Around 450 thousand years ago the river Lyd captured the headwaters of the river Burn and the extra water helped erode down through the rock layers creating a gorge. At the end of the last ice age, 11,500 year ago, the meltwater added to the erosive power of the river creating Lydford Gorge as we see it today.
Lost in myth and legend
There are many stories of the gorge that tend towards the mystical. If you get a chance to explore for yourself you'll understand why. With a constantly damp atmosphere which sustains luscious plant growth; shiny black rock faces and thunderous water – it can feel like a prehistoric rainforest. Then there are the money logs, pixie doors and weird wooden faces to help with the enchanted feel.
The tale of the ‘Gubbins’, a band of lawless savages whose lair was said to be Lydford Gorge, has been told since at least the 15th Century. Other figures of legend, such as the white lady that supposedly haunts the waterfall, are much more ephemeral.