Gwithian Towans Local Nature Reserve As the seasons change, look out for the Autumn Welcome to the Towans - following wildlife in this part of the towans: Yellow flowers of ragwort are Towans a’gas Dynnergh Spring common now, some plants containing the black and gold From the Cornish ‘Tewyn’, meaning ‘sand Hundreds of cream coloured cowslips Silver-studded Blue Dark Green Fritillary caterpillars of the cinnabar moth. dune’, the towans between Hayle and carpet the short turf areas Privet bushes are covered in Gwithian make up Cornwall’s second Small birds like dunnocks and wrens Footpath to pungent cream flowers now, often largest sand dune ecosystem, extending are singing from bramble perches to Gwithian village Gwithian Towans Key visited by butterflies such as small define their territories path for around 400 hectares. The famous Strap Sand dunes and Coast tortoiseshell and red admiral. Rocks West beaches of St Ives Bay lying below you On warmer days, adders, slow worms South species-rich grassland After a good summer, many young provide a continuous supply of sand to and common lizards emerge from Extensive scrub RNLI Hut Wheal Emily rabbits can be seen across the hibernation in dense vegetation to bask Cornish hedge bank remains maintain these dunes. towans. Grazing by rabbits is crucial in the open. Cliffs to maintain the species-rich short Scale Ownership 100m grassland areas. Gwithian Towans Common is registered as White lipped snail shells You are Gwithian Common Land and owned by the Charles Hockin here Chalets Trust. It was registered as a Local Nature Reserve in 2006. The Common is overseen by Cornwall That’s amazing! Council under a scheme of management and NORTH P A wind of only 16 is subject to a series of byelaws to protect the kilometre/hour can pick up and carry a Common. Farmland sand grain. Ceres Rock Wall of Winter Wildlife light decoy This area of the Towans lies within the Gwithian to The dunes provide a great vantage Cinnabar moth Mexico Towans Site of Special Scientific Interest point time to watch for gannets and (SSSI), meaning the area is nationally important Adder other seabirds feeding in St Ives Bay, while the nearby St Gothian’s for wildlife. Most of Cornwall is underlain by acidic Summer granite rocks which normally support quite species- Sands Local Nature Reserve, just Cinnabar caterpillars poor habitats. The Towans become a riot of colour a little further north from here, is a as many plants flower now. Look out great place to look for visiting ducks By contrast, the Towans contains calcareous soil for swathes of yellow bird’s-foot trefoil and gulls during winter. along with numerous pink flowers of made up of lime-rich shell sand. This encourages Resident stonechats are quite Key pyramidal orchid. Main roads the growth of 300 vascular plant species - a fifth of Minor roads obvious during winter, flitting Access roads P South West Coast Path all plant species found in Cornwall in just 2% of the Sunny days at this time of year fill the Access to beach between bramble or privet perches NORTH AONB SSSI Site Of Special Scientifi c Interest total land area. air with butterflies and day flying moths. or foraging on the ground. LNR Local Nature Reserve AONB Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty Look out for the black and red six spot Peter’s Point When vegetation has died back, GODREVY TOWANS Burnet moth and the beautiful Silver P (SSSI) Sand dune archaeology this is a great time for finding empty Portreath Track to Gwithian chalets studded Blue butterfly, which has one South West Coast path Red River When sand dunes form, they can cover large areas shells from the abundant white- Area of the towans ST GOTHIAN of land, sometimes dramatically overnight, other of its biggest populations in the country Gwithian SANDS lipped and painted snails, which are described on this board (LNR) Strap Rocks GWITHIAN here. Churchtown road times more gradually. This often results in previous P B3301 GREEN widespread across the Towans. (LNR) human activities being well preserved under the Look out for glow worms shining in the Ceres Rock P Gwithian sand. This can include prehistoric human burials, grass on summer evenings. Church GWITHIAN P TOWANS Prosper Hill (SSSI/LNR) St Ives lane medieval field systems and settlements. Overhead, skylarks will be singing. Peter’s Point P The Towans holds good numbers of The Wall of Light decoy these declining ground-nesting birds. Close to the south west corner of this car park, Keep your dog under closer Hayle UPTON TOWANS a non-descript concrete structure lies just control during these (SSSI/LNR) Chimney inland of months to reduce Upton he coast path. It is in fact a very disturbance. P A30 Camborne rare survival from WWII of a decoy In late PHILLACK B3301 Look after yourself and the wildlife Black TOWANS LOGGAN’S Cliff (SSSI) MOOR structure, which was ignited with petrol (SSSI) summer, MEXICO • Adders are quite common. pick up after it - other visitors will not TOWANS in order to distract German bombers Loggans road the beautiful They normally feel the vibration of welcome the dung, and it also causes (SSSI) Phillack Church away from the nearby port of Hayle. Bird’s foot trefoil HAYLE blue flowers of your feet and move away before you see changes to the rare vegetation. TOWANS P them, but in early spring take special care Churchtown road viper’s bugloss • Be careful not to step in a rabbit Funding for this board was kindly COPPERHOUSE as they may be slower to move away. POOL (SSSI) hole and take more care in any steep provided by the Gwinear/Gwithian B3301 Wheal Emily mine can be seen, P • Don’t drop litter or light barbeques on the or eroding dunes, as the ground may Sustainable Communities Fund SCALE Evidence of a tin mine can be seen especially in areas 1KM dunes - as well as being unsightly, remains give way. Hayle here, very close to the coastal path where sand is more can injure wildlife and vegetation. A30 • Motorbikes and bikes are not Hayle by-pass and within the cliff face itself as you head disturbed- such as near • If you are walking a dog, ensure you permitted here. St Ives Penzance north towards Gwithian beach. rabbit holes. St Ives Photo Credits: Silver-studded Blue and Dark Green Fritillary; David Chapman. Skylark Pyramidal Orchid Rabbit Designed and produced by Nature Signs. 01271 812301 www.naturesigns.co.uk.