Cornish moorland gains nature reserve status in boost for grazing and wildlife

More than 1,100 hectares of Cornish moorland managed through conservation grazing and sustainable land use have gained National Nature Reserve status.

The designation is expected to support nature recovery, local graziers and the rural economy across the Mid Cornwall Moors.

The area has been declared the 14th site in the King’s Series of National Nature Reserves.

Natural England said the move more than doubles the area of land managed for nature across the historic landscape.

The reserve covers a patchwork of semi-natural habitats, including heath, moorland, mire and woodland.

It stretches across Cornwall’s distinctive clay country, in the heartlands of central Cornwall, with St Austell to the south, Bodmin to the east and St Columb Major to the north.

The landscape includes areas managed 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, recognised for its ecological importance.

Natural England said the declaration would improve access to nature, create opportunities for learning and recreation and help support the local economy through sustainable farming.

Conservation grazing will remain central to managing parts of the reserve, helping control vegetation, maintain open habitats and support wildlife.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust said Longhorn cattle and Tamworth pigs were already being used alongside natural processes to create more varied and resilient habitats.

The Gaia Trust said careful grazing by cattle and ponies would also be needed to support wildlife across Chark Moor and other sites within the reserve.

Matt Edworthy, director of the Gaia Trust, said the sites were havens for wildlife and required ongoing management.

He said sustainable management would support local graziers and businesses, while providing learning and skills development opportunities for local people.

Supporters said the designation showed how grazing, habitat management and local rural businesses could contribute to nature recovery while keeping working landscapes actively managed.

The reserve is home to wild wet woodland, heaths and bogs, and supports rare species including willow tit and lesser butterfly orchid.

Its raised bogs also support sphagnum moss, royal fern and the carnivorous round-leaved sundew.

Cornish moneywort, a plant unique to Cornwall’s tin streaming landscape, also grows within the reserve.

The landscape has a long cultural history, with sites shaped by prehistoric tin streaming, Iron Age hillforts and ancient woodland.

Helman Tor, Castle an Dinas and Goss Moor are among the sites included in the nationally significant landscape.

Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England, said the declaration recognised the area’s natural and cultural importance.

“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,” he said.

He said bringing the sites together under one reserve would help restore habitats and give people more opportunities to connect with nature and history.

“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 this part of Cornwall for generations to come,” he said.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust said the new reserve reflected the importance of long-term collaboration in creating larger and better-connected spaces for habitat restoration.

Chief executive Matt Walpole said the inclusion of Helman Tor recognised decades of work to restore habitats and support wildlife within the landscape.

He said conservation grazing with Longhorn cattle and Tamworth pigs, alongside beaver reintroductions, was already helping wildlife recovery.

Cornwall Heritage Trust welcomed the inclusion of Castle an Dinas within the expanded reserve.

The trust said the designation celebrated both nature and Cornwall’s long history, from early communities through to miners and farmers in more recent centuries.

The designation forms part of Natural England’s work to create or extend 25 National Nature Reserves by 2028 with the support of King Charles.

Natural England said the King’s Series was intended to create a public legacy for people, science and nature.