Set on the border between Devon and Cornwall, the Tamar Valley stretches north from Plymouth to Launceston, the ancient capital of Cornwall. There is also a section of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty around the river Lynher, west of Plymouth. Now mainly farmland, the area was once famous for its tin and copper mines and there are many reminders of its past. A visit to Morwellham Quay, where you can go underground to see the old mine workings, is a definite must. The area is also well known for its wide variety of wildfowl, especially around the estuary where migrating water birds congregate. Railway enthusiasts, meanwhile, will head to the Tamar Valley Railway, which harks back to the great days of steam locomotion.