Robin Hood's Butts

Otterhead Lakes are a pair of reservoirs in the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty south of Otterford in Somerset, England. They are fed by the River Otter and managed by the Otterhead Estate Trust Company Limited, working with the Somerset Wildlife Trust on behalf of Wessex Water. They are a Local Nature Reserve.The two lakes which remain are all that are left of a series of pools in the landscaped gardens of Otterhead House which was built in 1845 and demolished in 1952, and its surrounding estate developed by William Beadon. The lakes are the centrepiece of the one mile long Otterhead Local Nature Reserve which includes dry woodland which has a ground flora including common bluebell, dogs mercury and twayblade. More moist areas are home to marsh pennywort and royal fern rhododendron and sycamore. There are dormice, badgers and bats in the woods and bird species include kingfisher, dipper and wagtail.The lakes contain wild brown trout and are used for fly fishing.Otterhead Forest School is based at Otterhead Lakes

Bishopswood Meadows is a nature reserve situated within the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the county of Somerset, England. The reserve comprises five fields totalling 9.3 hectares (23 acres); all of the fields are on a gentle north-facing slope with the River Yarty at the base. The reserve, formerly part of Woodend Farm, was purchased by Somerset Wildlife Trust in 1991–92.

Otterford is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is situated on the Blackdown Hills, 7 miles (11.3 km) south of Taunton. The village has a population of 356.The River Otter rises close to Otterford.

The Anglican Church of St Leonard in Otterford, Somerset, England was built in the 14th century. It is a Grade II* listed building.

Deadman (grid reference ST234156) is a 28.8 hectare (71.2 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the edge of the Blackdown Hills, near Buckland St Mary 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Taunton in Somerset, notified in 1987. Deadman is one of the best remaining examples of a mixed valley mire in Somerset. It contains a rich mosaic of wet heath, bog pools and birch/willow carr grading into acid marshy grassland. These communities support several species of plant which are rare in the county. Ground water issues from numerous springs within the greensand producing a locally raised water table and shallow peaty surface horizon. It is at these points that bog communities develop, characterised by the floating leaves of bog pondweed (Potamogeton polygonifolia), bog bean (Menyanthes trifoliata) and marsh St John's-wort (Hypericum elodes). In places this wet heath has undergone a transition to birch (Betula sp.) and willow (Salix sp.) carr. This provides an important habitat for breeding nightingales and grasshopper warblers.

Marsh is a village in the Blackdown Hills, Devon, England. It is part of the East Devon district, and close to the River Yarty and border with Somerset.The A303, a major road through southwest England, passes through the village. A bypass, called the Marsh Diversion, opened in 1976. It is the only section of the A303 to be upgraded to dual carriageway through the Blackdown Hills. As a result, the village has also been mentioned in several strategic route plans, including the "Ilminster to Marsh improvement" and "Marsh to Honiton improvement".

Staple Hill is a hill in the English county of Somerset, the highest point in the Blackdown Hills. It is classed as both a Marilyn and a Hardy.This is one of the points on the Staple Fitzpaine Herepath a part of Forestry England woodlands.There is a loop walk, starting from the car parking area, of 800m taking in a couple of view points with the paths upgraded early in 2009 to be suitable for disabled access.

Ruttersleigh (grid reference ST250165) is a 97 hectares (240 acres) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Buckland St Mary and Staple Fitzpaine on the north-facing slope of the Blackdown Hills. in Somerset, notified in 1991. This site comprises a mosaic of broadleaved woodland, scrub, bracken, mires and unimproved grassland which provides the habitat for several species of butterfly which are now scarce in Britain. The site is also important for its lichens. The ground flora includes a number of species normally found only in ancient woodland such as woodruff (Galium odoratum) and wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa). Wood horsetail (Equisetum sylvaticum), which is rare in Somerset, is abundant and widespread on this site also being found in the areas of bracken (Pteridium aquilinum). The epiphytic lichen flora is also typical of ancient woodland and includes species such as Lobaria pulmonaria. The nationally scarce Opegrapha corticola and the nationally rare Chaenotheca stemonea also occur. The woodland rides and glades provide ideal habitat for the nationally scarce wood white (Leptidea sinapis) butterfly, this site having by far the strongest colony known in Somerset. The grassland provides habitat for the nationally scarce marsh fritillary (Eurodryas aurinia) butterfly. The breeding birds include nightingale (Luscinia megarhyches), common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and wood warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix). Adder (Vipera berus), grass snake (Natrix helvetica), slowworm (Anguis fragilis) and common lizard (Lacerta vivipara) have all been recorded from the site.

