Chyenhal Moor facts for kids

Chyenhal Moor is a special natural area in Cornwall, about 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Penzance. It's a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because it has many different types of habitats and some very rare plants. This special protection was given to the moor in 1951.

What is Chyenhal Moor Like?

Chyenhal Moor is a low, wet valley located in the Paul area of Cornwall. It's on the southern part of the Land's End peninsula. A small stream flows from the moor, past Kerris Moor, and eventually reaches the sea at Lamorna Cove.

The ground beneath the moor is made of a type of rock called granite. The soil is very wet and rich in humus, which is decayed plant material. This means the soil is often covered with different amounts of peat. Peat is a dark, spongy material formed from plants that have not fully rotted away.

A Look Back in Time

For a long time, places like Chyenhal Moor were very important for people living in the countryside. Farmers would let their animals graze here. People also cut gorse (a spiky bush) from the moor to use as fuel for fires.

Even though "moorland" often means uncultivated land on a hill, in Cornwall, it also describes wet areas like Chyenhal Moor. The area gets a lot of rain, and the water doesn't drain away easily. This, along with the acid conditions, slows down the rotting of plants. This is how the dark, fibrous material called peat builds up over time.

Chyenhal Moor has been known for its interesting plants for a long time. A famous botanist named John Ralfs found many rare plants here in the 1800s.

Amazing Plants and Animals

Chyenhal Moor was made a SSSI because it has so many different types of habitats and rare plants.

Willow Woodlands

The main habitat here is called willow carr, which is a type of wet woodland. It's often very thick, with trees growing up to 5 meters (about 16 feet) tall. Most of the trees are grey willow, but there are also some goat willow trees.

On the ground, you can find plants like lesser spearwort, marsh thistle, soft rush, and yellow flag. In some wetter spots within the willow carr, there are small areas of wet heath. Here, you might spot Cornish moneywort, wavy-leaved St John's wort, and ivy-leaved bellflower. Even wetter parts have creeping forget-me-knot, marsh pennywort, and purple moorgrass. Many types of moss, including sphagnum mosses, also grow here.

Rare Water Plants

In the southwest part of the moor, there's a special fern called pillwort. This fern is very rare and grows in wet heathland and acid pools. Around these pools, you can find bog pimpernel, marsh St John's wort, ragged robin, and water mint.

Another pond in the southeast corner of the moor is now quite overgrown. But it's home to the rare unbranched bur-reed. You can also find ivy-leaved duckweed here, which is very rare in Cornwall.

Open Heath Areas

In the more open, wet heath areas, you can see beautiful heath spotted orchids. Also, different types of sedges, like glaucous sedge and star sedge, grow here.

The northern part of the moor has an open, heath-like area. It's mostly covered with common gorse and heather. A rare plant called Dorset heath was planted here in 1934.

Insects

The moor is also home to many insects. Seven different types of dragonfly have been seen here. These include the broad-bodied chaser and the four-spotted chaser.

Chyenhal Moor in Art

Chyenhal Moor has even been featured in art! Two artists from the Newlyn School, Stanhope Forbes and Harold Harvey, painted scenes of the moor. Harold Harvey's painting shows people cutting gorse on the moor during winter.