Penbeagle Nature Reserve Management Plan
29 April 2021
Prepared for: St Ives Community Orchard & Nature Reserve Group
Prepared by: Cornwall Environmental Consultants (CEC Ltd) Five Acres Allet Truro TR4 9DJ
Ref: CEC3493
Document Control Revision Prepared by Checked by Approved by First Steve Adams BA(Hons), Natasha Collings-Costello Natasha Collings-Costello Issue MSc, MCIEEM, CEnv MEnv Sci MCIEEM CSci CEnv MEnv Sci MCIEEM CSci CEnv Senior Ecologist Managing Director Managing Director A Steve Adams BA(Hons), Jenny Stuart MSc, CEnv, Jenny Stuart MSc, CEnv, MSc, MCIEEM, CEnv MCIEEM MCIEEM Senior Ecologist Principal Ecologist Principal Ecologist B
Disclosure The information, opinion and advice which we have prepared and provided is true and has been prepared and provided in accordance with the CIEEM’s Code of Professional Conduct and the British Standard for Biodiversity – Code of practice for planning and development (2013). We confirm that the opinions expressed are our true and professional bona fide opinions.
ISO Accreditations
Contents
1. Summary Sheet ...... 4 1.1. Aim of the Nature Reserve Project 4 1.2. Wildlife Summary 4 1.3. Management Summary 5
2. Site Details ...... 6 2.1. Planning Policy 6
3. Site Description ...... 8 3.1. Designated Sites 8 3.2. Desk Study 9
4. Biological Description and Evaluation ...... 15 4.1. Introduction 15 4.2. Habitats 15 4.3. Species 22
5. Historical and Cultural Results ...... 26 5.1. Historical 26 5.2. Cultural 27
6. Operational Objectives and Management Rationale .. 30 6.1. Woodland 30 6.2. Invasive Non-native Species 32 6.3. Grasslands 35 6.4. Edible Woodland 36 6.5. Scrub 37 6.6. Access 37 6.7. Local Nature Reserve 38
7. References ...... 44
8. List of Appendices ...... 45 A. County Wildlife Site Summary Sheet 46 B. Phase 1 Habitat Survey Vascular Plant List 48
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List of Figures Figure 1: St Ives Community Orchard and Penbeagle Nature Reserve(yellow) and County Wildlife Sites (red) ...... 8 Figure 2: Community orchard (red)and Penbeagle Nature Reserve (blue) which includes the edible woodland (yellow) ...... 9 Figure 3: 2001 Aerial showing grassland and gorse ...... 11 Figure 4: 2005 aerial with no obvious areas of short grassland ...... 12 Figure 5: 2019 aerial showing the increase in bracken, but also a reduction in gorse .... 13 Figure 6 Ground flora has developed beneath the scrub where light can penetrate, this is mainly along side the paths...... 16 Figure 7: A remnant of the original acid grassland (moorland) vegetation ...... 16 Figure 8: Rank semi-improved grassland in the edible woodland ...... 17 Figure 9: A spring flush of bluebell, wood anemone and pignut flowers on the northern hill slopes, before the bracken canopy emerges ...... 18 Figure 10: The same northern hill slopes are completely covered in bracken in August.18 Figure 11: Open tor habitat with pockets of thin soil supporting a characteristic flora ..... 19 Figure 12: Wood sorrel, bluebell and ferns growing on the quarry floor beside the dried up pool, cotoneaster and rhododendron can be seen in the background ...... 19 Figure 13: Hedge on the lower north-east boundary with hawthorns but largely hidden by bracken ...... 20 Figure 14: Piles of composting cut bracken may be used by grass snakes to lay their eggs ...... 24 Figure 15: Historical features at Penbeagle – possible prehistoric (red) and medieval field system (green) ...... 26 Figure 16: Access. Public footpaths (pink), Open access land (beige), paths (green) unofficial paths (blue) and nature reserve boundary (red) ...... 28
List of Tables Table 1: Bird records from 2019 ...... 23 Table 2: Invertebrate records from 2019 ...... 24 Table 3: ERCCIS butterfly records for Penbeagle Hill ...... 25 Table 4: Possible tree and shrub species for planting ...... 30 Table 5: Proposed five year work schedule ...... 40
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List of Maps Map 1: Phase 1 Habitat Distribution...... 21 Map 2 Management Tasks ...... 42 Map 3 Location of Invasive Non-Native Species ...... 43
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1. Summary Sheet
Site Name: Penbeagle Nature Reserve
Area: 11.54 ha
Grid ref: SW 506394
1.1. Aim of the Nature Reserve Project Penbeagle Nature Reserve is managed by the St Ives Community Orchard and the aim of the Penbeagle Nature Reserve project is;
• to enhance biodiversity & provide wildlife habitats
• to involve the community in managing the nature reserve
• to create an area where everyone can enjoy nature, get active, socialise and pick their own fruit
• to have the site recognised as a Local Nature Reserve.
• To preserve and enhance the naturalness of the nature reserve
• To utilise the site for environmental education.
1.2. Wildlife Summary The site lies on north, west and east facing slopes of Penbeagle Hill, including the summit. The main habitat present is bracken which over the years has encroached over the grassland. There is a granite rock outcrop at the summit and several smaller outcrops scattered through the site. Close to the summit there is a small area of species-rich grassland which has not yet been encroached by the bracken. There are also narrow strips of grassland alongside many of the paths.
On the lower slopes to the north and east are areas of dense scrub, while there are small patches of scrub scattered throughout the bracken areas. There are two fields on the lower slopes to the north that have been planted up with fruit trees while planting of native broadleaved trees has taken place along the long slopes above the orchards. There are scattered non-native plants throughout the site including rhododendron, montbretia and cotoneaster.
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1.3. Management Summary While this management plan covers the whole site, it does not include management of the fruit trees in the edible woodland section.
The management objectives for the site are:
• To establish areas of native broadleaved woodland on the lower slopes.
• To remove non-native plants.
• To enhance areas of grassland and prevent any further spread of bracken.
• To manage a section of the site as an edible woodland.
• To manage areas of scrub
• To maintain access routes and existing paths.
• To have the site recognised as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR).
• Involve the community in the management of the site.
• To facilitate use of the site as an environmental educational resource.
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2. Site Details
2.1. Planning Policy Site Name: St Ives Community Orchard & Penbeagle Nature Reserve
Ownership: Freehold owned by Cornwall Council, leased to St Ives Community Orchard and Nature Reserve Group
Area: 11.54Ha
Grid Reference: SW 5060 3943 (site centre), SW 5079 3972 (main entrance)
Public Access: While there is a network of paths round the site, there are no Public Rights of Way. The main access point is on the northern edge of the site, off Penbeagle Lane. A large part of the upper slopes are open access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (see Figure 15). This provides for access on foot. It is also possible to enter the site from the south-east by crossing adjoining open access land, which is accessed by a public footpath from Steeple Lane.
Vehicle Access: There is a small car park off Penbeagle Lane adjacent to the main access point to the site.
