Nestled on the edge of Dartmoor, the impressive landscape of Lydford Gorge offers an opportunity to immerse yourself in the wonders of nature. Winding walking trails take you through temperate rainforest with cascading waterfalls and fascinating rock formations carved out by the River Lyd.
The Waterfall trail and facilities are now open. The Lyd link path and facilities at the Devil’s Cauldron entrance will reopen with the Easter trail from Thursday 26 March. A routine rock face survey identified movement in a large section of rock above the Devil’s Cauldron trail, so this will remain closed while we make the area safe. We hope to reopen this walk by May.
The habitat of the gorge is known as ‘temperate rainforest’ which is characterised by high rainfall and humidity and a low annual variation in temperature. These conditions create the perfect conditions for moisture-loving lichens and bryophytes (mosses and liverworts). They are the base of a rich and diverse ecosystem supporting large numbers of insects and the birds and mammals that feed on them.
Most surviving fragments of temperate rainforest in Britain occur on steep-sided slopes above rivers and lakes which have avoided clearance and intensive grazing pressure. So it's important to continue to look after and improve these special places for the future.
0.8 mile / 1.3 km
This circular one-way route, which takes around 45 minutes, is the best way to explore the deepest part of the gorge known as the ravine. Here the river plunges and tumbles through narrow gaps and into deep potholes. The rock faces are covered with life and constantly drip with water. The paths can be steep, narrow and slippery in places. Devil's Cauldron trail
These bright yellow wild flowers are one of the first to appear, they grow low to the ground near the path edges. It's worth taking a closer look as they are the favourite food of violet oil beetles.
Since the 1960s the distribution of violet oil beetles has shrunk dramatically, the South West is one of the last strongholds.
They are highly dependent upon wildflower-rich, semi-natural grasslands which support the solitary mining bee populations that they take advantage of. As juveniles they grow up like cuckoos in the bee's nests, eating food collected by the bees for their young.
The adults start to emerge in March and April is the best time to look for them. These iridescent insects stuff themselves with lesser celandine and soft grasses, and like to sun themselves on bare ground in woodland glades.
The leaves begin to appear as early as February in a mild year. Then the starry white flowers spring from the dark green leaves in April. You are likely to smell this before you spot it on your walk.
As the gorge is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), please leave the wild garlic where it is for everyone to enjoy, thank you.
These flowers are an ancient woodland indicator species. Their presence in the gorge tells us that it has been contiuously wooded for over 400 years. They flower from March to May, and they open their petals on a sunny day but close them again as night falls or if it begins to rain.
In spring the birds are busy getting ready to breed and there's usually lots of activity around the woodland. Listen out for the male great spotted woodpecker drumming to attract a mate. Watch out for the marsh tits, great tits and blue tits as they collect moss, feathers and even some fir needles to make their delicate nests. Head to the bird hide on the railway path for a sheltered spot to sit and see what birds fly by.
From May the pied flycatchers start to arrive from West Africa, where they spend the winter. There are over 70 nest boxes up around the gorge specially designed for these rare birds, to encourage them to breed here. The boxes are in groupings of three, the theory is that as blue tits and great tits are territorial they will only occupy two of the three boxes, leaving the other free for the pied flycatchers to use. So far this seems to be working and in 2021 we had 6 pairs of pied flycatchers breed at the gorge.
We ask visitors not to swim, however tempting, as it's not safe. If something were to go wrong the area is very inaccessible. Please avoid disturbing the wildlife and special habitats of the gorge and don't go in.
Find out when Lydford Gorge is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.
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This spring find a prehistoric world full of crashing water and new growth with plenty of outdoor fun and adventure for all the family at Lydford Gorge.
A Tramper can be hired to access Whitelady Waterfall and the bird hide in the gorge, thanks to Countryside Mobility South West.
At Lydford Gorge in Devon we've closed a section of the gorge walking trail, which has become unsafe, while we assess the effects of a changing climate on the rare temperate rainforest it contains.
Discover the history of Lydford Gorge from its earliest fossil formations and its importance to the Anglo Saxons and Vikings, to how it influenced the Picturesque and inspired artists.
Plan a visit to one of the special countryside places in our care and discover the benefits of being in the great outdoors. Pack your walking boots and get ready to explore woodlands, valleys and rivers.
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