Helman Tor nature reserve

Habitat type Heathland. grassland, wetland, woodland and open water Size of Reserve 217ha (536acres) OS Map No. 107 Grid reference SX 062 615 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.

Directions:

The reserve is 2.5 miles (4km) south of Bodmin, 2 miles to the north-west of Lostwithiel. The nearest main line station is Bodmin Parkway. By car, access is from the A30/A391 (Innis Downs) roundabout south of Bodmin. Turn north to Lanivet and take the first right under A30 bridge. Take the first left shortly after the bridge. For Breney Common entrance, turn right at Reperry Cross and take the left fork to Trebell Green. Go straight on at Trebell Green towards Gurtla. The entrance track is on the left in Gurtla, after the Methodist church, opposite The Barn (SX 054 610). For Red Moor, turn right towards Fenton Pits. Continue for 1.5 miles and turn right for Tredinnickpits. Access to the reserve is via a track leading off a triangle formed by the roads in Tredinnickpits (SX 075 622). The reserve may also be reached from Helman Tor along the Saint's Way (SX 065 611).

Access:

Small car parks at Helman Tor and Breney Common and limited parking at Red Moor. Sections of boardwalk at both Breney and Red Moor but other paths can be uneven and slippery when wet. There is wheelchair access from the car park at Breney that leads to a pond and areas of heathland.

Classification

Description:

A large wetland complex spreading from the slopes of Helman Tor. The landscape has been characterised by tin streaming which creates hummocks and hollows. These determine where the areas of wet and dry heathland/ grassland are, together with large areas of wet woodland and open water.

Characteristic wildlife of this reserve:

Sundews can be found in wet areas amongst sphagnum mosses and produce small white flowers from June to August.

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

Other information:

Parts of the reserve were purchased with grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Tubney Charitable Trust.

The Saint's Way crosses the reserve.

Helman Tor is a County Geological Site and there are the remains of a Neolithic hill settlement which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

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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