Rationale: Historically, much of the nature reserve site was part of Penbeagle Farm, owned by Palemon Best. On his death in 1927 part of the land was bequeathed to St Ives Town Council to be preserved as an open space for the benefit of the community. This area now forms the recreation ground and skate park. The farm and remainder of the land was bequeathed to his brother, Ernest Best, and he in turn bequeathed it to the Council for the benefit of the community in 1943. The Council leased the farm; most recently to the Stratton family, who farmed the land from 1950 until 1980, since when it has been left to run wild. The hillside and Bussow Moor area was surveyed by Cornwall Wildlife Trust in 1980 and subsequently designated as a County Wildlife Site.
Vivian Stratton has clear recollections of the farm and the use to which each field was put. He planted about 1000 trees and shrubs on the land from the 1950s to 2000. After falling into disuse the land was used informally by the community for recreation and walking, with routes becoming more defined as the wilderness reclaimed the fields. Further native tree planting was undertaken informally by members of the community from the mid 2000s in the fields above the skate park, supplemented with fruit trees from 2014.
In 2008 the first proposal to establish a Local Nature Reserve on the site was submitted to St Ives Town Council and the then Penwith District Council. However, reorganisation of the district councils into the unitary Cornwall Council disrupted progress. In 2014, the Penwith Environmental Network donated 200 fruit trees which were planted in the lowest field between the Skate Park and Penbeagle Industrial Estate 6 CEC3493 Penbeagle Nature Reserve Management Plan April 2021
and, with the support of Cornwall Council, the St Ives Community Orchard and Nature Reserve Group was formed. The group leased the land owned by Cornwall Council extending to the top of Penbeagle Hill to manage the lower field as a community orchard and the remainder of the site as a nature reserve.
In 2018 a further proposal to declare the site as a Local Nature Reserve was made to St Ives Town Council which gave its support. Cornwall Council was approached and a Phase 1 Habitat Survey was commissioned in 2019 leading to this management plan.
Thus, the intention for the land to be for the benefit of the community and for it to be managed as a nature reserve is long established. The rewilding of the fields is at an advanced stage, merging imperceptibly with the rough moorland on the hilltop, providing valuable wildlife habitats. Designation of the nature reserve as a Local Nature Reserve would give the site formal recognition, establishing it within the local development framework and embedding it as a resource within the community.
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3. Site Description Penbeagle Nature Reserve is situated on the outskirts of St Ives, on the north coast of West Cornwall (Figure 1). The area proposed as a nature reserve lies on the upper slopes of Penbeagle Hill and mostly within an area designated as County Wildlife Site.
Figure 1: St Ives Community Orchard and Penbeagle Nature Reserve(yellow) and County Wildlife Sites (red)
3.1. Designated Sites As can be seen in Figure 1, a large part of the site lies within a County Wildlife Site (CWS), this is Bussow Moor & Carn Stabba CWS (P11.9). This CWS forms part of the Penwith Moors complex. Penbeagle Hill lies within the Carn Stabba section of the CWS which supports bracken dominated communities with small areas of grassland. There are also scattered tors which support crevice and bare rock communities.
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Figure 2: Community orchard (red)and Penbeagle Nature Reserve (blue) which includes the edible woodland (yellow)
3.2. Desk Study The desk study consisted of a search of all existing ecological records within a 1km radius of the site using the information held by the Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (ERCCIS) undertaken in December 2018. The species records were updated by ERCCIS in November 2020. In addition, online information on the Multi-Agency Geographic Information for the Countryside (MAGIC) mapping tool was also used to look at granted Natural England European Protected Species licence applications within 1km of the site.
Aerial photography was also accessed on GoogleEarth which has aerials from a number of years between 2001 and 2019.
Aerial photographs provide a good summary of the general habitats on a site over recent years. It can be difficult to determine the vegetation present, but depending on when in the year the photos were taken, it is possible to identify some plant species.
In 2001 (Figure 3) the main habitats in the nature reserve area appear to be short grassland (possibly acid grassland) and gorse scrub, the yellow of the flowering gorse can be clearly seen in the aerial. The orchard fields are grassland with richer green suggesting that they are a more lush, nutrient rich grassland. There are also some small areas of scrub between the orchard fields and the nature reserve which is probably blackthorn scrub.
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By 2005 (Figure 4) the grassland in the nature reserve area already appears to be a much taller vegetation than was present in 2001. Scrub is still present around the top of the hill, presumably still the gorse that was present in 2001. In the orchard fields grassland appears to have become restricted to the central part of each field.
Sometime between the 2009 and 2016 aerial photographs, there appears to have been a significant reduction in the area of tall scrub (gorse) around the top of the hill.
The 2019 aerial (Figure 5) was taken in early May before the bracken has started growing, so the areas of bracken are very clear and it has now become the dominant community on the nature reserve area. The bracken has even spread down into the upper fields of the orchard. The main orchard field appears to be more open without encroaching tall vegetation from the field margins.
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Figure 3: 2001 Aerial showing grassland and gorse
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Figure 4: 2005 aerial with no obvious areas of short grassland
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Figure 5: 2019 aerial showing the increase in bracken, but also a reduction in gorse
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This survey report has been prepared using information from:
• Cornwall Council Interactive Mapping
• Magic.gov.uk
• GoogleEarth
• Site visits undertaken on 22nd May and 4th June 2019 and late September 2020
Walkover site surveys were undertaken by Cornwall Wildlife Trust in 2019, to identify plant species and map habitats present according to Phase 1 Habitat classification (JNCC, 2010). Signs of faunal species were also searched for; including tracks, prints, droppings, hairs, feeding remains, nests and burrows.
A further site visit was undertaken in September 2020 by Steve Adams MSc, CEnv, MCIEEM. Steve has a wealth of experience in ecology, specifically botanical survey and preparing management plans.
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4. Biological Description and Evaluation
4.1. Introduction Sue Hocking of Cornwall Wildlife Trust (CWT) undertook a survey of the site in 2019, with site visits on 22nd May and 12th August. The habitat descriptions have been taken mainly from the CWT survey but has been supplemented by a third visit by the management plan author in late September 2020.
This section describes the habitats present within the site. The flora and fauna, and in particular key species, are then outlined in more detail and finally an evaluation of the site and its components is given.
4.2. Habitats This section describes the habitats present, according to the standard Phase 1 notation (JNCC, 2010). The Phase 1 Habitat Survey recorded a total of five habitat types: dense scrub, acid grassland, bracken, acid/neutral rock exposure and a quarry. Each of these habitats is described below and their distribution is shown on Map 1. A list of botanical species recorded within each habitat is given in Appendix B.
Dense scrub Dense scrub occupies a large part of the former cropping fields to the south of the skate park. It extends south into the croft land, and to the east along the industrial estate boundary.
The core of this is an area of dense blackthorn-dominated scrub, with bramble and occasional common gorse, elder, hawthorn and young sycamore trees, The shrubs are covered with epiphytic ivy and lichens, indicative of the clean air conditions.
The ground flora beneath the dense shrub cover is limited by lack of light, but is better-developed along the edges of the paths (see figure 6). Red campion, cleavers, bluebell, bracken, and the non-native pink purslane and winter heliotrope are accompanied by a variety of ferns: broad buckler fern, hart’s-tongue fern, scaly- male fern, lady-fern and soft-shield fern were all recorded. The small fields on the south-west edge of the industrial estate, have been invaded by a more varied dense scrub. This is a mix of blackthorn and hawthorn with buddleia, common gorse and elder.
