Marsland Valley is a nature reserve situated in two large valleys which straddle the Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

-Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

 border. It is a designated nature reserve jointly managed by the Devon Wildlife Trust

Devon Wildlife Trust

The Devon Wildlife Trust is a member of The Wildlife Trusts partnership covering the county of Devon, England. It is a registered charity, established in 1962 as the Devon Naturalists Trust, and its aim is to safeguard the future of the county's urban, rural and marine wildlife and its...

 and the Cornwall Wildlife Trust

Cornwall Wildlife Trust

The Cornwall Wildlife Trust is a charitable organisation founded in 1962 that is concerned solely with Cornwall, United Kingdom.It deals with the conservation and preservation of Cornwall's wildlife and habitats managing over 50 nature reserves covering approximately , amongst them Looe...

. The reserve is a Special Area of Conservation

Special Area of Conservation

A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...

, as well as forming part of two Sites of Special Scientific Interest; Steeple Point to Marsland Mouth

Steeple Point to Marsland Mouth

Steeple Point to Marsland Mouth is a coastal Site of Special Scientific Interest in Cornwall, England, UK, noted for its biological interest.-Geography:...

 on the Cornish side and Marsland to Clovelly Coast in Devon.

The valley is situated near the villages of Gooseham

Gooseham

Gooseham is a hamlet in northeast Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated six miles north of Bude and is approximately one kilometre south of the border with Devon. The Marsland Valley nature reserve is near the hamlet....

 and Morwenstow

Morwenstow

thumb|Parish Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist, MorwenstowMorwenstow is a civil parish and hamlet in north Cornwall, United Kingdom. The hamlet is situated near the coast approximately six miles north of Bude....

, approximately ten miles north of the Cornish Atlantic Coast resort of Bude

Bude

Bude is a small seaside resort town in North Cornwall, England, at the mouth of the River Neet . It lies just south of Flexbury, north of Widemouth Bay and west of Stratton and is located along the A3073 road off the A39. Bude is twinned with Ergué-Gabéric in Brittany, France...

. The land was donated by the late Christopher Cadbury (former President of the Royal Society for Nature Conservation 1962-1986) to the Trusts.

Roe Deer

Roe Deer

The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...

 and Purple Hairstreak

Purple Hairstreak

The Purple Hairstreak Neozephyrus quercus is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae distributed throughout much of Europe. North Africa, Asia Minor, Caucasus and Transcaucasia....

 butterflies can both be seen here, as well as the extremely rare pearl-bordered fritillary

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

The Pearl-bordered Fritillary is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.It is orange with black spots on the upperside of its wing and has a wingspan of 38–46 mm. On the underside of the wings there is a row of silver pearly markings along the edge, which give the species its name...

 and the small pearl-bordered fritillary

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

The Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary , called the Silver-bordered Fritillary in North America, is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family...

.

On the south-facing wooded slope towards Gooseham Mill the trees are coppiced to create clearings, and vegetation thinned to keep it low so that flowers and insects can flourish.

Westward on the coast, Marsland Mouth denotes the western end of the North Devon Coast AONB.