Carn Moor nature reserve

Habitat type: Heathland and wetland Size of Reserve: 1ha (2.5 acres) OS Map No. 104 Grid reference: SW 794 537 Best time to visit: Summer and autumn - flowering heathland
Cornwall Wildlife Trust encourages the use of environmentally friendly forms of transport wherever possible. Click on the locator map above to go to the National Cycle Network website and view an Ordnance Survey map of this reserve highlighting nearby cycle routes.

Directions:

From Goonhavern, take the B3285 towards Zelah and A30. A few hundred yards along the road opposite World in Miniature, take the track off to the left. Go over the stile and bear left across a field until you reach the heath. Please remember that this is a private footpath.

Access:

Awkward - via a gateway in the southwest corner with a walk along the western bank and a boardwalk to a gateway into the fields to the north. Stout, waterproof footwear is recommended as the ground can be uneven and wet.

Classification

Description:

Carn Moor is an important fragment of Tywarnhayle Common which, until the 19th century, dominated this part of Cornwall. The moor is comprised of wet and dry heathland with scattered areas of gorse, oak and willow scrub, with two ponds - the wetland areas include mire and wet woodlands.

Characteristic wildlife of this reserve:

Bog myrtle is a low-growing deciduous shrub with dark green leaves that have many stalkless yellow glands which produce a resinous fragrance if the leaves are bruised or rubbed. The plant, once used as a fly repellent, is widespread. Before the use of hops, bog myrtle was used to flavour beer.

Wavy St John's wort is a key species associated with purple moor grass. It blooms in summer and grows to about 2ft tall with bright golden star-shaped flowers and bright green leaves. St John’s wort was traditionally used to drive away sickness and to exorcise spirits.

Royal Fern is a distinctive and stately fern, growing up to chest height in a dense bushy clump, with brownish fertile fronds sticking up above the rest.

Other information:

The site was once involved in galena (lead ore) mining. Silver was also recovered. The original engine house is still visible today, whilst many spoil heaps and capped mines are located across the moor.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust Nature Reserves

List of reserves ... Armstrong Woods Bakers Pit Beales Meadow Bissoe Valley Bosvenning Common Cabilla and Redrice Woods Caer Brân Carn Moor Chûn Downs Churchtown Farm Chyverton Devichoys Wood Downhill Meadow Fal-Ruan Estuary Five Acres Fox Corner Greena Moor Halbullock Hawkes Wood Helman Tor Kemyel Crease Kennall Vale Lanvean Bottoms Loggan's Moor Loveny Lower Lewdon Luckett Maer Lake Nansmellyn Marsh North Predannack Downs Park Hoskyn Pendarves Wood Penlee Battery Phillips's Point Priddacombe Downs Prideaux Wood Quoit Heathland Redlake Cottage Meadows Ropehaven Cliffs Rosenannon Downs St Erth Pits St George's Island Swanvale Sylvia's Meadow Tamar Estuary Tincombe Trebarwith Tresayes Tywardreath Marsh Upton Meadow Upton Towans Ventongimps Moor Welcombe & Marsland Windmill Farm

Introduction - Key to symbols - Gallery - Google Earth
Reserves Handbook

Nature reserves ... Introduction List of reserves Key to symbols Management Collecting Volunteering PARC diary SEARCH . . . . . . . . .