial heritage and picturesque landscape history.
Habitats
The gorge contains a number of woodland types, some of which are nationally rare. Much of the site, particularly down in the gorge is dominated by ash which are suffering badly with the ash dieback disease. Higher up the slopes, on the more acidic sandstone, oak and birch dominate.
The River Teme, which is a protected site in its own right, cuts through the limestone, and its is the moist microclimate within the woodland that helps make this site particularly important for ferns, mosses, lichens and fungi. The river has some historical weirs that provide slow water along with areas of rapids.
Woodland
Much of the calcaereous parts of the gorge are covered in ash, oak, wych elm together with both large and small leaved lime. The more acid parts of the gorge birch and oak are more prominent.
The woodland however is quite diverse with areas of alder, hornbeam and beech along with a scattering of yew, wild service, hazel, hawthorn and field maple.
Much of the woodland has a history of being coppiced. Most of the woodlands in the area would have been coppiced to provide charcoal for the iron smelting in the area, however in the gorge much of the coppicing would have been to open up views as part of the 18th century landscape design carried out by Richard Payne Knight.
River
The River Teme, now a tributary of the River Severn, has relatively clean water and a good invertebrate and fish population that sustain various riverine birds and otters.
Key species
Woodland plants
As well as the range of trees including large leaved lime and wild service tree the reserve has many ancient woodland plants like wood anemone, herb paris, toothwort and bluebell. More unusual plants include alternate-leaved golden saxifrage, lily of the valley, skullcap, tutsan and green figwort. Fern species are well represented including large swathes of oak fern.
Lower plants
The site is important for lichens which include a number of tree dwelling species like tree lungwort, usually found on the West Coast of the UK.
Other rare lichens, mosses and liverworts are found on the rocks around the river, some of which are only found in one or two other sites in the country.
Fungi
Over 660 species of fungi have been recorded over a considerable time on this reserve, with Downton being the site of one of the first fungal forays by the Woolhope Naturalist Field Club which was formed in 1851.
Mammals
These include threes species of deer, otter, dormouse, badger, hare, polecat and eight species of bat. Much work is being carried out to prevent excessive deer from damaging the woodland flora and preventing tree regeneration.
Breeding birds
Typical woodland birds nest in the reserve including pied flycatchers, redstart, spotted flycatcher, marsh and willow tit. More unusually lesser spotted woodpecker and hawfinch are encountered.
On the river grey wagtails and dipper breed and kingfisher, goosander and redpoll are regularly seen.
Fish
The River Teme holds important populations of salmon, brook lamprey and bull head as well as trout and grayling.
Invertebrates
The plentiful supply of deadwood within the NNR provides ideal conditions for invertebrates associated with ancient woodlands and 15 nationally or locally rare species have been recorded here. These include the painted pill woodlouse, a rare woodland species. The silver-washed fritillary butterfly can be found particularly on the sunnier north bank.
Geology
Silurian exposures in the gorge.
Further info
Natural England’s West Midland NNRs: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/herefordshires-national-nature-reserves/herefords-national-nature-reserves#downton-gorge
Downton Gorge: the matchless realm – edited by T and G Wall 2022
Blog post: https://englandsnationalnaturereserves.co.uk/2026/04/24/downton-gorge-a-natural-history-treasure/
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