Goss Moor Explained

Goss and Tregoss Moors
Interest:Biological
Coordinates:50.4047°N -4.8845°W
Displaymap:United Kingdom Cornwall (mainland)#UK England
Area:701.9ha

Goss Moor is a national nature reserve in Cornwall, England, 12km (07miles) south-west of Bodmin in the parishes of St Dennis, St Columb Major, Roche and St Enoder. It is the largest continuous mire complex in south-west Britain and consists of mainly peatland and lowland heath. Together with the neighbouring moor to the east, it forms the Goss And Tregoss Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), as well as the Breney Common and Goss and Tregoss Moors Special Area of Conservation (SAC).[1] [2]

History

Before 1838, Davies Gilbert wrote that the flat country round it (St Dennis) is destroyed in the most efficacious manner, having been turned over and over again down to the solid rock, in what is termed streaming for tin.[3] Between 1908 and 1916 steam powered suction and cutter dredges were used for the mining of alluvial tin on the moor. Drilling took place in 1908 and 1909 but the position of the boreholes and what they contained have been lost. Approximately 70 tons of tin concentrate was extracted and the dredges were later moved to Breney Common, Molinnis and Red Moor.[4] The area was designated as the Goss and Tregoss Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1988.[1]

Matthew Taylor, who had been Member of Parliament for Truro and St Austell from 1987 to 2010, chose the title Baron Taylor of Goss Moor when he was appointed a life peer in the 2010 Dissolution Honours.[5]

Geography

Goss Moor is 12km (07miles) south-west of Bodmin and is overlooked by Castle an Dinas to the north, and the church of St Dennis in the south. The River Fal rises on the moor at Pentivale and flows 17km (11miles) to the English Channel at Carrick Roads.[6] The A30 road once ran through the middle of Goss Moor. This was a major bottleneck for traffic and had been subject to a long running campaign for expansion which was strongly opposed.[7] In late 2004 a decision was finally reached and the dual carriageway running to the north of moor was opened on 25 June 2007.[8] Much of the existing road is now converted to a cycle lane which opened on 11 May 2008.[9] The Atlantic Coast railway line between Par and Newquay also crosses Goss Moor.

Scarce or rare species

It is home to a number of scarce and rare species including:

plants: yellow centaury (Cicendia filiformis), marsh clubmoss.
  • invertebrates: small red and variable damselfly.
  • butterflies: silver-studded blue, marsh fritillary, small pearl-bordered fritillary, grizzled skipper
  • moths: narrow-bordered bee hawk and double line.
  • A 2003 study found twelve different poor fen sub-communities.[10]

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Goss And Tregoss Moors . . 27 October 2011 . 1988 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121024215821/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1001443.pdf . 24 October 2012 .
    2. Web site: Breney Common and Goss and Tregoss Moors. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. 30 October 2011.
    3. Book: Gilbert . Davies . Davies Gilbert . The Parochial History of Cornwall, Founded on the Manuscript Histories of Mr Hals and Mr Tonkin; with additions and various appendices . 1838 . J B Nichols and Son . London . 309.
    4. Bristow. Colin M. Joseph Henry Collins 1841-1916. Proceedings of the Ussher Society. 1995. 451-2. 6 March 2015.
    5. Web site: Lord Taylor of Goss Moor . MPs and Lords . UK Parliament . 29 September 2021 . en.
    6. Web site: NCA 152: Cornish Killas Key Facts & Data. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140605090108/http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/152_Cornish_Killas_tcm6-32484.pdf. dead. 5 June 2014. Natural England. 6 March 2015. 23.
    7. Web site: A30 Goss Moor Briefing . Cornwall Friends of the Earth . May 23, 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070525010446/http://www.foecornwall.org/goss-moor.html . May 25, 2007 .
    8. Web site: Moor dualling plans get go-ahead . . May 23, 2007 . 2004-11-29.
    9. Web site: New Multi Use Trail at Goss Moor . . 2008-05-06 . 2008-08-25 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080907064454/http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/regions/southwest/press-releases/060508.htm . September 7, 2008 .
    10. Southall . E. J. . Dale, M. P. . Kent, M. . Spatial and temporal analysis of vegetation mosaics for conservation: poor fen communities in a Cornish valley mire . . 30 . 1427–1443 . September 2003 . 0305-0270 . 10.1046/j.1365-2699.2003.00924.x . 2008-08-25.