Godrevy Head to St Agnes


Godrevy Head to St Agnes is a coastal Site of Special Scientific Interest in north Cornwall, England, UK, noted for both its biological and geological characteristics. A number of rare and scarce plant species can be found on the site, along with many breeding seabirds.

Geography

The site, notified in 1951, is situated along the north Cornwall coast of the Celtic Sea in the Atlantic Ocean. It starts at Godrevy Head in the west and continues for to the north east, through Portreath, Porthtowan and ends just past St Agnes Head, north of the village of St Agnes.
The South West Coast Path runs through the SSSI and part of the coastline is owned by the National Trust.
Large sections of this site lie within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Geology

The SSSI is predominantly situated on Devonian sandstones and shales, with the area around St Agnes formed from Grampound grit.

Wildlife and ecology

The site provides a variety of different habitats, including cliffs, maritime grassland, maritime heathland, sand dunes and scrubland which are host to numerous plant species and seabird colonies. For its flora the site is also designated a Special Area of Conservation.

Flora

The whole of this SSSI, as well as Cligga Head SSSI, has been designated as Godrevy Head to Cligga Point Important Plant Area, by the environmental organisation Plantlife, for it flora.
The nationally rare species of shore dock and wild asparagus can be found in the maritime grassland habitats, along with the also nationally rare carrot-broomrape, a parasite of wild carrot.
Amongst the common plant species of the maritime heathland the nationally rare Cornish eyebright, Dorset heath and hairy greenweed can be found as well as the generally rare pale dog-violet.
The sand dunes, found around the east of the site at the Godrevy Towans, supports the nationally rare slender bird's-foot trefoil. Within the calcareous grassland section of the dunes the rare Portland spurge can be found, as well as a large colony of spotted cat's-ear, which are nationally rare.

Fauna

The site contains 25 species of butterfly and 15 dragonfly and damselfly species, which include the nationally scarce varieties of silver-studded blue and blue-tailed damselfly.
Scarlet and gold star coral are present within the rocky intertidal shores, rare for the Cornish coast; with grey seal having breeding sites within the inaccessible sea caves. The rest of the cliffs, along with the offshore islands, are an important breeding site for a variety of seabird species and are home to the largest Cornish breeding colony of black-legged kittiwake, with 1000–5000 birds being recorded in the area.