NATIONAL TRUST – ROSELAND AND VERYAN BAY
Our 3-monthly newsletter from the local team.
To begin, some good news: welcome to Basil Stow who joined the team in early June as Seasonal Ranger, helping us to tackle the extra work involved over the summer months.
More good news: the new footbridge near Little Molunan Beach was completed in time for half term, enabling us to re-open the footpath between Place and St. Anthony Head. The 25 year old footbridge, brought down by February’s storms, was replaced using oak and some stronger fittings provided through a grant from Natural England. Access to the site was challenging but help was on hand from fellow Rangers and volunteers, with a quad bike and trailer for transporting materials.
Footpath cutting is our priority now, to provide access to 46 miles of coastline. The seven ponies also do their bit to keep cliff vegetation short on our patch. Butterfly survey volunteers, making the most of sunny days, now cross paths with the five Dartmoors on Treluggan Cliffs, moved there from Dodman in April. The two Shetlands were transferred from Lambsowden to graze East Dodman.
Visitors have enjoyed springtime visits to Nare Head’s nuclear and decoy bunkers. Don’t miss these amazing heritage sites – final tours are planned on Monday 11 August, 1100 to 1230 and 1330 to 1500. Booking essential, cost £4: please contact Lawrence on 01872 278234. Another historical gem is the newly restored St. Anthony Head Battery; tours are planned for Sundays 03 August and 14 September, at 1100 and 1500.
Wildlife news is mixed: sadly no peregrine chicks appeared at St. Anthony Head this year. In previous years chicks had hatched by the end of May, providing fantastic sightings from the hide. We’ve speculated that the storms affected the adult peregrines because no recordings of a nesting pair were logged.
Perhaps the wonderful displays of wild flowers can help make up for this loss? Early purple orchids flourished on Treluggan in May; bluebells were beautiful in steep woods above the waterside path at Messack, and we’re delighted that the wild rose has made a robust return to Pendower’s dunes.
To finish, some disappointing news – there is still no access to Porthbeor Beach following the winter storms. The cliff remains unstable and liable to further falls, so it’s unlikely the steps will be re-opened.
Look out for our next update in October.
Thanks guys for getting the bridge at Little Molunan fixed so quickly – its a must do walk for nearly all of our guests so its great that they can enjoy the full circuit now. Oh and we tried it out too and it looks lovely.
Also we have spotted a peregrine flying around Messack Point three or four times so it may be that they have moved their nest – we have never seen them here before.