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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.