Habitat type: Meadow and wet heath
Size of reserve:2 hectares / 4 acres
OS map number: 106
Grid reference:SW 863 689
Best time to visit:All year
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Directions
From Mawgan Porth on the B3276, take the road to St Eval. With the disused St Eval Airfield on your right, take the left turn to Downhill. Access to the reserve is at the end of the first track on the left.
Access
Via an uneven track that can be overgrown. Take care on the site as the ground can be wet and slippery.
Characteristic wildlife of this reserve
The yellowhammer is a bird of hedgerow and farmland and its thick bill is ideal for scavenging seeds. The male bird has a spectacular mustard-coloured head and yellowish breast feathers with wings of a rich striped brown, while the female shows subtler shades and less yellow on the head. The yellowhammer's call is 'a-little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheese'.
Wild angelica blooms from July until October and its nectar-rich pink and white umbrella-like flowers are very attractive to insects. This smooth, hairless member of the carrot family is quite common in suitable habitat and is found growing in wet woodlands and damp meadows, such as Downhill. Cultivated angelica has been grown in herbaceous gardens since the 16th Century for both medicinal and culinary use. It is best known today crystallised as a traditional cake decoration.
Other information
The reserve was a gift to the Trust by Mr O'Dell in 1984.
