Red Moor
Encyclopedia
Red Moor is a nature reserve
and Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI), noted for its biological
interest, in central Cornwall
, England
, UK
.
civil parish, 2 miles (3.2 km) north-west of the town of Lostwithiel
.
The nature reserve is owned by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust
/Cornwall Trust for Nature.
, was found to flow through tin
-bearing gravels by the early mediaeval period
This part of Red Moor was mined for loose tin until the end of the 19th century and the oxidised
metal is thought to give the moor its descriptive name.
This SSSI used to belong to the Red Moor–Breney Common
SSSI, the two sites having split in the 1986 revision where both sites were expanded.
heath to the north and wetter marshy grassland
, wetland heath and bog-land in the low-lying basin to the south. The bog contains a variety of Sphagnum
peat mosses - that flower from June to August - bog asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum), cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum
), and marsh cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris
). Other flora on the site include the climbing corydalis (Ceratocapnos claviculata
) and the Royal fern (Osmunda regalis).
On the site can be found 13 species of dragonfly
and damselfly
, which include the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly
, a nationally rare species. Aquatic
beetle
s are also present on the moor, the very scarce Hydrochus nitidicollis being one, as well as 2 uncommon spiders.
Birds recorded on the site include the Willow Tit
, Tree Pipit
, European Nightjar
and the Eurasian Sparrowhawk.
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
and Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI), noted for its biological
Flora and fauna of Cornwall
Cornwall is the county that forms the tip of the southwestern peninsula of England; this area has a mild and warm climate regulated by the Gulf Stream...
interest, in central Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Geography
The 89 hectares (219.9 acre) SSSI, notified in 1979, is located mainly within LanliveryLanlivery
Lanlivery is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is located approximately 1½ miles west of Lostwithiel and five miles south of Bodmin....
civil parish, 2 miles (3.2 km) north-west of the town of Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739...
.
The nature reserve is owned by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust
Cornwall Wildlife Trust
The Cornwall Wildlife Trust is a charitable organisation founded in 1962 that is concerned solely with Cornwall, United Kingdom.It deals with the conservation and preservation of Cornwall's wildlife and habitats managing over 50 nature reserves covering approximately , amongst them Looe...
/Cornwall Trust for Nature.
History
The river coursing out of the north of the site, a tributary of the River ParRiver Par
The River Par is a river draining the area north of St Blazey in Cornwall, in the United Kingdom.The Par is formed by several streams, rising near the villages of Lockengate, Lanivet and Tregullon near Bodmin, which flow southwards via the Bokiddick, Bodwen and Luxulyan areas to flow into the...
, was found to flow through tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
-bearing gravels by the early mediaeval period
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
This part of Red Moor was mined for loose tin until the end of the 19th century and the oxidised
Redox
Redox reactions describe all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation state changed....
metal is thought to give the moor its descriptive name.
This SSSI used to belong to the Red Moor–Breney Common
Breney Common
Breney Common is a nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest, noted for its biological interest, in central Cornwall, England, UK. It is located mainly in Lanlivery civil parish, with the Saints' Way footpath running through it....
SSSI, the two sites having split in the 1986 revision where both sites were expanded.
Flora and fauna
There are two main habitat types within the site; the dry dwarf-shrubSubshrub
A subshrub or dwarf shrub is a short woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a similar term.It is distinguished from a shrub by its ground-hugging stems and lower height, with overwintering perennial woody growth typically less than 10–20 cm tall, or by being only weakly woody and/or persisting...
heath to the north and wetter marshy grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
, wetland heath and bog-land in the low-lying basin to the south. The bog contains a variety of Sphagnum
Sphagnum
Sphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog on one hand, and sphagnum peat moss or sphagnum peat on the other, the...
peat mosses - that flower from June to August - bog asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum), cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum
Eriophorum vaginatum
Eriophorum vaginatum L. is a species of perennial herbaceous plants in the family Cyperaceae, native to bogs and other acidic wetlands throughout the Holarctic Kingdom. It is a 30-60 cm high tussock-forming plant with erect solitary spikelets.-External links:* in Flora of North America*...
), and marsh cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris
Potentilla palustris
Comarum palustre , known by the common names Purple Marshlocks, Swamp Cinquefoil and Marsh Cinquefoil, is a common waterside shrub. It has a Circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, particularly the northern regions...
). Other flora on the site include the climbing corydalis (Ceratocapnos claviculata
Ceratocapnos claviculata
Ceratocapnos claviculata or climbing corydalis is a weak scrambling plant in the Fumariaceae family. It is endemic to Europe, growing mostly near the Atlantic fringe.-Distribution:...
) and the Royal fern (Osmunda regalis).
On the site can be found 13 species of dragonfly
Dragonfly
A dragonfly is a winged insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera . It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body...
and damselfly
Damselfly
Damselflies are insects in the order Odonata. Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be distinguished by the fact that the wings of most damselflies are held along, and parallel to, the body when at rest...
, which include the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly
Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly
The Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly or Small Bluetail, Ischnura pumilio, is a member of the damselfly family Coenagrionidae.The typical male has a black abdomen with a bright blue spot on tail . It is very similar to the Blue-tailed Damselfly, Ischnura elegans but on that species the blue spot is...
, a nationally rare species. Aquatic
Aquatic insects
Aquatic insects live some portion of their life cycle in the water. They feed in the same ways as other insects. Some diving insects, such as predatory diving beetles, can hunt for food underwater where land-living insects cannot compete.-Breathing:...
beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s are also present on the moor, the very scarce Hydrochus nitidicollis being one, as well as 2 uncommon spiders.
Birds recorded on the site include the Willow Tit
Willow Tit
The Willow Tit is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and northern Asia. It is more of a conifer specialist than the closely related Marsh Tit, which explains it breeding much further north...
, Tree Pipit
Tree Pipit
Tree Pipit, Anthus trivialis, is a small passerine bird which breeds across most of Europe and temperate western and central Asia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to Africa and southern Asia....
, European Nightjar
European Nightjar
The European Nightjar, or just Nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus, is the only representative of the nightjar family of birds in most of Europe and temperate Asia.- Habitat and distribution :...
and the Eurasian Sparrowhawk.