Porthgwarra to Pordenack Point

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.0375, -5.6845

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (12)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SW346242 Favourable 2.25 2012-09-28
SW346243 Favourable 2.88 2012-09-28
SW347241 Favourable 2.09 2012-09-28
SW347242 Favourable 2.26 2012-09-28
SW348240 Favourable 1.97 2012-09-28
SW348241 Favourable 2.62 2012-09-28
SW352238 Favourable 21.8 2012-09-28
SW359236 Favourable 4.4 2012-09-28
SW359238 Favourable 7.37 2012-09-28
SW360228 Favourable 55.67 2012-09-28
SW362217 Favourable 55.12 2012-09-28
SW366219 Favourable 55.12 2012-09-28

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

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

Rock Type: Granite

Landscape processes: Coastal, Volcanic / Igneous

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
chiffchaff Breeding
chiffchaff Passage
chiffchaff Wintering
peregrine Breeding
peregrine Passage
peregrine Wintering
stonechat Breeding
stonechat Passage
stonechat Wintering
teal Breeding
teal Passage
teal Wintering
whitethroat Breeding
whitethroat Passage

Description

Porthgwarra to Pordenack Point SSSI Description An extensive stretch of high granite cliffs and maritime heathland on the western edge of the Penwith Peninsula immediately south of Land’s End. The 65 metre high cliffs are dissected by rocky pinnacles exhibiting prominent columnar jointing in the granite. Exposure to the prevailing south westerly winds has resulted in a very dwarfed vegetation. The site is underlain by the granite massif of Land’s End, producing mostly thin, acidic, free-draining soils. Deeper peaty spoils, with wet flushes, have developed in some of the coastal valleys. The most extensive habitat type on these cliff tops is ‘waved’ maritime heathland, dominated by heather Calluna vulgaris, bell heather Erica cinerea, western gorse Ulex gallii and cross-leaved heath Erica tetralix. Other habitats include small areas of maritime grassland, scrub, cliff vegetation, streams, pools and flushes. Species of particular interest include the Red Data Book* species perennial centaury Centaurium scilloides and early meadow-grass Poa infirma and also the rare hairy bird’s foot trefoil Lotus subbiflorus and yellow bartsia Parentucellia viscosa. The extreme south-westerly location of the site is a factor in its being of considerable ornithological interest, with a total of 186 bird species recorded. The 45 breeding species include stonechat Saxicola rubicola, whitethroat Sylvia communis, and teal Anas crecca which is a rare breeder in Cornwall. Some 69 bird species are known to over-winter here, including uncommon wintering species such as chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita and peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus. This site is one of the most important in Cornwall for the numbers of species of passage migrants; 168 species have been recorded here. The rocky pinnacles and ledges support a well-developed bryophyte flora, including the rare liverwort Fossombronia angulosa. Also found here is Teloschistes flavicans, a rare lichen, requiring a particularly pollution free environment. Eleven species of dragonfly have been recorded, including the uncommon keeled skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens and common hawker Aeshna juncea. Two noteworthy butterflies are recorded --the dark green fritillary Speyeria aglaja and silver studded blue Plejebus argus. * The British Red Data Book --vascular plants, documents rare and endangered species.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
stonechat Saxicola torquatus Not listed in GB list bird muscicapidae
teal Anas crecca LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
peregrine Falco peregrinus LC (Breeding) bird-hawk falconidae
stonechat Saxicola rubicola LC (Breeding) bird-robin muscicapidae
chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita LC (Breeding) bird-warbler phylloscopidae
whitethroat Sylvia communis Not listed in GB list bird-warbler sylviidae
dark green fritillary Speyeria aglaja NT butterfly/moth nymphalidae
common hawker Aeshna juncea LC dragonfly aeshnidae
keeled skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens LC dragonfly libellulidae
early meadow grass Poa infirma LC grass poaceae
perennial centaury Centaurium scilloides Not listed in GB list herb gentianaceae
hairy bird's-foot trefoil Lotus subbiflorus LC herb fabaceae
yellow bartsia Parentucellia viscosa LC herb orobanchaceae
powdered orange bush lichen Teloschistes flavicans VU lichen no common name
greater frillwort Fossombronia angulosa NT liverwort metzgeriales
western gorse Ulex gallii LC shrub leguminosae
bell heather or ling Calluna vulgaris NT shrub dwarf ericaceae
bell heather Erica cinerea NT shrub dwarf ericaceae
cross leaved heath Erica tetralix NT shrub dwarf ericaceae

Plant communities

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Salix arbuscula, Salix cinerea, Salix lapponum, Salix myrsinites, Salix phylicifolia, Salix reticulata, Empetrum nigrum, Calluna vulgaris, Salix lanata, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex atrata, Carex bigelowii, Carex binervis, Carex flacca, Luzula multiflora, Luzula sylvatica, Huperzia selago, Selaginella selaginoides, Aulacomnium palustre, Mnium hornum, Philonotis fontana, Plagiomnium undulatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Dicranum bonjeanii, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens adianthoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum callichroum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Palustriella commutatum, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Sanionia uncinata, Scorpidium revolvens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum subnitens, Sphagnum teres, Barbilophozia barbata, Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Diplophyllum albicans, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiochila porelloides, Ptilidium ciliare, Scapania undulata, Cladonia squamosa, Peltigera canina, Angelica sylvestris, Caltha palustris, Hieraclium spp., Saussurea alpina, Solidago virgaurea, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Rhodiola rosea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Thymus praecox, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Dactylorhiza viridis, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Oxalis acetosella, Oxyria digyna, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus acris, Thalictrum alpinum, Alchemilla alpina, Alchemilla glabra, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Galium boreale, Galium saxatile, Saxifraga aizoides, Saxifraga hypnoides, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga stellaris, Viola riviniana, Agrostis canina, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Nardus stricta, Dryopteris dilatata, Phegopteris connectilis

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas