Plymbridge Woods covers approximately 200 acres (80 ha) of woodland and meadows along the River Plym on the northeastern fringe of the city of Plymouth. The timber is mainly sessile oak with other broad-leaved trees such as beech, sycamore, ash and chestnut now becoming established. There is a small stand of Douglas Fir, which has produced several majestic specimens. Lots of the oak trees in the past have been coppiced, but generally the management of the woodlands today is left to natural regeneration. Very little planting has been carried out in recent years, in the belief that the natural woodland will provide a more sustainable habitat for the wildlife. In some areas, the trees are "thinned out" in order to allow more light to reach the ground, thereby encouraging a diverse ground flora and permitting the remaining trees to grow larger and stronger with the reduced competition.

Depending on the season the woodland floor can be carpeted with wood anemones, bluebells, primroses, wild garlic or foxgloves. The quarries and cliff faces have an abundant display of interesting ferns, mosses and lichens.

A secretive herd of fallow deer roam freely in the woods occasionally being spotted disappearing into the undergrowth or maybe grazing in the grassland at the edges of the wood. Other mammals include stoats, weasels, foxes, badgers, water voles, wood mice and common shrews whilst there has been recorded the rare signs of otters on a few occasions.

Frog and toads along with spectacular dragonflies can be found in the wetter areas whilst adders and lizards sometimes bask on the south facing scree slopes. A range of butterflies can be seen in the grassy meadows and the woodland glades.

The birdlife is varied with heron, kingfisher, cormorant and dipper regularly nesting and feeding along the water. Mandarin and mallard ducks raise their young and there has even been a little egret noted on several occasions. Woodpeckers, wood warblers, tree pipits, jays and buzzards frequent the woods.

In the river, salmon, sea trout and eels can sometimes be spotted.

Plymbridge Woods is today an important green-lung for the city of Plymouth. However this has not always been so, and today's tranquil scene is in stark contrast to the industrial activity that has taken place, especially during the 19th century.

The most important industry and the one that has had most impact on the valley, is the quarrying of slate. There are a number of old quarry workings within the woods, as well as large spoil heaps of waste stone, associated structures and buildings and the remains of a canal and tramway.

The quarries, which date back to at the 17th century, produced roofing slates, kerb stones and paving slabs, as well as being used in the general building industry. The following description of the working quarry was made in 1797 by the Rev Swete. "The opening of the quarry was romantic and of the first magnificence, the depth was very considerable and the height of the perpendicular face at the extremity at least a hundred feet…..To the scenery of the brashwood and stunted trees, were added the mechanical apparatus appertaining to a quarry and the cheerful effect produced by the movement of carts slides and workmen at their several labours".

Perhaps even more evocative of the industry are quarry-workers cottages and some impressive 19th century remains. These include a quarry manager's residence, a winding engine house and various structures for processing the slate, including a pit for housing a 50ft diameter waterwheel.

The slate quarries finally closed in 1917, by which time the quarries were working a fine grained volcanic rock for road stone; the slate having been exhausted.

Other industrial activity, which took place within the valley, included charcoal-burning and small-scale mining for lead and silver. Charcoal-burning was quite an important industry in Devon. In Plymbridge Woods there are 22 "charcoal-burning platforms". The woods would also have produced timber and possibly bark for the tanning industry.

In comparison to quarrying, mining in the valley had very limited success. Cann Mine operated for a few years in the late 1820's. Boringdon Consols, a slightly bigger concern, had three periods of operation between 1820 and 1857.

Finally one cannot look at Plymbridge without mention of the various rail systems which at one time followed the valley. The earliest, the Plymouth and Dartmoor tramway situated high on the eastern side, was constructed for the transportation of granite.

Completed in 1823, this horsedrawn tramway was 25 miles long, with the later Cann Quarry branch, being a short spur from it. The upper sections of both lines had a fairly short working life, although final closure did not take place until the turn of the 20th century. The lower sections, which in 1854 were incorporated into the Lee Moor Tramway, continued in use until 1945. The Lee Moor Tramway was used for transporting china clay to Plymouth. The last rail system to be constructed in the valley was the South Devon and Tavistock Railway. This was completed in 1859, but was subsequently taken over by the Great Western Railway. It closed in 1962 and is now the Plym Valley Cycleway; a pleasant route with wonderful scenery and several spectacular viaducts. Interestingly Cann Viaduct, the first of these, provides the perfect site from which to view Cann Quarry and the peregrine falcons.