Marginal to the dense blackthorn are areas dominated by a mix of dense bramble and bracken, with scattered trees including alder, grey willow, oak, birch and ash. This has been kept shorter and more open along the edges of the footpath, which has allowed the ground flora to flourish. Common sorrel, bluebell, red campion, cock’s-foot grass, common bent grass, creeping buttercup, creeping thistle, hogweed and cleavers are found in these areas in the spring but these are covered in tall bracken in the summer.
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Figure 6 Ground flora has developed beneath the scrub where light can penetrate, this is mainly along side the paths.
The previous owner planted small clumps of trees and shrubs, including broom and the non-native trees and shrubs rhododendron, buddleia, beech, sycamore and sweet chestnut, and the non-native invasive plant montbretia. Another non-native invasive shrub, cotoneaster, has probably been introduced by birds. In the absence of grazing, these species threaten to spread, to the detriment of the other habitats.
Acid grassland Scattered remnants of the original moorland vegetation are few and far between and too small to map. The largest area forms a clearing in the bracken, some 15m across, with moorland species including purple moor-grass, bristle bent, heath bedstraw, green-ribbed sedge, pill sedge, tormentil and devils’-bit scabious (see figure 7). There are also scattered plants of bell heather, western gorse and goldenrod.
Figure 7: A remnant of the original acid grassland (moorland) vegetation 16 CEC3493 Penbeagle Nature Reserve Management Plan April 2021
Semi-improved grassland Semi-improved neutral grassland occurs in the edible woodland. Here bracken and scrub have been cleared for trees to be planted. Grassland with a range of wildflowers has developed between the trees (see figure 8). This contains a variety of grasses including sweet vernal-grass, false oat-grass, common bent, Yorkshire fog and cock’s-foot. Wildflowers growing amongst the grass, such as common knapweed, red campion, meadow buttercup, oxeye daisy, common sorrel, wild carrot, bush vetch and foxglove, are a valuable resource for pollinating insects.
Figure 8: Rank semi-improved grassland in the edible woodland
Bracken At the time of the May 2019 survey the hill slopes of the ‘Nature Reserve’ were dominated by a spring flush of bluebell (see figure 9), with locally frequent wood anemone, pignut, rosebay and false oat-grass. However, later in the summer the wildflowers are replaced by dense stands of bracken of limited wildlife value (see figure 10). Bramble is frequent and other scattered shrub species include western gorse, common gorse, blackthorn, hawthorn and grey willow, with occasional young ash and holly trees. Tall herbs such as rosebay and goldenrod manage to survive amongst less dense bracken but the taller stands reach 1.5m in height, so only species that flower before the bracken emerges can compete. These fields were previously croft land, used for grazing cattle. However, adjacent to the industrial estate, a field used for keeping chickens is showing even more vigorous bracken growth, likely to be due to the high nutrient levels in chicken manure.
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Figure 9: A spring flush of bluebell, wood anemone and pignut flowers on the northern hill slopes, before the bracken canopy emerges
Figure 10: The same northern hill slopes are completely covered in bracken in August.
Acid/neutral rock exposure Occasional groups of tor stones provide additional wildlife habitat in the Nature Reserve (see figure 11). Some are being overgrown with scrub: bramble, common gorse, bracken, and the non-native rhododendron and cotoneaster. Amongst the scrub are herbs such as foxglove, bluebell and greater stitchwort, and shade tolerant plants such as broad buckler-fern.
The more open tors have a characteristic flora. On the stones are species such as bell heather, navelwort, ivy, early hair-grass, English stonecrop, sheep’s fescue, polypody fern and sweet vernal grass that can withstand the thin acid soils. Between the boulders are bluebell, pignut, wood sage, bracken, and more
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rarely bell heather.
Figure 11: Open tor habitat with pockets of thin soil supporting a characteristic flora
Quarry A small disused quarry on the north facing slopes contains a seasonal pond but was dry at the time of site visits in May 2019 and in September 2020 (see figure 12). The damp, shaded flora within the quarry adds further diversity to the ‘Nature Reserve’. Bluebell, wood anemone, ivy and broad buckler-fern cover the quarry floor and wood sorrel clothes rotting tree stumps. A low growth of willow casts shade but also present on the back wall of the quarry are the non-natives cotoneaster and rhododendron.
Figure 12: Wood sorrel, bluebell and ferns growing on the quarry floor beside the dried up pool, cotoneaster and rhododendron can be seen in the background
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Hedges
Figure 13: Hedge on the lower north-east boundary with hawthorns but largely hidden by bracken
All the boundaries that could be seen comprise Cornish hedges. These are low stone faced banks, which are largely hidden beneath scrub or bracken (an example of one of the hedges is shown in figure 13). Where the banks are visible they support ivy and low growing bramble.
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4.3. Species
Vascular Plants A total of 74 vascular plant species were recorded at the site during the 2019 survey (see Appendix B). This is a good number considering the main habitats present on site, bracken and scrub, tend to be relatively species poor.
The only species recorded of nature conservation importance is bluebell which is protected against sale only under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended 1998). It is common in Cornwall, and the UK is likely to hold more than 25% of the European population (Cheffings & Farrell, 2005).
Non-Vascular Plants and Fungi A specialised survey for non-vascular plants (bryophytes and lichens) and fungi, was outside the scope of this study, however the habitats present are likely to support a suite of common species. The exposed rock often supported a good cover of lichens with mosses in more shaded areas. While older shrubs, especially hawthorns also often had a good moss and lichen flora.
The Species of Principle Importance: string of sausages lichen, has previously been recorded from the area but was not seen during the survey.
Invasive Non-native species There are a number of invasive non-native species on site. These are rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum), montbretia (Crocosmia x crocosmiflora), cotoneaster (Cotoneaster sp.), winter heliotrope (Petasites fragrans) and buddleia (Buddleja davidii). Three of these species, rhododendron, montbretia and cotoneaster, are listed under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, making it an offence to ‘cause it to spread’.
Badgers The ERCCIS desk study only revealed six records for badger and no evidence was recorded during any of the three site visits. However the site does provide suitable habitats for badger and a sett could easily be hidden within the dense scrub.
Bats Only three records for bats were revealed from the ERCCIS desk study, one each for noctule, pipistrelle and brown long-eared. There are no mature trees on site or buildings so there are no potential bat roost sites. The site will provide foraging for bats especially the orchard fields which are more sheltered then the nature reserve area.
All UK bat species and their roosts are legally protected under the Conservation Regulations 2017 (HM Government, 2017).
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Other mammals While the scrub on site would provide suitable habitat for dormice, it is not well connected to other larger areas of woodland and scrub. No records were revealed by the ERCCIS desk study, and there are no recent reliable records from West Cornwall.
There are no watercourses on the site or on neighbouring land, so it is assumed that otters are absent from the site.
The ERCCIS desk study revealed records for hedgehog, stoat, weasel, common shrew and pygmy shrew. The mix of bracken, scrub and grassland habitats on site mean that all these species are very likely to be present on site. In addition other small mammals such as woodmice and bank voles will be present and it is likely that fox also visit the site for foraging.
