Today, Wednesday 27 May, the Mid Cornwall Moors is declared the 14^th site in the King’s Series of National Nature Reserves (NNRs). It brings over 1,100 hectares of moorland together, which is more than double the size of the existing Goss Moor Nature Reserve, which it incorporates. 

The Mid Cornwall Moors form a patchwork of semi-natural habitats, including heath, moorland, mire, and woodland. The NNR sites create a network across Cornwall’s distinctive clay country, in the heart of the Duchy, between St Austell to the south, Bodmin to the east, and St Columb Major to the north. 

This declaration celebrates places that have shaped Cornwall’s national story and recognises the county’s richest historical landscapes, spanning prehistoric tin streaming, Iron Age hillforts and ancient woodland. Iconic sites including Helman Tor, the Iron Age hillfort of Castle an Dinas, and Goss Moor, known locally to have been King Arthur’s favourite hunting ground, all form part of this nationally significant landscape.  

The reserve combines land managed for nature and heritage by Natural England, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Cornwall Heritage Trust, the Gaia Trust and Imerys. It also includes land designated as the Mid Cornwall Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which is land of exceptional ecological importance.  

Home to rare habitats and species, this nature reserve includes wet ‘willow carr’ woodland, with the rare willow tit, and raised bogs with sphagnum moss, lesser butterfly orchid, royal fern and the carnivorous round-leaved sundew. Cornish moneywort, which is unique to Cornwall’s tin streaming landscape, also thrive.   

Andrea Ayres, Deputy Director, Natural England, Cornwall said:  

“The King’s Series of National Nature Reserves are about celebrating the best of England’s nature. We’re proud that the Mid Cornwall Moors, with its rich and historic landscape, full of rare habitats, species and unique heritage, is recognised as part of this prestigious series. 

“Working collaboratively, at scale, with wide and varied partners, is central to Natural England’s strategy, and we are delighted to be integral to building a strong and successful partnership.”  

Tony Juniper CBE, Chair of Natural England, said: 

“The declaration of the Mid Cornwall Moors as a National Nature Reserve is a powerful recognition of the landscape's extraordinary natural and cultural heritage.  

"By bringing these landscapes together under one reserve, we are not only helping to restore precious habitats but also creating more opportunities for people to connect with nature, history and the unique character of Cornwall for generations to come.” 

Matt Walpole, CEO of Cornwall Wildlife Trust said:  

“The new Mid Cornwall Moors National Nature Reserve reflects the importance of long-term collaboration in creating bigger, better and more connected spaces for nature recovery. 

“The inclusion of Helman Tor within the National Nature Reserve recognises decades of work to restore habitats and support wildlife recovery within this special landscape. 

“We are already seeing the benefits of working with natural processes through conservation grazing with Longhorn cattle and Tamworth pigs, alongside pioneering wild beaver reintroductions. Helping to create more diverse and resilient habitats for wildlife to thrive and for people to enjoy.”  

The area serves a community living in one of Cornwall's most rurally deprived regions. The declaration will improve access to nature, create opportunities for learning and recreation, and support broader economic benefits locally.  

Cathy Woolcock, CEO of Cornwall Heritage Trust said:   

"The Mid Cornwall Moors National Nature Reserve (NNR) brings together a number of important land areas and celebrates both nature and the incredible time-depth of human history, ranging from hunter-gatherers in the Mesolithic through to miners and farmers in more recent centuries.  

“We are pleased that Castle an Dinas is to be included within the expanded NNR, especially given its direct links to the Goss Moor and the wider landscape in Mid Cornwall. 

"We look forward to collaborating with partners involved with the NNR to better connect Cornish residents and visitors to these most important places in Cornwall's national story."  

The declaration of this National Nature Reserve reflects Natural England’s commitment to working in partnership to deliver nature recovery on a landscape scale. The King’s Series will create 25 new or expanded NNRs in honour of His Majesty the King, with five new sites announced each year until 2028.