Nestled on the edge of Dartmoor, the impressive landscape of Lydford Gorge offers an opportunity to immerse yourself in the wonders of nature. Winding walking trails take you through temperate rainforest with cascading waterfalls and fascinating rock formations carved out by the River Lyd.
Winter opening
From Monday 3 November 2025 only the trails to Whitelady Waterfall and the bird hide are open. The Devil's Cauldron trail and seasonal trails are shut every winter for safety and essential maintenance work. This can include tree work, path work and rock face inspections, so please do not pass any locked gates. We plan to reopen from Saturday 14 March 2026.
Winter highlights at Lydford Gorge
This 30-metre-high cascade is a spectacular sight and makes for a great photo opportunity and it can eb even more dramatic in winter. Some days it’s cloaked in mist, on others it’s lit from above by the late winter sun, and after heavy rain the water comes pounding down the cliff face. If we’re lucky enough to get a heavy frost – or even a light dusting of snow – the gorge can be truly magical.
Head along the railway path, which follows the line of the old Great Western Railway, to find the bird hide. It's a sheltered spot to stop and see what birds are visiting the feeding station (feeders filled around twice a week). This can also be visited while walking the Waterfall trail.
With the trees bare, winter brings views out over the gorge that are hidden by leaves in summer. From the railway path, look towards Dartmoor to spot Widgery Cross sticking up from the top of Brat Tor. It’s a four-metre granite cross erected by William Widgery, a renowned local artist, to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.
A temperate rainforest
The habitat of the gorge is known as ‘temperate rainforest’ which is characterised by high rainfall and humidity and a low annual variation in temperature. These conditions create the perfect conditions for moisture-loving lichens and bryophytes (mosses and liverworts). They are the base of a rich and diverse ecosystem supporting large numbers of insects and the birds and mammals that feed on them.
Most surviving fragments of temperate rainforest in Britain occur on steep-sided slopes above rivers and lakes which have avoided clearance and intensive grazing pressure. So it's important to continue to look after and improve these special places for the future.
Spring colour at the gorge
Lesser celandine
These bright yellow wild flowers are one of the first to appear, they grow low to the ground near the path edges. It's worth taking a closer look as they are the favourite food of violet oil beetles.
Since the 1960s the distribution of violet oil beetles has shrunk dramatically, the South West is one of the last strongholds.
They are highly dependent upon wildflower-rich, semi-natural grasslands which support the solitary mining bee populations that they take advantage of. As juveniles they grow up like cuckoos in the bee's nests, eating food collected by the bees for their young.
The adults start to emerge in March and April is the best time to look for them. These iridescent insects stuff themselves with lesser celandine and soft grasses, and like to sun themselves on bare ground in woodland glades.
Wild garlic
The leaves begin to appear as early as February in a mild year. Then the starry white flowers spring from the dark green leaves in April. You are likely to smell this before you spot it on your walk.
As the gorge is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), please leave the wild garlic where it is for everyone to enjoy, thank you.
Wood anemone
These flowers are an ancient woodland indicator species. Their presence in the gorge tells us that it has been contiuously wooded for over 400 years. They flower from March to May, and they open their petals on a sunny day but close them again as night falls or if it begins to rain.
In spring the birds are busy getting ready to breed and there's usually lots of activity around the woodland. Listen out for the male great spotted woodpecker drumming to atract a mate. Watch out for the marsh tits, great tits and blue tits as they collect moss, feathers and even some fir needles to make their delicate nests. Head to the bird hide on the railway path to get a closer view of the birds as they visit the feeding station.
From May the pied flycatchers start to arrive from West Africa, where they spend the winter. There are over 60 nest boxes up around the gorge specially designed for these rare birds, to encourage them to breed here. The boxes are in groupings of three, the theory is that as blue tits and great tits are territorial they will only occupy two of the three boxes, leaving the other free for the pied flycatchers to use. So far this seems to be working and in 2021 we had 6 pairs of pied flycatchers breed at the gorge.
Planning a visit from spring
The Waterfall trail and facilities will reopen from Saturday 14 March. A recent routine rock face survey identified movement in a large section of rock above the Devil’s Cauldron trail, so this area, the Lyd link path and all facilities at the Devil’s Cauldron entrance will remain closed while we make the area safe. We hope to reopen by the end of March.
A recent routine rock face survey identified movement in a large section of rock above the Devil’s Cauldron trail, so this area, the Lyd link path and all facilities at the Devil’s Cauldron entrance will remain closed while we make the area safe. We hope to reopen by the end of March.
This circular one-way route is the best way to explore the deepest part of the gorge known as the ravine. Here the river plunges and tumbles through narrow gaps and into deep potholes. During the winter closure the rangers can work on the narrow paths here and complete essential maintenance.
Brave the narrow rock-hewn steps onto the Devil's Cauldron viewing platform, which is suspended over the water in the depths of this natural pothole. In winter this section can flood and so the floor and walls of the viewing platform are lifted to allow the river and winter debris to pass without damaging it.
Take this optional two-way route through the woodland to link together the Devil's Cauldron trail and Waterfall trail. Perfect if you're visiting by bus or bike, or want a longer walk. Over winter the rangers will be completing essential maintenance on this route.
The path along the river, between Whitelady Waterfall and Pixie Glen, has suffered several significant landslips in recent years and we’ve made the tough decision to close this route.
This is a great space to escape the crowds and there's plenty of space for picnics and free play. During most school holidays there is a family-friendly trail running too. Over winter the grass here is grazed by a flock of local Whiteface Dartmoor sheep to help improve the meadow habitat.
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This spring find a prehistoric world full of crashing water and new growth with plenty of outdoor fun and adventure for all the family at Lydford Gorge.
The Tramper will be available to hire again from Saturday 14 March 2026. If you’d like to use your own mobility vehicle to access Whitelady Waterfall please get in touch for further information.
At Lydford Gorge in Devon we've closed a section of the gorge walking trail, which has become unsafe, while we assess the effects of a changing climate on the rare temperate rainforest it contains.
Discover the history of Lydford Gorge from its earliest fossil formations and its importance to the Anglo Saxons and Vikings, to how it influenced the Picturesque and inspired artists.
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