Birds A bird survey was not carried out as part of the survey, however a small number of birds were recorded during the 2019 site visits and are shown in Table 1 below, these records are just an indication of the conspicuous species on the day. The habitats on site will provide numerous nesting sites and foraging for a suite of common songbirds.
Table 1: Bird records from 2019 Common name Scientific name Blackbird Turdus merula Blue-tit Cyanistes caeruleus Buzzard Buteo buteo Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Prunella modularis Dunnock Magpie Pica pica Robin Erithacus rubecula Song Thrush Turdus philomelos Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
Although still common, song thrush and dunnock are both SPIs. Song thrush is also a red listed species due to a severe long term decline (-59% since 1969) in its breeding population, while dunnock is amber listed due to a moderate long term decline (-31% since 1969) in its breeding population. (Eaton et al, 2015).
Reptiles & Amphibians No reptiles were recorded during the site visits, however there are ERCCIS records for adders from the desk study and the habitats do have reptile potential. Compost piles provide potential sites for grass snakes to lay their eggs (see figure 14). While the exposed rocks and paths provide potential basking areas within
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the wider foraging areas.
Figure 14: Piles of composting cut bracken may be used by grass snakes to lay their eggs
There are no permanent ponds on site and the temporary pond in the quarry is very shaded, therefore there is very limited potential for breeding amphibians. However the habitats on site will support a small number of foraging adult amphibians as there are waterbodies to the north and west within 1km of the site. The ERCCIS desk study returned records for both common frog and common toad.
Invertebrates An invertebrate survey was not undertaken but a number of conspicuous species were recorded during the 2019 surveys, these are shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Invertebrate records from 2019 Common name Scientific name Honeybee Apis mellifera Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris Common carder Bumblebee Bombus pascuorum Dor beetle Geotrupes vernalis Thick-legged Flower Beetle Oedemera nobilis Painted Lady Vanessa cardui Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria Wall Brown Lasiommata megera
The open rocky areas are used by the wall butterfly, a Species of Principle Importance that has suffered severe declines over the last few decades and is now mainly confined to coastal regions. This butterfly raises its body temperature by basking on bare ground and rocks. The males are territorial and three were seen having a dispute over territory during the survey.
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The ERCCIS desk study revealed numerous records for the 1km search area but the only records that could be directly linked to Penbeagle Hill from the last 20 years were all butterfly records from 2013 and 2014.
Table 3: ERCCIS butterfly records for Penbeagle Hill Common name Scientific name Peacock Aglais io Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus Clouded Yellow Colias croceus Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas eleus Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina Large Skipper Ochlodes sylvanus Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria tircis Large White Pieris brassicae Small White Pieris rapae Comma Polygonia c-album Common Blue Polyommatus icarus Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
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5. Historical and Cultural Results
5.1. Historical A historical study has not been carried out for this management plan, however there is historical information available on the Cornwall Council’s Interactive Mapping site and on the Heritage Gateway that relates to this site, as illustrated below in figure 15.
Figure 15: Historical features at Penbeagle – possible prehistoric (red) and medieval field system (green)
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Prehistoric round A possible Iron Age round, the Tithe Award for St Ives, records the field-name of 'Round Field' for the location, suggesting a possible site for a prehistoric defended enclosure however no remains are extant. It is also possible that as the southern field boundary is curved and this have given rise to the field-name.
Medieval field system A series of removed earth and stone banked field boundaries are visible on aerial photographs and were plotted as part of the National Mapping Programme. The boundaries would have enclosed fields measuring on average 110m by 65m and lie in fields north from Carn Stabba up to Penbeagle. The field system is considered to be of medieval origin.
5.2. Cultural
Community Orchard & Nature Reserve Community Group The site is currently managed by a volunteer group which encourages anyone to use the site for activities such as walking, picnics or just enjoying the view. The volunteer group carries out management of the orchard and the nature reserve. Volunteers meet regularly to carry out actions such as bramble and bracken clearance, planting trees and maintenance of the newly planted trees and the orchard trees. The group is not just a management group carrying out practical management of the site but also a social group which organises community events such as Apple Day and Wassail.
Access Currently there are no Public Rights of Way or permissive paths across the site. However in the St Ives Area Local Neighbourhood Development Plan the site is designated as “Open Spaces: Natural and semi- natural green spaces, accessible countryside in the urban fringe areas” and since farming ceased in 1980, the public has had unrestricted access to the site. The nature reserve area is largely open access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and there is a network of paths on site (fig 16, below). The main access path is in the northern corner off Penbeagle Lane. Access can also be obtained to the site along its south-eastern boundary as the field outside the site is also open access land. This area can be accessed via a public footpath from Steeple Lane to the east. The Group will promote the expansion of the public footpath network to formalise access to the site and links with footpaths connecting the wider community.
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Car park
Figure 16: Access. Public footpaths (pink), Open access land (beige), paths (green) unofficial paths (blue) and nature reserve boundary (red)
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Environmental Education and Community Participation The St Ives Community Orchard and Nature Reserve Group has over recent years successfully run educational sessions on the nature reserve delivered by external expertise and resources within the group. These include bird spotting, wild flower and tree identification sessions, butterfly spotting and foraging for wild food. The nature reserve provides an excellent educational resource where the biodiversity benefits of 'rewilding' can be seen first hand and visitors can experience contact with nature.
The group has recently been successful in being included in the Town Investment Plan for the “Town Deal”, a Government funding stream targeting selected communities across the Country. If successful, the bid will include the establishment of an educational centre on the neighbouring St Ives Community Orchard and will be used to deliver educational sessions including education about environmental issues such as biodiversity loss and climate change. Practical sessions will take place on the nature reserve.
The volunteer group that manages the nature reserve provides the opportunity to learn practical skills such as tree planting and after care, brush management, path clearance, wildflower meadow management including the use of appropriate tools. The group also provides informal opportunities for environmental education from group leaders and sharing of expertise by group members. Volunteer sessions are open to all and are advertised on the website, Facebook and a regular email newsletter. The group is keen to work with local schools and hosts Duke of Edinburgh Award students who join the volunteer sessions.
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6. Operational Objectives and Management Rationale
6.1. Woodland Objective: To establish areas of native broadleaved woodland on the lower slopes
Cornwall has one of the lowest percentages of canopy cover of any county in the UK, approximately 9% compared to the UK average of 13% (Cornwall Council). However, this was not always the case, Cornwall would once have had significant woodland cover, but today woodlands tend to be concentrated along estuaries and sheltered valleys. Penwith has less woodland than most of Cornwall with only c. 5% woodland cover. Around St Ives, woodlands are limited to the north-east facing slopes that overlook Carbis Bay. West of St Ives the habitats are mainly limited to pasture, heathlands and scrub. Hedges in this area also tend to lack even a shrub layer, with hedgerow trees being very rare.
Trees and woodlands provide many ecosystem services not just increasing biodiversity. They help to improve air and water quality and reduce flooding, they also absorb and lock in carbon. There are also proven social benefits including improving peoples general and mental health.
Tree planting has to date taken place on the lower slopes on the north-east side of the hill immediately beside and above the orchard. Tree planting will also take place to form a strip along the western fringes of the site. This planting will improve the connectivity to Steeple Woods to the south-east and the wet willow woodlands around Bussow Reservoir to the west.
