| Please note as of 12th August 2008 Halbullock Moor is temporarily closed to the public. We are awaiting funding to replace the boardwalk on the site and it is currently not safe to enter the nature reserve. |
Habitat type: Woodland with glades and pond
Size of reserve: 4 hectares / 10 acres
OS map number: 104
Grid Reference: SW 795 444 (SW entrance off Mount Pleasant Road)
Best time to visit: All year
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Directions
Take the turning for Richard Lander School, bypass the main entrance and head for the services entrance, then turn right down the hill and the reserve is on the left at the bottom.
Access
When the reserve has reopened, it is possible to park close to the entrance to Halbullock, but the lane leading to the entrance is single track, and is a dead end. Turning space is tight but feasible. We would recommend you only try driving here in a small vehicle, or at least one with a very good turning circle.
Characteristic wildlife of this reserve
The willow warbler has one of the purest songs in the bird world, a melodic ripple, and this can be heard persistently in the breeding season. This is a tiny bird that migrates from northern Eurasia to Africa. It is a common visitor to Britain and can be found in woodland and shrub. Both male and female are greyish brown-green above and yellowish-white on throat and breast. Willow warblers feed on insects and breed in ground-based dome-shaped nests lined with roots and feathers.
The small, creeping Cornish moneywort has a strong population here, liking damp places by streams. The delicate white flowers, only one or two mm wide, are dwarfed by the umbrella-like green leaves on their long stems.
Other information
The area has been used for grazing since ancient times and there are signs of a medieval field system within the reserve.
Sometimes, active management is required to maintain the wildlife conservation importance of an area. Glades, small open areas within the woodland, have been created. These increase the diversity of habitats within the reserve and are particularly useful to butterflies.
