This countryside provides a wide variety of habitats for both animals and plants.

It spans forest, mountain and moorland, heath, farmland, hedgerow, riverbank and waterfalls and therefore provides opportunities for observing all the wildlife that is usually associated with all of these.

Spring is the best time for observing wild flowers when hedgerows and woods abound in species such as Cowslip, Bluebell, Wood Anemone, Archangel, Campion, Stitchwort, Celandine, Daffodil......

Spring is also the time to spot young animals with lambs and foals evident in considerable numbers, both in the lower fields and on the wilder hills.

Autumn, equally or perhaps even more colourful, will be good for observing birds as they are more plentiful at the end of the breeding season and they may seem to be a little less shy when not nesting and feeding young.

Thus we can watch Kingfisher, Dipper, Heron..... by the Rivers; see Grouse, Buzzard, Stonechat, Wheatear, Kites and Kestrels on the moors; or marvel at the fortitude of Swallows, Martins and Swifts as they mass for their long flights south.