Apart from planting trees, there will also need to be management to maintain the young trees during their first few years of growth to ensure that they are not smothered by bracken. As this site is run by a community group of volunteers, the amount of labour available will be variable. It will therefore be important to prioritise the maintenance of trees that have already been planted over the planting of new trees. While mulch or biodegradable mats can be used to reduce vegetation growth around tree saplings, these cost money and would only be used if a free or very low cost source become available.
Table 4 below provides a list of tree and shrub species that could be planted at Penbeagle. Not all species in Table 1 are native to Cornwall. Ideally species planted should be native to Cornwall or UK. Shrub species should also be planted such as roses and some climbers such as honeysuckle, to obtain a good diversity of species.
Table 4: Possible tree and shrub species for planting
Species Native Notes
English oak (Quercus robur) Cornwall Most common oak in Cornwall Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) Cornwall Downy birch (Betula pubescens) Cornwall The more frequent of the 2 birches in
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Species Native Notes Cornwall
Silver birch (Betula pendula) Cornwall
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) Cornwall
Holly (Ilex aquifolium) Cornwall
Alder (Alnus glutinosa) Cornwall
Yew (Taxus baccata) Archaeophyte
Small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata) UK Very rare in Cornwall
Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) Archaeophyte Plant only in edible woodland Scots pine (Pinus sylvetris) UK Plant only where required to provide screening Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) Non-native Do not plant as likely to spread in from nearby sites
European Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) Cornwall Wych elm (Ulmus glabra) Cornwall Widespread but rare in Cornwall Common Hazel (Corylus avellane) Cornwall Common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) Cornwall
Crab apple (Malus Sylvestris) Cornwall Rare in Cornwall
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) Cornwall
Wild cherry (Prunus avium) Cornwall Native in East Cornwall - Plant only in edible woodland
Elder (Sambucus nigra) Cornwall
Honeysuckle (Lonicera pericylmenum) Cornwall
Field-rose (Rosa arvensis) Cornwall
Dog-rose (Rosa canina) Cornwall
Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) Cornwall SE Cornwall and catchments of Fal, Camel, Fowey & Tamar, elsewhere it is rare
Grey willow (Salix cinerea) Cornwall
Goat willow (Salix caprea) Cornwall
Trees have been defined as native to Cornwall, native to the UK, Archaeophytes and Non-native. Those species that have been defined as UK are species that while native in the UK are considered to be introduced in Cornwall. Archaeophytes are ancient introductions which are believed to have arrived in Cornwall before 1500. The definition of whether a plant is native to Cornwall, the UK etc. has been taken from “A Flora of Cornwall”, (French, 2020).
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6.2. Invasive Non-native Species Objective: To remove non-native plants
Five invasive non-native species have been recorded on site. These are rhododendron, montbretia, cotoneaster, winter heliotrope and buddleia. Three of these species, rhododendron, montbretia and cotoneaster are listed under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, making it an offence to ‘cause it to spread’.
Rhododendron Rhododendron originates from Asia, Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Bulgaria and was first introduced into the UK at Kew Gardens in 1793 with the first recording of it growing in the wild in 1894. This is a tall shrub that can grow to a height of 5 m with evergreen leaves and trumpet-shaped pinky purple, or sometimes white flowers. It is a vigorous and competitive plant which produces large quantities of seed, between 3,000 to 7,000 per flower, so a large bush could produce several million seeds per year. Seeds are dispersed by wind or water and in an exposed situation the seeds can travel several hundred metres. It is also capable of regrowing from stem buds and root suckers.
The spread of Rhododendron across semi-natural habitats is problematic for a number of reasons:
• Rhododendron does not provide food or shelter for our native wildlife, as the leaves are unpalatable or poisonous to herbivores, birds and insects.
• Rhododendron forms dense stands of evergreen cover that prevent light from reaching the wild flowers or other native plants underneath.
• The fallen dead leaves remain toxic and these form a deep layer beneath the shrubs. This leaf litter inhibits native plant species from germinating and becoming established.
• Rhododendron is one of the primary hosts for two notifiable plant diseases known as Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae. These diseases can spread from rhododendron to our native species of trees and shrubs, including heather and bilberry.
Montbretia Montbretia (Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora) is a horticultural cross from species brought originally from South Africa. It was first introduced to gardens in the UK in 1880 and first recorded in the wild in 1911. Reproduction by seed is unusual so most spread is by gardeners. Once established clumps grow vegetatively, producing rhizomes (underground stems) that give rise to new corms a short distance from the parent plant. They can form large colonies, pushing out native species.
Cotoneaster There are over 100 species of cotoneaster cultivated in the UK however not all of these are considered to be invasive. They were first recorded in the wild in the early 1900s. Cotoneaster has white flowers and red berries and is spread by birds that feed on the berries, dispersing them over large areas. Once
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cotoneaster is established, it can dominate areas, outcompeting native flora and creating dense thickets. It can also form an extensive root system which is difficult to remove.
Winter heliotrope Winter heliotrope originates from the Mediterranean region of North Africa. It was introduced as an ornamental plant and for ground cover in 1806 and was first recorded in the wild in 1835. It has been distributed by the dumping of garden waste and fragments of rhizomes in machinery. The female plant does not occur in the UK so locally it is spread by rhizomes and is vigorous, and shade-tolerant, producing large carpets of leaves crowding out other plants.
Buddleia Buddleia is native to temperate central and south-western China and was introduced to the UK in 1896 with the first wild record from 1922. A medium to large perennial shrub with long arching branches. The lilac/purple (sometimes white) flowers occur in dense pyramidal shaped panicles, which produce large quantities of nectar. Flowers are insect pollinated by butterflies, bees and other insects. A standard plant can produces up to 3 million seeds per year which are adapted for wind dispersal and can be distributed over long distances by the wind. It also has the ability to reproduce asexually via stem and root cuttings. Buddleia out-competes native floras producing dense monotypic thickets but it does provide a valuable source of food to a variety of insects which in turn attract birds and bats.
Treatment As with all invasive, non-native plants, it is much easier to remove a few individuals while they are still controllable. Therefore management to control and eradicate invasive non-natives should occur as early as possible. The cost and time increase considerably as these species become more established.
Rhododendron Rhododendron can be controlled through cutting and treating the stumps with herbicide to prevent re- growth. The recommended herbicide is the glyphosate-containing ‘Round up Probiactive’. This herbicide is designed to have limited impact on the environment and painting it onto the stumps will ensure only local application. Stumps should be treated between October and February. The best results are achieved when the herbicide is applied to the stumps within half an hour on them being cut. Treatment should take place in frost-free and rain-free conditions and when rain is not forecast for at least six hours.
Delayed applications will be less effective. Use of a vegetable dye is recommended to mark treated stumps and all stumps should be targeted. A variation on the stump treatment method is stem injection. If the main stem is cut and is large enough for a hole to be drilled into it, the hole can be used to drop in a targeted application of glyphosate (20% solution in water).
Any shrubs infected with the notifiable species of Phytophthora should be removed. The presence of these diseases manifests itself in Rhododendron as blackening of leaves and buds, stem cankers, wilting and leaf loss. On individual leaves, blackening of the leaf stalks usually extends into the leaf along the mid-vein,
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although blackening at the leaf tip can also occur. If any signs or symptoms of the disease become apparent it is important to contact the Forestry Commission Plant Health Service: www.forestry.gov.uk; 01546 602380.
