East Dartmoor Woods and Heath National Nature Reserve

Our View

East Dartmoor NNR consists of three joined but distinct areas: Yarner Wood, Trendlebere Down and the Bovey Valley Woodlands. Together they provide an excellent example of internationally important western oakwood, supporting a great range of plants and animals, from woodpeckers to the rare blue ground beetle and Barbastelle bat. The small, wet wildflower-rich meadows in the Bovey Valley are a great place to see silver-washed fritillary and marbled white butterflies. The River Bovey contains brown and sea trout and the occasional salmon, as well as birds like the dipper and kingfisher. Trendlebere Down supports grayling butterflies, tree pipits and Dartford warblers. The small stream in the combe reveals bog-loving plants like bog asphodel and the carnivorous round-leaved sundew. In spring and early summer, this is one of the best places to spot pearl-bordered and dark green fritillary butterflies. Yarner Wood is famous for its pied flycatchers, great and lesser spotted woodpeckers and wood warblers.