Long Lye (grid reference ST265122) is an 11.7 hectare (29.0 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Buckland St Mary in the Blackdown Hills, Somerset, notified in 1988. This site along with the adjoining Long Lye Meadow were considered to be under threat from a scheme to widen the A303.Long Lye is a traditionally managed neutral grassland of a type which was once characteristic of lowland Britain but has now become increasingly rare due to agricultural intensification. Mature broadleaved woodland and wet flush communities add considerable diversity to this site. Fifteen species of butterfly have been recorded here. They include the silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia), of which the valenzia form has been found, purple hairstreak (Quercusia quercus) and marbled white (Melanargia galathea).

Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood (grid reference ST225170) is a 103.6 hectare (256.0 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Pitminster in Somerset, notified in 1952. Prior's Park and Adcombe Wood have excellent examples of several of the broadleaved semi-natural woodland types associated with the Blackdown Hills. Additional interest lies in the occurrence of several areas of unimproved marshy grassland. This site, which is partly managed by the Somerset Wildlife Trust, is situated on the north facing slopes of the Blackdown Hills, overlooking the Vale of Taunton Deane.

Yarcombe is a village and civil parish in the county of Devon, England, situated in the East Devon administrative district on the A30 road near the towns of Honiton and Chard. It is sited in the steep rolling meadows and ancient woods of the Yarty Valley on the south edge of the Blackdown Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The population according to the 2011 census was 500.The small village centre has a Norman church, dedicated to St John the Baptist, an old inn with monastical roots, a hotel, a bed and breakfast and a cluster of houses, but there are also many outlying farms and hamlets which make Yarcombe a large parish. Yarcombe is a working village, and farming and agricultural support services are important sources of employment. There are other small businesses in the community, such as accommodation and catering, building and joinery, motor services, furniture making, and rural crafts. The village has a village hall and an active community life, including traditions such as pig and terrier racing, barrel rolling and metal ball throwing. The East Devon Sheepdog Trials have been held in Yarcombe for several years, in July. Earl (later King) Harold briefly owned the manor in the village, prior to his demise at the Battle of Hastings. In Elizabethan times ownership of the manor passed to Francis Drake. Today one of his descendants remains squire of Yarcombe. In the Hundred Years War money was sent from Yarcombe by its French owner to the armies of France, to help them fight the English. Yarcombe village is located close to the Devon/Somerset border and not far from West Dorset. The nearest small towns are Chard (6 miles) and Honiton (8 miles). Nearby are the coastal resorts of Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidmouth, Budleigh Salterton and Exmouth. Larger towns further afield include Taunton (12 miles to the north), Exeter and Yeovil (around 25 miles west and east respectively). Yarcombe won the Devon Village of the Year competition in 2005 and then at the West of England finals finished top of the Business of the Year category for the region.

Long Lye Meadow (grid reference ST267119) is a 3.3 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Buckland St Mary in the Blackdown Hills, Somerset, notified in 2002. This site along with the adjoining Long Lye were considered to be under threat from a scheme to widen the A303.The neutral grassland component varies in character and herb richness. There is a strong population of green-winged orchid (Orchis morio), together with a few plants of common twayblade (Neottia ovata). In a few areas meadow thistle (Cirsium dissectum) occurs.