Montbretia The plant should be dug up. All culms (bulblike structures) need to be removed and this can be difficult as they grow in strings and the lowest tend to break off and remain in the soil. It is best to crush the bulbs and then let them dry out on concrete, before putting them in the dustbin. The plant cannot be composted as it will continue growing.
The use of herbicide can be an option where the clump is fairly discrete, not intermixed with many other woodland species and not adjacent to a watercourse. A glyphosate based herbicide such as Roundup Pro- Biactive, which breaks down rapidly in the soil, should be painted or sprayed directly onto the leaves to avoid killing neighbouring plants. Montbretia is likely to be difficult to eradicate and will need follow-up treatment of regrowth over a number of years.
Cotoneaster Mechanical methods of control comprise pulling young seedlings and excavating the root mass. Any material from the cotoneaster must be chipped/burnt on site, or removed to licensed landfill as controlled waste.
Chemical methods of control include spraying smaller plants with glyphosate and treating stumps of larger plants to prevent regrowth. Chemical wetting agents improve uptake of herbicide by the waxy leaves. Timing is also crucial, herbicide treatment in late June/early July results in plants dying off within days / a week (or two for full translocation). Herbicide treatment in late August leads to plants dying off within two weeks (or four weeks for full translocation). Dead material should be cut and burnt on corrugated metal sheets in Oct / Nov.
Winter heliotrope In small areas winter heliotrope can be eradicated by digging up the rhizomes, however, they break easily and the plant regenerates from any missed fragments. In larger areas, broad spectrum systemic herbicides such as glyphosate are effective on fresh growth in springtime.
Buddleia Currently buddleia bushes only occur around the edges of the orchard. As they produce large and numerous flowers, this plant is enjoyed by people and the many insects that visit it for nectar. The bushes in the orchard area should be retained but any plants that occur in the nature reserve area should be removed immediately. Small plants can be hand pulled but larger plants will need to be dug out. If chemicals are to be used, treatment should be similar to that for rhododendron of cutting and treating the stumps.
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6.3. Grasslands Objective: To enhance areas of grassland and prevent any further spread of bracken.
There are two types of grassland on site, semi-improved grassland in the edible woodland and small scattered patches acid grassland which are the remnants of the original moorland vegetation.
The semi-improved grassland will be important for small mammals, invertebrates and birds. As the diversity of plants increases so will the variety of invertebrates that visit. While small mammals will prefer a diverse grassland, the main factor affecting them will be the structure of the grassland. They will prefer a taller grassland as this will allow them to hide more easily, ideally one where there are tussocks and a good mat of roots and old grass at the base, under which they can make tunnels and nests.
The grassland areas are probably too small and have too much human (and dog) activity for ground nesting birds. However an increase in plant and structural diversity will provide a wider range of foods in the form of seeds and invertebrates. The grassland in the edible woodland should only be cut once a year in late summer or early autumn. Ideally the cutting should be removed to compost piles as this will help to reduce nutrient levels in the soil. Some areas should be left uncut (up to a third) to ensure there is over-wintering habitat for invertebrate.
Alongside the paths can be cut more regularly to create should structural diversity. The actual path is kept short by walkers, then there will be a narrow strip which is cut every approximately 6 weeks and then the remainder will only be cut once a year. The regularly cut strip only needs to be 1-2m either side of the path.
There are only small areas of acid grassland left on site. Lowland dry Habitat of Principal Importance (HPI) (formerly UK BAP) and a Cornish BAP habitat. The largest area of acid grassland is a clearing c.15m across close to the summit of the hill. There are also remnants of acid grassland forming narrow strips alongside paths and around some of the granite outcrops. All the other original areas of acid grassland have been covered by bracken.
The large scale removal of bracken and return to grassland would require the use of herbicides and then grazing, which is not appropriate for a community group.
The largest area of acid grassland should have the bracken cut back 5-10m while alongside paths the bracken should be cut back either side c.1m. There should be two cuts a year with the first cut occurring in June when the bracken is 50-75cm tall and then again six weeks later. The cut material should be removed from site, or to an allocated composting area. If there is dense bracken litter, ideally this should also be removed.
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6.4. Edible Woodland Objective To manage a section of the site as an edible woodland
The field above the skatepark (Round field) has been planted with some fruit and nut trees as well as native woodland trees and is to be managed differently to the rest of the nature reserve. The aim is to create an edible woodland modelled on the forest garden concept: a diverse, species rich fusion of many layers of plants that support each other, creating a long-term biologically stable & sustainable ecosystem for growing food and other products. It is a wonderful education model of how to create a sustainable method of food production and reconnects individuals and communities with where their food and medicine come from. It encourages people to eat local produce with high nutritional quality that grows with the seasons, rather than importing out of season food. Forest gardens focus on perennial plants, (which means you can harvest from the same plant for many years) and provides an opportunity to produce interesting food from other temperate climates around the world.
The primary aims for the system are:
• To be biologically sustainable, able to cope with disturbances such as climate change
• To be productive, yielding a number of different products
• To require low maintenance.
A Forest Garden mimics the structure of a natural forest, which is the most stable and sustainable type of ecosystem in this climate. It includes a large number of species, giving greater diversity, these include;
• Nitrogen fixing plants which increase fertility by drawing up nitrogen (eg. Alders , Broom , Elaeagnus spp, and shrub lupins).
• Dynamic accumulators – deep rooting plants which can tap mineral sources deep in the subsoil and raise them into the topsoil layer where they become available to other plants, eg. Coltsfoot, Comfreys, Liquorice, Sorrel and docks.
• Pest attractors – plants chosen for their ability to attract predators of common pests, eg umbellifers like tansy.
• Fruit and nut trees
• Perennial edible plants and vegetables
• Trees which provide wind protection and leaf litter which improve nutrient cycling and drought resistance.
The crops which are produced will often include fruits, nuts, edible leaves, spices, medicinal plant products, poles, fibres for tying, basketry materials, honey, fuelwood, fodder and sap products.
Forest gardens have been used for millennia in tropical regions, where they still often form a major part of the food producing systems which people rely on. In temperate regions, forest gardens are a more recent 36 CEC3493 Penbeagle Nature Reserve Management Plan April 2021
innovation. A major limiting factor for temperate forest gardens is the amount of sunlight available to the lower layers of the garden: in tropical regions, the strong light conditions allow even understorey layers to receive substantial light, whereas in temperate regions this is not usually the case. To compensate for this, understorey layers in temperate forest gardens must be chosen very carefully.
There are plenty of plant crops which tolerate shady conditions, but many are not well known. Many of the more common shrub or perennial crops need bright conditions, and it may be necessary to design in more open clearings or glades for such species.
Scrub and bracken control will need to take place here, to prevent some of the edible plants being out competed.
Blackthorn scrub round the edges of the edible woodland will need to be monitored and cut back when necessary in winter.
Similarly, encroaching bracken will also need to be cut back. There should be two cuts a year with the first cut occurring in June when the bracken is 50-75cm tall and then again six weeks later. The cut material should be removed from site, or to an allocated composting area.
