Habitat type: Heathland, grassland and woodland
Size of Reserve 4ha (10 acres)
OS Map No. 104
Grid reference SW 791 514
Best time to visit: Summer - flowering meadows
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.
From A30 heading east, go left after Marazanvose. After 1 mile
(1.6km) is a small pull-in on the left, and a wooden gate between
two granite posts.
Access:
Please contact the Trust before visiting this reserve. Roadside
parking; waymarked path. Access to the reserve is via a track which
runs through the woodland. The track can be wet and muddy - wellies
are recommended!
Classification
Description:
Part of the reserve lies within the Carrick Heaths SSSI, a collection
of ten sites within a 12km radius of Truro, characterised by populations
of Dorset heath. The reserve consists of flower-rich meadows, ancient
Cornish hedgerows, areas of mixed woodland and a scrape (a shallow
pool). In the past the site had become overgrown and the heathland
was reverting to woodland, but through a combination of scrub clearance
and grazing the heathland is now being maintained. Because the meadows
have been largely unimproved for agricultural purposes, they provide
a variety of habitats for a diverse range of wildlife.
Characteristic wildlife of this reserve:
Dorset heath is a rare plant in the British Isles, and Cornwall
has the second largest area of the species of any county. It is
a long-lived (individual stems have survived for up to 20 years)
and vigorous shrub, and is found on wetter heathland here, flowering
from June to September.
The southern marsh orchid likes wet and marshy ground. Its erect
multi-bloomed flowering spikes vary from pale pinkish-lilac to deep
mauve and can be seen from May to early summer.
Other information:
This is a delightful area for summer picnics.
Cornish hedges are stone-faced banks filled with earth and are
an excellent wildlife habitat in their own right. They support a
variety of plant species and also provide refuge, shelter and food
for many birds, mammals and invertebrates.
