Wildlife in Devon

Devon is unsurpassed for the beauty and quality of its landscapes. The beaches, shores and estuaries, the traditional farmed landscape with rolling hills, woods and hedgerows, the lowland heaths, the moors and uplands – all combine to make Devon one of the most stunning destinations in Great Britain.

Where else can boast two National Parks, five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and England’s first natural World Heritage Site, the Jurassic Coast? There are also twelve estuaries punctuating over 400 km of coastline and 210 Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

But Devon’s wealth of natural beauty does not stop there. Look closer and you will find a sheer abundance and variety of wildlife that few areas in Britain can rival. The rich and largely unspoilt landscape supports many different habitats; these in turn provide a home to a fascinating diversity of plants and animals, too many to name here.

Don’t forget, Devon’s environment has something to offer throughout the year, not just in the spring and summer months. Many of the sites are best visited out of season, such as our estuaries which support large numbers of migrating and wintering birds. Our heaths and moorlands take on their own unique beauty during the winter months, and the stunning displays of spring flowers, such as wild daffodils and bluebells, are simply breath-taking.

Avon Valley Woods

Avon Valley Woods is a beautiful stretch of ancient woodland in South Devon, covering around 139 hectares near Woodleigh. Managed

Lady’s Wood

Lady’s Wood, managed by the Devon Wildlife Trust, is a small yet ecologically rich nature reserve located near Dartmoor. This

Hawkswood

Hawkswood is a 4-hectare nature reserve managed by the Devon Wildlife Trust, located near the village of Stockland in East

Hembury and Holne Woods

Hembury and Holne Woods are ancient woodlands on the southern edge of Dartmoor, managed by the National Trust. The area

Heath lobelia Peter Llewyn UK Wildflowers

Andrew’s Wood

Andrew’s Wood, Devon Wildlife Trust reserve, is a perfect slice of the beautiful South Hams landscape. From the top of

Chudleigh Knighton Heath

Chudleigh Knighton Heath is a Devon Wildlife Trust reserve. It is a heathland mosaic of gorse, heather and grassland. This was once

Mincinglake Valley Park

Mincinglake Valley Park is a tranquil space, with a gentle circular path through woodland, alongside a stream and an orchard.

Bystock Pools

Bystock Pools is one of Devon Wildlife Trust’s most popular reserves. Visit and you’ll find yourself stopping to take in beautiful

Ludwell Valley Park

Ludwell Valley Park is a Devon Wildlife Trust reserve. Leave the city centre to explore the fields, cherry orchards and

Riverside Valley Park

Riverside Valley Park is one of six Exeter Valley Parks managed by Devon Wildlife Trust. Its 40 hectares sit between Clapperbrook

Meddon Green Local Nature Reserve

Meddon Green is a 1.7 hectare Local Nature Reserve, located at Meddon, near Bideford in Devon. It consists of culm

Teigngrace Meadow

Teigngrace Meadow is a fascinating ‘new’ landscape created from the diggings of nearby clay quarries – and a Devon Wildlife

Ashclyst Forest

Ashclyst Forest, one of Devon’s largest woodlands, lies just outside Exeter and offers a haven for wildlife and nature enthusiasts.

Heddon Valley

Heddon Valley is a National Trust site within Exmoor National Park – a stunning natural haven of wooded slopes, a

Blackdown Hills AONB

The Blackdown Hills AONB, spanning the Devon-Somerset border, is a tranquil landscape of rolling hills, steep valleys, and rich biodiversity.

Branscombe Beach

Branscombe Beach, located on the Jurassic Coast in East Devon, is a shingle and pebble beach backed by rolling cliffs

Berry Head

Berry Head is a National Nature Reserve (NNR) and within a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). It is a wildlife-rich

Meeth Quarry Nature Reserve

Meeth Quarry Nature Reserve, managed by Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT), is a vital wildlife site in North Devon, known for

Small Pearl bordered Fritillary Neil Hulme 2

Marsland Nature Reserve

Marsland Nature Reserve is a Devon Wildlife Trust nature reserve, which is a mixture of woodland, coastline and butterfly-filled meadows

Stapleton Mire Culm Grassland

Stapleton Mire is a Culm grassland, rich in nationally rare plant and insect species. Some areas are almost dominated by

Chiffchaff National Trust Images Nick Upton

Yarner Woods

Yarner Wood is West of the town of Bovey Tracey and on the South East edge of Dartmoor National Park

Lee Bay

Lee Bay is on the South West Coast Path, on the coast road reached through the Valley of Rocks from

Tarr Steps

Tarr Steps is a must-visit destination in Exmoor National Park. This ancient “clapper bridge,” the longest and oldest of its

Shaugh Bridge

This landscape of woodlands and granite cliffs has been shaped by centuries of activity – you can find remnants of

Veilstone Moor Culm Grassland

Veilstone Moor is an area where every type of Culm is found here – from dry heathland grasses, to water-filled

Arlington Woods

Arlington Woods are surrounding the Arlington Court estate – which has over 2,700 acres to explore. The area is part

Meshaw Moor Culm Grassland

Meshaw Moor consists of a patchwork of 13 field of wildflower-rich Culm grasslands, surrounded by hedges. It is a really

Meresfelle Culm Grassland

Meresfelle is one of the Devonshire Culm grasslands that once dominated the landscape of this part of north-west Devon. It

Goren Farm

Goren Farm was an extensive dairy farm up until 1990, but since then, the fields have been set to hay

Dawlish Warren

Dawlish Warren Nature Reserve is over 500 acres of protected grassland, sand dunes, mudflats and centres home to over 600

Aylesbeare Common

Aylesbeare Common is recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Natura 2000 site. You can enjoy

