Chair’s foreword 

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The Quantock Hills National Landscape is a place of exceptional beauty, deep cultural resonance and living heritage. It is also a landscape facing profound pressures. As Chair of the Quantock Hills National Landscape Partnership, I am proud to introduce this Management Plan for 2026–2031—our collective commitment to safeguarding what makes this landscape so special, while preparing it for the challenges and opportunities of the years ahead. 

 

The passage of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 marks a turning point for all Protected Landscapes. By replacing the long‑standing requirement merely to have regard to our statutory purposes with a strengthened duty on all relevant authorities to seek to further them, Parliament has recognised both the national significance of places like the Quantock Hills and the need for more ambitious action. This enhanced duty brings clarity, accountability and new expectations for how partners must work together to conserve and enhance natural beauty. It also reinforces the critical role of Management Plans such as this one in leading and coordinating that shared endeavour. 

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At its heart, this Plan recognises that the Quantock Hills is a dynamic and interconnected system—its nature, its communities, and its economy are inseparable. To restore nature at scale, to build climate resilience and to secure a prosperous future for those who live and work here, we must achieve the right balance between sometimes competing needs. That balance is not static; it requires constant care, informed decision making and a willingness to adapt as conditions change. 

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We know that nature recovery on the Quantock Hills requires action at scale. Our internationally important oakwoods of the northern combes, draped in lichens and mosses, remain vulnerable to climate‑driven pests such as Phytophthora ramorum and to increased browsing pressure from a growing red deer population, now estimated at over 1,100 individuals. On the open heathland, nightjar, adder, bell heather and whortleberry all rely on sensitive management to prevent scrub encroachment and manage wildfire risk. Our acidic flushes – the most botanically rich habitats on the hills – are small in extent but disproportionately significant, and must be protected and buffered if their specialist species are to thrive. 

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Climate resilience is another essential priority. We have already seen how intense rainfall events affect the steep headwaters of Holford, Doniford and other catchments. Recent natural flood management work – such as the installation of woody dams and "ghost ponds" through the Hills to Levels programme – has shown how nature‑based solutions can slow water, reduce downstream flood risk and create new microhabitats. These small-scale, carefully sited interventions offer a model for what a climate‑resilient Quantock landscape can look like. 

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Equally, the Quantock Hills is a living and working landscape, and its future must support those who shape it daily. Commoners grazing Quantock Common, farmers adopting regenerative practices to protect soil health, and woodland managers responding to ash dieback are all central to the landscape’s resilience. Supporting these land managers – through Environmental Land Management Schemes, Farming in Protected Landscapes grants and strong partnership working – is essential not only for nature, but for the local economy and the continuation of traditional rural skills. 

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Our communities are also integral to the character and stewardship of the hills. From Nether Stowey, Crowcombe and Broomfield, to the hamlets tucked deep into the combes, local people maintain a strong sense of identity and pride in their landscape. Recent projects such as Beyond the Protected Landscape, which brought Quantock stories and experiences into surrounding towns, and our health and wellbeing programme, which has helped people from all backgrounds connect with nature, demonstrate the power of partnership and the importance of inclusive engagement. 

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Tourism, too, plays a vital role. The popularity of Kilve Beach, the network of rights of way across the open hilltops, and the connection to long‑distance routes such as the Coleridge Way and King Charles III England Coast Path all support the local economy. But this popularity must be balanced with care for sensitive habitats, tranquillity and dark skies – qualities that make the Quantock Hills special in the first place. 

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The Quantock Hills is small in area but vast in significance. Its heathland, oakwoods, parkland, cliffs and farmed slopes together provide a richness of experience and ecology unique in the country. This Management Plan sets out how, through partnership and commitment, we will continue to protect and manage these special qualities; build a nature‑rich, climate‑resilient landscape; and support thriving communities and a vibrant local economy. 

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I would like to thank all partners, land managers, volunteers, organisations and residents who have contributed to shaping this Plan. Your insight and commitment reflect the deep connection people feel to the Quantock Hills. With the strengthened duties of the 2023 Act and the collective ambition within this Plan, we are well placed to ensure that the Quantock Hills continues to inspire, sustain and enrich both people and nature for generations to come. 

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Hugh Warmington, Chair, Quantock Hills National Landscape Partnership.

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