Countryside

Plymouth is surrounded by woodland, green spaces and many parks & garden providing some of the finest scenery in the country.

The mellow farmland of Devon and Cornwall meet in the Tamar Valley designated as an Area of Outstanding natural Beauty with its superb river creeks and estuaries and home to Morwellham Quay.

Saltram House and Country Park is a much loved green space of Plymouth and a rare survival of an 18th-century estate, which at its height was made up of 4,000 acres of land and provided income for the Parker family and employment for many locals.The park continues to be a working estate today, with much of the land used as permanent pasture and cattle can often be found enjoying the sunshine in the fields around the house.

There are 500 acres with a remarkable range of different habitats, including farmland, beaches, saltmarshes, meadows, woodland and an estuary, as well as the 18th century folly, known as the Amphitheatre. The rest of the park is enjoyed by locals who visit daily for a dog walk, cycle, run or just to take in the beautiful countryside without having to travel too far from Plymouth.

Plymbridge Wood is a wooded valley of the River Plym, springtime sees the woodland floor covered with wild flowers and makes a great spot for watching fallow deer and a wide range of birds.

There are several old quarries with interesting industrial archaeological remains, which now support an abundance of ferns, mosses and lichens.

Nearby to Plymbridge Woods is the PlymValley which provides excellent traffic-free cycling. This 29 kilometres gentle trip takes you from Laira Bridge to Dartmoor National Park.

The surrounding area of Dartmoor, South Devon and South East Cornwall are often overlooked by visitors to Plymouth and offer an extraordinary range of natural attractions and popular visitor centres. Once again this is just a glimpse of what you can experience with a little planning.

Its outstanding location between the moors and the sea makes it the perfect base for touring and discovering the gems of East Cornwall and South West Devon. Only a few miles from the city is Dartmoor, one of the finest and largest National parks in Britain and the largest great wilderness in Southern England. The landscape is unique with its high heather covered moors, ancient standing stones, hut circles and stone clapper bridges. You can walk or cycle whilst enjoying this extraordinary area at its best.

When you head over the Tamar Bridge into Cornwall, you will also find many open green spaces to enjoy.

The Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park, set in Grade I Cornish Gardens within 865 acres Country Park on the Rame Peninsula.

Walk the gardens and enjoy the beautiful scenery. See the ancient trees in the Earl’s Garden, which was created in the 18th century. There’s a 400-year old lime, a Lucombe oak and a Mexican pine, as well as garden houses and a shell seat.

The Formal Gardens were created over 200 years ago and feature an American plantation and an area in the style of a New Zealand garden. Head into the grounds and enjoy the many attractions and activities.

Seaton Valley Countryside Park offers 53 hectares at the bottom of a steep sided wooded valley. There are various habitats to explore including a semi-ancient woodland, wet grassland and the river corridor. It is a great spot for watching various wildlife.

There are a great variety and number of locations to enjoy the green space within Plymouth too. Many of which offer fantastic walks and cycling routes. We are involved in conservation, enhancement and protection of natural landscapes, habitats, wildlife and trees and hedges.

For information on the county wildlife, nature and green spaces click here.