Black-a-Tor Copse

Black-a-Tor Copse National Nature Reserve is a narrow band of high-elevation ancient oak woodland, where the trees take on stunted,

Exeter Quay

Exeter’s Quayside situated next to the River Exe and the Exeter Ship Canal is a popular destination for locals and

Beer Head 10 Gun Battery

The beginning of the 19th century was a tense time in Britain, with a fear of invasion caused by political

Beer Quarry Caves

Beer Quarry Caves provide a fascinating insight into the geology of East Devon, where a unique limestone was formed on

Seaton Wetlands

Explore Seaton Wetlands and enjoy beautiful marshland and reedbeds alongside the River Axe. There are five bird hides and nearly

The Taw-Torridge Estuary

The extensive Taw-Torridge estuary has a typical range of saltmarsh communities, with plants such as glasswort, sea aster and sea

Photo across a dune slack to sand dunes in the background

Braunton Burrows

Situated at the entrance to the Taw-Torridge Estuary, Braunton Burrows is among Britain’s most significant sand dune systems and forms

Watersmeet, Exmoor

Watersmeet is one of the largest remaining ancient woodlands in the south west. Oak dominates the canopy, but other species

Photo of granite rocks on Bellever Tor on Dartmoor

Bellever Tor and Higher Cherrybrook Brid..

Situated in the centre of Dartmoor National Park, the area around Bellever Tor is easily accessible and is a popular

Slapton Ley

The main geological feature at this wonderful site is a dramatic shingle bar running from Strete Gate south to the

Andrew’s Wood

Developed on a series of fields once farmed by the villagers of Stanton, Andrew’s Wood now has a mix of

Photo of an orchid at Jetty Marsh, Newton Abbot

Jetty Marsh Reserve

The Jetty Marsh Reserve is a small site with a mosaic of reedbeds, scrub, grassland, open water and ditches and

Bovey Heathfield

Bovey Heathfield is a remnant of lowland heathland that was once much more common in the area. It has suffered

Dunsford Woodland Reserve

Dunsford Woodland Reserve lies on the eastern edge of Dartmoor National Park. This riverside woodland reserve consists primarily of sessile

Photo looking out over Stover Lake through trees

Stover Country Park Wildlife

Stover Country Park covers 114 acres which consist of six main habitats types: freshwater, marshland, coniferous plantation, mixed broadleaved woodland,

Photo of lichen on trees and rocks at Black-a-Tor Copse, Okehampton

The Granite Way

The Granite Way is an 11-mile cycle and walkway running between Okehampton and Lydford, mostly following the course of the

Haldon Forest Park wildlife

Haldon Forest is a structurally diverse conifer plantation covering 3,500 acres. No fewer than five species of birds of prey

Photo across the river Tamar ro fields and woodland

Upper and Lower Tamar Lakes

The Upper and Lower Tamar Lakes straddle the Devon and Cornwall border. These two man-made lakes offer many opportunities for

Grand Western Canal Country Park

Offering wonderful views of the surrounding countryside, the Grand Western Canal Country Park runs for 11 miles between Tiverton and

Dunsdon

Dunsdon reserve is an excellent example of a marshy, heathy type of vegetation known locally as Culm Grassland. There are

Photo of a trail through woodland at Yarner Woods

East Dartmoor woods and heaths

The East Dartmoor woods and heaths is a National Nature Reserve consisting of three adjacent sites – Yarner Woods, Trendlebere

Trinity Hill

Trinity Hill is an area of lowland heathland that is rich in wildlife. Heathers that form a wash of colour

Pebblebed Heaths

The magnificent East Devon Pebblebed Heaths complex is the largest block of lowland heath in Devon. The site’s large area

Bowling Green Marsh (The Exe Estuary)

Bowling Green Marsh makes up part of the Exe Estuary, an area of international importance for wintering waders and wildfowl.

Exminster Marshes (The Exe Estuary)

Part of the Exe Estuary, Exminster Marshes is an area of international importance for wintering waders and wildfowl. The area

Warleigh Point

Warleigh Point is a Devon Wildlife Trust reserve. It’s a fine example of coastal oak woodland. A variety of management

Lydford Gorge

Lydford Gorge is 1.5 miles long and includes the spectacular 90 ft high White Lady waterfall and the exciting Devil’s

Photo of an old stone bridge, Plym Bridge

Plym Bridge Woods

Springtime in the valley of the River Plym sees the Plym Bridge Woods floor carpeted by wild flowers including wood

Rackenford and Knowstone Moors

Rackenford and Knowstone Moors are a wonderful, but wild and windswept, site. They’re also one of the largest remaining areas

Halsdon

Halsdon consists of a mixture of ancient woodland, floodplain meadows and a magnificent length of the River Torridge immortalised by

Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs

Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs is a magnificent reserve comprising of 304 hectares of coastal landslides and cliffs – one

Photo of the pink flowers of sea lavender

The Otter Estuary

The Otter Estuary is a compact and accessible estuary, which supports a particularly well-developed saltmarsh flora that includes such characteristic

Photo of grassy fields down to coastal cliffs and the sea at Berry Head

Berry Head, Brixham

Berry Head offers spectacular views across Torbay. So it is not surprising that it was chosen as a strategic location

Photo of a bar-tailed godwit wading on mud

Wembury VMCA

The Wembury Voluntary Marine Conservation Area (VMCA) runs for about four miles from Yealm Head to Fort Bovisand, extending out to

Photo looking down on sea and beach with rocky cliffs behind — 21miles

North Devon VMCA

The North Devon Voluntary Marine Conservation Area (VMCA) runs for about 21 miles along the coast from Hangman Point in