Tamar Valley AONB Rising on the borders of Cornwall and Devon,
the rivers Tamar, Tavy and Lynher, form one of the last,
unspoilt drowned valley river systems in England. On their
passage to the broad estuary near Plymouth, the rivers flow
through a series of deep meanders, steep gorges and wooded
valleys. A ribbon of woodland extends along the Estuary margin
although it is often no more than a mature hedgerow above a
steep earth bank. In the middle valleys where the ridges are
wide the high land has an almost plateau character and there is
a feeling of remoteness and solitude. The landscape contains a
wide variety of wildlife habitats, including many ancient
woodlands and wetlands that provide important wintering grounds
for wildfowl and wading birds. People have lived in the Tamar
Valley for centuries, and the diverse scenery reflects the
impact of their activities in an area rich in natural resources.
Field patterns disclose ancient farming practices, disused mine
workings reveal intensive mining activity d