Phillips's Point nature reserve

Habitat type: Heathland Size of Reserve: 2ha (5 acres) OS Map No. 111 Grid reference: SS 200 046 (entrance to north where SW Coast Path crosses reserve) 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:

1mile (1.8km) south of Bude, on the road to Widemouth Bay, opposite the Chough Hotel.

Access:

There is no parking here. The SW Coast Path crosses the reserve.

Classification

Description:

Magnificent vertical and slumping high cliffs with spectacular views to Hartland Point and Widemouth. This is one of the Trust's smallest reserves.

Characteristic wildlife of this reserve:

Half of the world's population of grey seals are found around British coasts. Grey seals may be seen frolicking off Phillips's Point. The males are larger than the females, with broad shoulders and a heavy muzzle. The females have a generally slimmer profile, and tend to be paler than the male, although these seals actually have a wide variety of coat colours and patterns. Both have the characteristic ‘Roman nose’ in profile. These seals feed mainly on fish - an adult is likely to eat 2-3% of their body weight a day.

The sea campion is a low-growing perennial, with mats or cushions of waxy grey-green leaves and white flowers that bloom from June to August. It is abundant on the cliffs.

Thrift is also widespread here. Its narrow, dark green leaves form a tufted cushion from which the plant’s dense globe-shaped heads of pink flowers appear, earlier than the campion, blossoming from April.

Other information:

The reserve was purchased for the Trust in 1983 by Mr Rennie Bere.

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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