Draynes Wood

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.4899, -4.5086

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Also within

Cornwall County Cornwall Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (4)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SX216685 — Favourable 19.46 2022-09-27
SX219684 — Favourable 19.46 2022-09-27
SX221685 — Favourable 5.33 2022-09-27
SX225687 — Favourable 11.92 2022-09-27

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Bracken scrub, Coppiced woodland, Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Gorge / Ravine · Rock Type: Granite

Landscape processes: Fluvial, Volcanic / Igneous

Description

Draynes Wood SSSI Description This damp wooded gorge on the River Fowey lies on the steep slopes of the southern edge of the Bodmin Moor granite, some four kilometres to the north-west of Liskeard. The soils are free draining and the majority of the woodland is composed of irregular high forest, dominated by oak, with ash Fraxinus excelsior. Some patches of sessile oak Quercus petraea have been coppiced. There is a sparse shrub layer of hazel Corylus avellana and holly Ilex aquifolium. The field layer is generally acidophilous with greater woodrush Luzula sylvatica, bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and hard fern Blechnum spicant, but on the better soils there is bracken Pteridium aquilinum and bramble Rubus fruticosus agg., with sanicle Sanicula europaea occurring locally. Draynes Wood is of particular importance as one of Cornwall’s richest sites for lower plants; 37 species of liverwort and 86 species of moss have been recorded. Of special note are the 2 nationally rare plants, the Tunbridge filmy-fern Hymenophyllum tunbrigense and the moss Fissidens polyphyllus. A total of 48 lichen species are recorded including the nationally rare Parmelia dissecta and several other ancient woodland indicator species. The course of the River Fowey is broken by a series of deep pools, waterfalls and rapids, known as Golitha Falls, providing habitats for dragonflies and other insects. Dipper Cinclus cinclus and treecreeper Certhia familiaris frequent the site.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
treecreeper Certhia familiaris LC (Breeding) bird-creeper certhiidae
dipper Cinclus cinclus NT (Breeding) bird-dipper cinclidae
hard fern Blechnum spicant LC fern blechnaceae
Tunrbidge filmy-fern Hymenophyllum tunbrigense VU fern hymenophyllaceae
bracken Pteridium aquilinum LC fern dennstaedtiaceae
bramble Rubus fruticosus agg. Not listed in GB list herb rosaceae
sanicle Sanicula europaea LC herb apiaceae
many leaved pocket moss Fissidens polyphyllus LC moss dicranales
great wood rush Luzula sylvatica LC rush juncaceae
billberry Vaccinium myrtillus LC shrub ericaceae
hazel Corylus avellana LC tree corylaceae
ash Fraxinus excelsior LC tree oleaceae
holly Ilex aquifolium LC tree aquifoliaceae
sessile or durmast oak Quercus petraea LC tree fagaceae

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa

A14 — Fast flowing river and stream

Myriophyllum alterniflorum community

Isolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina

A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community

Berula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans

A18 — Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus fluitans community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea

W25 — Bracken scrub

Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus fruticosus underscrub

Hedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Sambucus nigra, Ulex europaeus, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Luzula multiflora, Mnium hornum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Angelica sylvestris, Conopodium majus, Heracleum sphondylium, Arum maculatum, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Silene dioica, Stellaria holostea, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Glechoma hederacea, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Circaea lutetiana, Digitalis purpurea, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ficaria verna, Potentilla erecta, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Galium mollugo sens.lat., Galium saxatile, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas