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An ancient moor has been protected for wildlife after Natural England declared it a new national nature reserve. More than 1,100 hectares (2,718.1 acres) of moorland in Cornwall has been marked out as an area of focus for conservation and nature restoration.
The land near St Austell boasts a rich mix of habitats including wet woodlands, heaths and bogs, which are havens for rare species such as willow tits, sphagnum moss, butterfly orchids, royal fern, Cornish moneywort and the carnivorous round-leaved sundew.
Named the Mid Cornwall Moors, it becomes the 14th site to be declared a reserve as part of the King's series of National Nature Reserves, with 25 new protected areas planned by 2028.
Natural England said the move aimed to celebrate the landscape's role in shaping Cornwall's history. The moors are still home to tin streaming – a prehistoric method of extracting tin ore from riverbeds.
Also found across the area is Helman Tor, the Iron Age hillfort of Castle an Dinas and Goss Moor, known locally as King Arthur's favourite hunting ground.
Tony Juniper, who chairs Natural England, called its new status "a powerful recognition of the landscape's extraordinary natural and cultural heritage".
More at BBC News:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpvp3rlgvedo
With many thanks to Coldrum for the details.
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