Lower Bostraze and Leswidden SSSI facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
A stream at Lower Bostraze
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| Area of Search | Cornwall |
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| Coordinates | 50°07′34″N 5°39′39″W / 50.1262°N 5.6608°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 2.3 hectares (0.0230 km2; 0.00888 sq mi) |
| Notification | 1996 |
Lower Bostraze And Leswidden is a very special place for nature in Cornwall, England. It's called a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it's protected because it has rare plants, animals, or geology.
This SSSI is found on the Penwith Peninsula, close to St Just in Penwith. It's about 8 kilometers (5 miles) west of Penzance.
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Exploring Lower Bostraze and Leswidden
This special area is made of two separate parts. They are called Lower Bostraze China Clay Works and Leswidden Block Works. Together, they cover an area of 23,000 square meters (about 5.7 acres).
The site was officially named an SSSI in 1996. It is also part of the beautiful Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This means the landscape is protected for its natural beauty. It's also within the Penwith Heritage Coast, which protects the coastline.
What the Land is Made Of
Both parts of this site sit on top of a type of rock called granite. This granite is part of a much larger rock formation called the Cornubian batholith. In some places, the granite has changed over time. It became soft and clay-like, which is called kaolinisation.
People used to dig up this soft rock to get china clay. This happened a lot until recent years. The china clay was first found here in 1880. So, both areas of the SSSI are old china clay workings. You can still see the pits, flat areas (benches), and piles of waste rock (spoil tips). These areas have only a few plants growing on them.
Home to Rare Plants
This SSSI is super important because it's home to a very rare plant. This plant is a tiny liverwort called the Western Rustwort (Marsupella profunda). A liverwort is a small, simple plant, a bit like moss.
Why Western Rustwort is Special
The Western Rustwort is extremely rare in the United Kingdom. It's only found in two other places in Cornwall: St Austell Clay Pits and Tregonning Hill. But it's not just rare in the UK. It's also rare around the world! It's only known to grow in a few other places like Portugal, the Canary Islands, the Azores, and Madeira. Even in those places, it's hard to find.
At Lower Bostraze and Leswidden, the Western Rustwort usually grows on flat or gently sloping ground. It likes areas with clay or tiny bits of rock called mica. Sometimes, it also grows on soft or crumbling granite rocks.
This plant is a "pioneer species." This means it's one of the first plants to grow in new or disturbed areas. The biggest groups of Western Rustwort are found where other tiny plants (bryophytes) and larger plants are just starting to grow.
Protecting Special Plants
A group called Plantlife works to protect wild plants. They have named the St Just Moors, which includes part of this SSSI, an Important Plant Area. They did this because of the Western Rustwort and another tiny green plant called desmids.
What Do the Names Mean?
The name "Bostraze" means "dwelling in a flat-bottomed valley." There's another place called Bostrase in Cornwall with the same meaning. The name "Leswidden" means "white / fair ruin."