6.5. Scrub Objective: To manage areas of scrub
Patches of scrub on the open hillside provide valuable cover, nesting and feeding habitat for insects, birds, reptiles and small mammals. However, they should be limited in extent to prevent them spreading and dominating. Trimming scrub on rotation will provide a range of growth stages that can be utilised by different species. For example, the rare resident Dartford warbler is dependent on dense, compact gorse for surviving cold winters. Gorse starts to become less compact after about 10 years
The areas of blackthorn scrub on the lower slopes have a diverse age including some deadwood. One new path has been cut through this scrub which has created more edge habitat which is important for invertebrates. It is hoped that the planting of native tree species along the upper edge of this scrub will prevent the blackthorn from further spread. As the trees grow they should start to shade the blackthorn which will reduce its vigour. However there may need to be some cutting back of the scrub along its edges until planted trees are sufficiently large not to be swamped by encroaching scrub.
6.6. Access Objective: To maintain access routes and increase the number of paths where possible.
Currently there are no Public Rights of Way or permissive paths across the site. The nature reserve area is open access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and there is a network of paths on site. The main access path is in the northern corner off Penbeagle Lane. Access can also be obtained to the site along its south-eastern boundary as the field outside the site is also open access land. This area can be accessed via a public footpath from Steeple Lane to the east.
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Whilst public access is encouraged, this has to be balanced against the needs of wildlife for seclusion. The footpath network will be controlled and only designated paths will be maintained, leaving significant areas of the reserve without access. Signage will ask visitors to keep dogs under control and to refrain from littering. Removing litter as it occurs will help deter further littering and prevent wildlife losses such as small animals trapped in bottles and cans.
Paths should be maintained by regularly cutting. The cutting proposed for the bracken control will maintain the paths.
The potential for creating a permissive path through the reserve and connecting down to Halsetown should also be explored with neighbouring landowners.
6.7. Local Nature Reserve Objective: To have the site recognised as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) and involve the community in the management of the site.
To declare the site as a Local Nature Reserve, Natural England will need to be contacted ([email protected]) and a LNR declaration completed by the local authority. Natural England will require a boundary map (see Section 3.1 for outline; a definitive boundary map to be provided by the Local Authority). This management plan fulfils the requirements of Natural England for LNR declaration detailing:
• how long the site will remain a protected LNR
• ownership of the land (see Section 2.1)
• any agreements or partnerships (see Section 2.1)
• why the LNR site was chosen (See Section 2.1 - Rationale)
• aims and objectives (See Section 1.3 – Management Summary & Section 6)
• biodiversity management and environmental education (See Section 5.2.3 & Section 6.1-6.5)
• community participation, access and visitor management (See Section 6.6 & 6.7)
• costs and funding arrangements (see below)
The St Ives Community Orchard and Nature Reserve Group (SCONRG) undertakes to manage the site as a Local Nature Reserve indefinitely and for a minimum of 21 years. SCONRG was established in 2015 and has been successful in securing funding from a wide range of sources including the Lottery Awards for All, Tesco Bags of Help, St Ives Community Fund, Co-op Local Community Fund, St Ives Town council and through crowdfunding. In addition the group acquires free trees and accessories through Eforests, an organisation that arranges for trees to be planted for people and organisations wishing to sponsor tree planting. Volunteers provide many hours of “in kind” funding and the group is recognised by the Time Credits scheme. 38 CEC3493 Penbeagle Nature Reserve Management Plan April 2021
St Ives Community Orchard and Nature Reserve Group is registered as a Community Interest Company to further cement its position in the community and give long term sustainability.
Ongoing costs include: public liability insurance, tool repair and replacement, shed maintenance, annual events, website. The lease held with Cornwall Council (since 2016) is for a nominal 'peppercorn rent'. Additional ad hoc costs include educational sessions, boundary repairs.
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Table 5: Proposed five year work schedule
Ref Project Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Season 1. Clear round saplings Those saplings Those saplings Those saplings Those saplings Those saplings Jun-Aug below bracken below bracken below bracken below bracken below bracken canopy height canopy height canopy height canopy height canopy height 2. Plant trees & shrubs Plant native Plant native Plant native Plant native Plant native November to February trees and shrubs trees and shrubs trees and shrubs trees and shrubs trees and shrubs as available as available as available as available as available labour permits labour permits labour permits labour permits labour permits 3. Control rhododendron Start removal & Continue Continue Continue Retreat if Nov-Feb treatment of removal & removal & removal & necessary stumps treatment of treatment of treatment of stumps stumps stumps 4. Control montbretia Remove all Monitor, control Monitor, control Monitor, control Monitor, control Mechanical control at any plants from site when necessary when necessary when necessary when necessary time of year mechanically 5. Control cotoneaster Remove all Monitor, control Monitor, control Monitor, control Monitor, control Mechanical control – anytime plants from site when necessary when necessary when necessary when necessary of year. If using herbicides – mechanically July-Aug. 6. Control winter heliotrope Remove all Monitor, control Monitor, control Monitor, control Monitor, control Winter following inspection plants from site when necessary when necessary when necessary when necessary mechanically s
40 CEC3493 Penbeagle Nature Reserve Management Plan April 2021
Ref Project Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Season 7. Control buddleia Monitor nature Monitor nature Monitor nature Monitor nature Monitor nature Any reserve, control reserve, control reserve, control reserve, control reserve, control when necessary when necessary when necessary when necessary when necessary 8. Control bracken in edible woodland. When necessary When necessary When necessary When necessary When necessary Approximately every 6 weeks May – September. 9. Control any encroaching scrub in edible When necessary When necessary When necessary When necessary When necessary Winter woodland 10. Cut back bracken alongside paths 1-2m Paths in nature Paths in nature Paths in nature Paths in nature Paths in nature June and again c.6 weeks later reserve reserve reserve reserve reserve 11. Cut back bracken around acid around acid around acid around acid around acid June and again c.6 weeks later grassland grassland grassland grassland grassland clearing c.5-10m clearing c.5-10m clearing c.5-10m clearing c.5-10m clearing c.5-10m 12. Retain dead wood both standing and fallen Whole site Whole site Whole site Whole site Whole site All year
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7. References French, C.N. (2020) A Flora of Cornwall. Wheal Seton Press, Camborne
Hocking, S. (2019) County Wildlife Site Survey, Penbeagle Hill & St Ives Community Orchard. Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Truro.
HM Government (1981) The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. HMSO, London.
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8. List of Appendices A. County Wildlife Site Summary Sheet B. Phase 1 Habitat Survey Vascular Plant List
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A. County Wildlife Site Summary Sheet
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S I T E S - C o u n t y W i l d l i f e S i t e S u m m a r y S h e e t s P11.9 - Bussow Moor & Carn Stabba
SITE INFORMATION Location: 0.5 miles south west of St Ives
Grid Reference: SW502389
Parish: ST IVES CP
Area: 43 Ha
0 0.3 0.6km DigitalGlobe, Microsoft
Important note about access to CWS The County Wildlife Site designation does not confer public access.
What does the designation County Wildlife Site mean? County Wildlife Sites (CWS) are the most significant areas for wildlife in Cornwall outside Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). County Wildlife Sites contain features that are of substantive nature conservation value at a county level of significance. There are over 490 sites in Cornwall under both public and private ownership and they range from small ponds, copses and linear features, such as river valleys, to wetlands, ancient woodlands and large moors. They make up approximately 10% of the county's land area.
CWS were identified and selected in the 1980s and 1990s using a combination of aerial photograph data, local knowledge and, where possible, ground based surveys. CWS are selected through the application of a set of criteria agreed by Cornwall's Local Sites Partnership.
The benefits and implications of owning a County Wildlife Site Owning a CWS brings both implications and benefits to the landowner:
CWS can attract grant aid through Defra's Environmental Stewardship schemes Cornwall Wildlife Trust can provide free management advice for landowners As the CWS designation is non-statutory, there are no restrictions placed on agricultural operations Landowners/Managers remain in control of all land management decisions Access is by landowner permission, no rights of access are created. Where substantial land use changes are proposed on a CWS, the Local Authority will take wildlife into account along with all other planning considerations
Progress towards achieving National Indicator NI197 Improved Local Biodiversity
Active conservation management is being achieved on this site
Activity
Site Description
This site forms part of the Penwith Moors complex. It comprises three distinct areas of semi-natural habitat, the largest of which contains a small reservoir. This supports little aquatic vegetation, is fringed by shoreweed and surrounded by dense stands of bracken. Bracken dominated communities also occur on the two areas which form the Carn Stabba part of the site. Here, a number of grasses are also present amongst the clitter, including Yorkshire fog and common bent. In some areas, European gorse is co-dominant with the bracken, forming dense scrub. The tors and clitter support crevice and bare rock communities.
Areas of mire to the south of the reservoir are dominated by purple moor grass forming tussocks. Sphagnum mats and stands of soft rush are found between the tussocks, together with typical bog plants such as pale butterwort and bog asphodel. Two areas of wet woodland also lie to the south of the reservoir. These are dominated by grey willow with a ground flora consisting largely of ferns. Bramble dominates where soils are drier. A small stream running through the carr is fringed by branched bur-reed.
BAP Priority Habitats: Wet Woodland, Lowland Fens, Purple Moor Grass and Rush Pastures
BAP Priority Species: records of common toad Bufo bufo
Other notable species: plants include Vulnerable dodder Cuscata epithymum.
Management
Part in Environmentally Sensitive Area agreements (ending 2012); parts in Entry Level Stewardship (ending 2012-2013).
Further Information
This summary sheet was produced using information held by the Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (ERCCIS). For further details or a comprehensive/notable species search please contact the Wildlife Information Service, email: [email protected].
For further information regarding Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) Priority Habitats and Species refer to UKBAP. Note that species listed may be subject to more than one conservation status and may also be protected under legislation such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 or the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010. Refer to JNCC for full current taxon designations.
Contact Us
To make a comment regarding this County Wildlife Site, please fill in a feedback form.
To submit a species record to ERCCIS, please use the online recording system at www.orks.org.uk
B. Phase 1 Habitat Survey Vascular Plant List DAFOR is a nominative scale where D = Dominant, A = Abundant, F = Frequent, O = Occasional and R = Rare. L = Locally
improved -
Scientific Name Common Name Dense scrub Acid grassland Semi grassland Bracken Acid/neutral rock exposure Quarry Hedges Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore R R Achillea millefolium Yarrow O Aesculus hippocastanum Horse chestnut R Agrostis capillaris Common bent-grass E O F Agrostis curtisii Bristle bent-grass O O Aira praecox Early hair-grass R R Alnus glutinosa Alder R Anemone nemorosa Wood anemone E R R Anthoxanthum odoratum Sweet vernal grass O F O Arrhenatherum elatius False oat-grass F O Asplenium scolopendrium Hart's tongue R R R Athyrium filix-femina Lady fern R Betula pendula Silver birch R Brachypodium sylvaticum False brome E R Buddleja davidii Buddleja R R Calystegia sepium Hedge bindweed O Carex binervis Green-ribbed sedge R R Carex pilulifera Pill sedge R R Castanea sativa Sweet chestnut R R Centaurea nigra Black knapweed R Chamerion angustifolium Rosebay willowherb O Cirsium arvense Creeping thistle E O Claytonia sibirica Pink purslane R Conopodium majus Pignut R R Convolvulus arvensis Field bindweed O Corylus avellana Hazel R Cotoneaster sp. Cotoneaster R R R Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn O O Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora Montbretia R R 48 CEC3493 Penbeagle Nature Reserve Management Plan April 2021
improved -
Scientific Name Common Name Dense scrub Acid grassland Semi grassland Bracken Acid/neutral rock exposure Quarry Hedges Cytisus scoparius Broom R Dactylis glomerata Cock's-foot E O Daucus carota Wild carrot O Digitalis purpurea Foxglove E R R Dryopteris affinis Scaly male fern R R R Dryopteris dilatata Broad buckler fern R R R R Erica cinerea Bell heather R R Fagus sylvatica Beech R Festuca ovina Sheep's fescue R Festuca rubra Red fescue F Fraxinus excelsior Ash R Galium aparine Cleavers E R O Galium saxatile Heath bedstraw O R Geum urbanum Wood avens R Glebonius segetum Corn marigold O Hedera helix subsp. hibernica Atlantic ivy O O LA Heracleum sphondylium Hogweed R O
Narrow-leaved Hieraceum umbellatum hawkweed R R Holcus lanatus Yorkshire fog R A R Holcus mollis Creeping soft-grass O Hyacinthoides non-scripta Bluebell R R O F R R Ilex aquifolium Holly R Leucanthemum vulgare Oxeye daisy O Malus domestica agg. Cultivated apple F R Malus sylvestris Crab apple R R Molinia caerulea Purple moor-grass O R Oxalis acetosella Wood-sorrel R Petasites fragrans Winter heliotrope LA Plantago lanceolata Ribwort plantain F Plantago major Greater plantain R Poa annua Annual meadow grass R Poa pratensis Smooth meadow grass F
49 CEC3493 Penbeagle Nature Reserve Management Plan April 2021
improved -
Scientific Name Common Name Dense scrub Acid grassland Semi grassland Bracken Acid/neutral rock exposure Quarry Hedges Polypodium interjectum Intermediate polypody R R Polystichum setiferum Soft shield fern R Potentilla erecta Common tormentil R O Prunus spinosa Blackthorn LD O Pteridium aquilinum Bracken O O D F Quercus robur Pedunculate oak R Ranunculus acris Meadow buttercup R O R Ranunculus repens Creeping buttercup E Rhododendron ponticum Rhododendron R R O Rubus fruticosus agg. Blackberry/bramble LD R F R O F Rumex acetosa Common sorrel R O R R Salix aurita Eared willow R Salix cinerea Grey willow R R R Sambucus nigra Elder R Sedum anglicum English stonecrop R R Silene dioica Red campion E O R R Solidago virgaurea Goldenrod R Sorbus aucuparia Rowan R Stellaria holostea Greater stitchwort R Succisa pratensis Devil's-bit scabious R R Teucrium scorodonia Wood sage E R R Ulex europaeus European gorse LD R Ulex gallii Western gorse R R Umbilicus rupestris Navelwort R R Urtica dioica Common nettle R R Vicia sativa Common vetch O Vicia sepium Bush vetch O
50 CEC3493 Penbeagle Nature Reserve Management Plan April 2021