A haven of peace close to Plymouth, springtime sees the woodland floor covered with wild flowers including wood anemone, wild garlic, primroses and bluebells.

The area has an industrial past and although there are tell-tale signs of the woods' history everywhere you look there is now also an abundance of ferns, mosses and lichens, while the valley is home to many animals, including a herd of fallow deer, and a wide range of birds.

Kingfishers and dippers can be seen along the river, and lesser spotted woodpecker and tree pipit are found within the woods. Peregrine falcons breed on an old quarry face within the woodland.

The site supports many damselflies and butterflies, such as the speckled wood.