St Nectan's Glen
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SX079885 | — | Favourable | 3.29 | 2013-12-11 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Devonian
Landscape processes: Coastal, Fluvial
Description
St. Nectan’s Glen SSSI Description A steep sided wooded valley near to the North Cornwall coast some two kilometres to the east of Tintagel. The valley has been incised into Upper Devonian slates forming a prominent waterfall at St Nectan’s Kieve. The site is of particular importance as the locality of one of the internationally rare plant species given special protection under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. The damp wooded valley also supports a rich bryophyte flora including the uncommon liverworts Jubula hutchinsiae and Trichocolea tomentella and the mosses Fissidens curnovii and Fissidens osmundoides. Dippers Cinclus cinclus frequently nest amongst the rocks adjacent to the waterfall. The rare plant and bryophyte species require the retention of a damp shaded habitat hence the adjacent streams and woodland need to be carefully managed to ensure that this environment is maintained.
Species mentioned
Show the 5 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dipper | Cinclus cinclus | NT (Breeding) | bird-dipper | cinclidae |
| Hutchin's hollywort | Jubula hutchinsiae | LC | liverwort | jungermanniales |
| handsome woolywort | Trichocolea tomentella | LC | liverwort | jungermanniales |
| Curnow's pocket moss | Fissidens curnovii | Not listed in GB list | moss | dicranales |
| purple stalked pocket moss | Fissidens osmundoides | LC | moss | dicranales |