Uploaded November 2017 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
Mid Cornwall Moors is a rich and diverse landscape, full of hummocks and hollows of wet meadows, heathland and willow woodland. As of 2017, it has been awarded the status of a Sites of Special Scientific Interest, as an example of some of our most spectacular and beautiful habitats.
The area is home to an array of rare plants and insects, and allows for species such as willow tit to thrive. Whilst this charming bird’s British population has declined by four fifths in the past 20 years, the Mid Cornwall Moors supports the highest density of its breeding pairs in England. It is a crucial area for the survival of this species in the UK, and also provides important habitat for a range of other breeding birds including cuckoo, nightjar, tree pipit, stonechat, Dartford warbler and grasshopper warbler.
The marsh fritillary butterfly is another rare species, special to the Mid Cornwall Moors. It relies on a network of nectar rich, grassland meadows, which include the devil’s bit scabious – the food-plant of the marsh fritillary’s caterpillar. Local landowners and partners organisations are working to ensure this colourful butterfly will continue to call mid Cornwall its home for generations to come.
To experience the rugged terrain of mid Cornwall, visitors are welcome at a number of reserves, including Goss Moor National Nature Reserve, which is funded by the public and managed by Natural England.
Mid Cornwall Moors is a rich and diverse landscape, full of hummocks and hollows of wet meadows, heathland and willow woodland. As of 2017, it has been awarded the status of a Sites of Special Scientific Interest, as an example of some of our most spectacular and beautiful habitats.
The area is home to an array of rare plants and insects, and allows for species such as willow tit to thrive. Whilst this charming bird’s British population has declined by four fifths in the past 20 years, the Mid Cornwall Moors supports the highest density of its breeding pairs in England. It is a crucial area for the survival of this species in the UK, and also provides important habitat for a range of other breeding birds including cuckoo, nightjar, tree pipit, stonechat, Dartford warbler and grasshopper warbler.
The marsh fritillary butterfly is another rare species, special to the Mid Cornwall Moors. It relies on a network of nectar rich, grassland meadows, which include the devil’s bit scabious – the food-plant of the marsh fritillary’s caterpillar. Local landowners and partners organisations are working to ensure this colourful butterfly will continue to call mid Cornwall its home for generations to come.
To experience the rugged terrain of mid Cornwall, visitors are welcome at a number of reserves, including Goss Moor National Nature Reserve, which is funded by the public and managed by Natural England.
