Welcombe and Marsland nature reserve

Habitat type: Woodland, grassland, heathland and scrub Size of Reserve: 212ha (524 acres) OS Map No. 126 Grid reference: SS232172 (Gooseham Mill) 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:

On the A39 at Crimp, turn towards CSOS Morwenstow/Riding Stables. After 2 miles (3.5km), turn right for Gooseham and then, in Gooseham, turn left before the riding stables and pass the farm at West Gooseham. At the T-junction turn right and carry on until the road bends sharply to the left. Here there is limited parking (SS 217 169). For Welcombe Mouth, leave the A39 at Welcombe Cross and follow the signs to the car park (SS 214 180).

Access:

There are rights of way over the reserve, but otherwise access is by permit only, obtainable from the Devon Wildlife Trust. Parking is available (see above). The terrain is generally quite rough, rocky and muddy.

Classification

Description:

Two large, steep-sided valleys with mixed oak woodland, bracken slopes, traditional hay meadows, wildflower meadows and coastline.

Characteristic wildlife of this reserve:

The roe deer has a summer coat of reddish brown which turns grey in winter, and has a distinctive black stripe on its lip and a white chin and white rump patch. This species is unusual among hoofed animals as the egg is fertilised at the time of mating, but does not develop for several months (called delayed implantation).

The female of the purple hairstreak gives the butterfly its name, for it is only she that is adorned with the flush of royal purple iridescence, the male being very dark. Whilst not particularly uncommon, they can be a very difficult insect to see, because they fly high up over the oak trees. Moreover, they are often inactive, sometimes spending a long time basking in the sun. Look for them in late July and August.

Other information:

The reserve was donated by Christopher Cadbury, one-time president of the Royal Society for Nature Conservation, and is now jointly managed by Cornwall and Devon Wildlife Trusts.

The SW Coast Path runs through the reserve.

A butterfly recording transect has been running here since the 1980s.

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 . . . . . . . . .