Chûn Downs nature reserve

Habitat type: Heathland Size of Reserve: 22ha (54 acres) OS Map No. 102 Grid reference SW 403 346 (northern entrance) Best time to visit All year
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.

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Directions:

Chûn Downs is located about 2 miles (3km) inland from Pendeen on the north coast of the west Cornwall peninsula. A lane signposted to Chûn Castle leads west from the Penzance to Morvah road at Bosullow Common, 1 mile (1.6km) south east of Morvah.

Access:

Cars may be parked at Trehyllys Farm and a path leads up to Chûn Castle. Several footpaths and a bridleway pass over the reserve, all well-used, although they can be wet and muddy underfoot and there are some inclines.

Classification

Description:

The reserve is part of the West Penwith Moors, which overall contain 25% of the county's heathland. The Downs are largely scrubcovered and would have been created by woodland clearance in the 3rd or 2nd centuries BC. Stunning panoramic views extend across the landscape of historic small fields, Cornish hedges and spectacular heathland to the sea.

Characteristic wildlife of this reserve:

Cross-leaved heath is abundant here, and blooms from June until October. The delicate, rose-pink flowers are oval to urn-shaped and the grey-green leaves are held in whorls of four. This downy plant thrives in damp, boggy areas.

Other information:

The focal point of the reserve is Chûn Castle (Chûn is from the Cornish Chy-an-Woone, meaning "the house on the downs"), a prehistoric hill-fort.

Close by to the west, are the remains of Chûn Quoit, an ancient burial chamber. This atmospheric monument consists of four huge upright slabs topped by a massive capstone and is the only example of its type in perfect preservation.

The surrounding area is filled with Neolithic and Bronze Age sites, such as the Lanyon Quoit, a chambered tomb, just a mile to the east.

The reserve was purchased in 1997 with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and donations to a Membership Appeal.

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

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