This AONB protects some of the most popular holiday coast in Britain and a surprisingly untouched rural hinterland. The area's population is spread between small towns and villages with the AONB boundary skirting the resorts of Lyme Regis, Exmouth, Sidmouth and Seaton. The coastal landscapes, stretching from Lyme Regis to Exmouth, show the lush, colourful scenery of classic 'picture-postcard Devon'. For generations this coast has been a traditional family holiday destination.

The AONB's estuaries, heaths and cliff top grasslands are important natural habitats and the 'Undercliffs', the spectacular 8 km landslip near Axmouth, are a National Nature Reserve of great geological and wildlife interest. The AONB's headlands and hilltops show many traces of prehistoric settlement. The AONB is also increasingly important for informal outdoor recreation, particularly walking, and the South West Coast Path, a National Trail, follows the line of the cliff tops.

The Blackdown Hills are a little-known group of hills lying on the border of Devon and Somerset. Broadly, the area extends from Wellington in the north to Honiton in the south and from Cullompton in the west to Chard in the east.

The Blackdown Hills are best known for the dramatic, steep, wooded scarp face they present to the north. To the south the land dips away gently as a plateau, deeply dissected by valleys. On top of the plateau there are wide-open windswept spaces; in the valleys nestle villages and hamlets surrounded by ancient and intricate patterns of small, enclosed fields and a maze of winding high-hedged lanes. The isolated villages and farmsteads retain a quiet rustic charm. Using local building material - chertstone, cob and thatch - many of the buildings have appeal in their mix of styles. A number of important archaeological sites add richness to the landscape, from high wooded promontories such as the great earthworks of Iron Age Hembury Fort to the recently discovered evidence of Roman iron smelting. Above all, what makes the Blackdown Hills special is the unspoilt rural character of the "ordinary" landscape. Farming, largely dairy, has retained many traditional practices. The area remains sparsely populated and there are no towns within the AONB.

Part of the East Devon coast has been named a World Heritage site because of its prehistoric age. The coast here is magnificent, and you can combine a walk along the top of the cliffs with a riverside stroll along the River Otter - which is a haven for thousands and thousand of birds.

You get the best of both worlds with this walk in East Devon. There are fantastic views along the River Otter estuary - with lots of birdlife to see - and part of the walk also takes in a section of the East Devon coast which has been named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations.

The walk begins in the village of Otterton, where there is plenty of on-road, free-of-charge parking. At the bottom end of the village is a picturesque bridge over the River Otter, where you start the walk following the right bank of the Otter.

This walk was taken in the middle of winter, which is the perfect time to see the river in full flow, and the birdlife in full flight.