West Cornwall Bryophytes Site of Special Scientific Interest

West Cornwall Bryophytes SSSI
Site of Special Scientific Interest
	Disused buildings of the West Basset Stamps location
	Location within Cornwall
Location	Cornwall
Grid reference	SW661407
Coordinates	50°13′13″N 5°16′47″W / 50.2204°N 5.2796°W
Interest	Biological
Area	53.93 hectares (0.539 km2; 0.208 sq mi)
Notification	1999
	Natural England website

The West Cornwall Bryophytes Site of Special Scientific Interest is a group of seven locations of former mining activity, that form a single SSSI and Important Plant Area in western Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The site is noted for its biological characteristics and derives its name from the rare bryophyte species found there.

Geography

The SSSI comprises seven individual sites, spread over a 9-mile (14 km) radius around the towns of Camborne, Redruth and Helston, totalling an area of 53.9 hectares (133 acres).^[1]^[2]

Site	Name	OS grid reference^[3]	Coordinates	NE map
1	Godolphin Bridge	SW597324	50°08′36″N 5°21′50″W / 50.143338°N 5.363905°W / 50.143338; -5.363905	Map
2	Dolcoath Road	SW661403	50°13′01″N 5°16′46″W / 50.216829°N 5.279345°W / 50.216829; -5.279345	Map
3	Tolgus Tin Works	SW688445	50°15′20″N 5°14′39″W / 50.255602°N 5.244124°W / 50.255602; -5.244124	Map
4	Tolgus Tin Works leat	SW690441	50°15′08″N 5°14′28″W / 50.252089°N 5.241079°W / 50.252089; -5.241079	Map
5	West Basset Stamps	SW690402	50°13′01″N 5°14′19″W / 50.217071°N 5.238703°W / 50.217071; -5.238703	Map
6	Poldice Valley	SW741428	50°14′33″N 5°10′08″W / 50.242388°N 5.168879°W / 50.242388; -5.168879	Map
7	Porkellis Moor	SW688326	50°08′56″N 5°14′13″W / 50.148751°N 5.236881°W / 50.148751; -5.236881	Map

Wildlife and ecology

All of the areas making up the site are situated on disused mining land. The copper laden spoil tips, along with the derelict mine buildings, support populations of rare bryophytes (mosses and liverworts).^[3] As a result, Plantlife has designated the whole site an Important Plant Area.^[4]

The site mainly supports the nationally rare liverwort species of Cephaloziella integerrima, Cephaloziella massalongi and Cephaloziella nicholsonii, as well as the nationally rare moss Scopelophila cataractae. The populations found here represent 20% of the total known populace of these species within Britain. Cephaloziella integerrima has only been found in two other sites within the British Isles.^[3]

At the Godolphin Bridge location, the nationally rare Pohlia andalusica and the nationally scarce Bryum donianum and Cephaloziella stellulifera can be found, along with Cephaloziella massalongi, Fossombronia caespitiformis and Scopelophila cataractae.^[3]

The Dolcoath Road area supports the nationally rare Cephaloziella integerrima and Cephaloziella nicholsonii, as well as the nationally scarce Cephaloziella calyculata and Pohlia andalusica.^[3]

On both of the Tolgus Tin Works sites grow the four main bryophyte species along with Pohlia andalusica, which produces capsules only at this location in Britain.^[3]

The West Basset Stamps location supports the three main liverworts along with Pohlia andalusica, Cephaloziella stellulifera and the nationally scarce mosses Bryum pallescens and the capsule producing Gymnostomum viridulum, again only at this site in Britain.^[3]

Poldice Valley supports Cephaloziella nicholsonii, Cephaloziella stellulifera, Pohlia andalusica and Bryum donianum.^[3]

On the exposed areas of the spoil tips on Porkellis Moor can be found the three main liverworts as well as Pohlia andalusica.^[3]

References

Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

^ "West Cornwall Bryophytes map". Natural England. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
^ Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203 Land's End ISBN 978-0-319-23148-7
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "West Cornwall Bryophytes" (PDF). Natural England. 1999. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
^ "West Cornwall Bryophyte SSSIs". Plantlife. Retrieved 2 February 2012.

[SSSImap-1] "West Cornwall Bryophytes map". Natural England. Retrieved 31 January 2012.

[OS-2] Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203 Land's End ISBN 978-0-319-23148-7

[SSSI-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "West Cornwall Bryophytes" (PDF). Natural England. 1999. Retrieved 31 January 2012.

[IPA-4] "West Cornwall Bryophyte SSSIs". Plantlife. Retrieved 2 February 2012.

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Summary	Summarised data for all sites (biological and geological)
Cornwall	Aire Point to Carrick Du Amble Marshes Baulk Head to Mullion Bedruthan Steps and Park Head Boconnoc Park and Woods Bodmin Moor, North Borlasevath and Retallack Moor Boscastle to Widemouth Brendonmoor Breney Common Bude Coast Cabilla Manor Wood Caerthillian to Kennack Carnkief Pond Carrick Heaths Carricknath Point to Porthbean Beach Carrine Common & Penwethers Chyenhal Moor Cligga Head Coombe Mill Coverack to Porthoustock Crow's Nest Crowhill Valley Dozmary Pool Draynes Wood East Lizard Heathlands Eglarooze Cliff Gerrans Bay to Camels Cove Godrevy Head to St Agnes Goonhilly Downs Goss and Tregoss Moors Greenamoor Greenscoombe Wood, Luckett Grimscott Gwithian to Mexico Towans Hayle Estuary & Carrack Gladden Kelsey Head Kennack to Coverack Kernick and Ottery Meadows Loe Pool Loggans Moor Lower Bostraze and Leswidden Lower Fal & Helford Intertidal Lymsworthy Meadows Lynher Estuary Malpas Estuary Marazion Marsh Meddon Moor Meneage Coastal Section Merthen Wood Minster Church Mullion Cliff to Predannack Cliff Nance Wood Newlyn Downs Ottery Valley Park Wood Penhale Dunes Pentire Peninsula Phoenix United Mine Plymouth Sound Shores And Cliffs Polruan to Polperro Polyne Quarry Porthgwarra to Pordenack Point Rame Head & Whitsand Bay Red Moor Redlake Meadows & Hoggs Moor Retire Common River Camel Valley and Tributaries Rock Dunes Rosemullion Rosenannon Bog and Downs St Austell Clay Pits St John's Lake St Nectan's Glen Steeple Point to Marsland Mouth Swanpool Sylvia's Meadow Talland Barton Tamar–Tavy Estuary Tintagel Cliffs Treen Cliff Tregonetha & Belowda Downs Tregonning Hill Trehane Barton Trelow Downs Trevose Head and Constantine Bay Upper Fal Estuary and Woods Upper Fowey Valley Ventongimps Moor West Cornwall Bryophytes West Lizard
Isles of Scilly	Annet Big Pool and Browarth Point Castle Down (Tresco) Chapel Down Eastern Isles Great Pool Gugh Higher Moors and Porth Hellick Pool Lower Moors Norrard Rocks Peninnis Head Pentle Bay, Merrick And Round Islands Plains and Great Bay Pool Of Bryher & Popplestone Bank Rushy Bay and Heathy Hill Samson Shipman Head & Shipman Down St Helen's St Martin's Sedimentary Shore Teän Western Rocks White Island Wingletang Down
Neighbouring areas Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Devon Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset

West Cornwall Bryophytes Site of Special Scientific Interest

Geography

Wildlife and ecology

References

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