| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 The ponds to the north of Red Moor SSSI, created from old tin mining pits | |
  Location within Cornwall Show map of Cornwall Red Moor (nature reserve) (England) Show map of England | |
| Location | Cornwall |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | SX072613 |
| Coordinates | 50°25′10″N4°42′54″W / 50.4194°N 4.7151°W /50.4194; -4.7151 |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 89.1 hectares (0.8910 km2; 0.3440 sq mi) |
| Notification | 1979 (1979) |
| Natural England website | |
Red Moor (Cornish:Hal Gors, meaningmoor of reeds) is anature reserve andSite of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), noted for itsbiological characteristics, nearLanlivery in midCornwall,England,UK.
The 89-hectare (220-acre) SSSI, notified in 1979, is located mainly withinLanlivery civil parish, 2 miles (3.2 km) north-west of the town ofLostwithiel. The similarly named hamlet ofRedmoor is directly east of the reserve.[1][2]
The nature reserve is owned by theCornwall Wildlife Trust/Cornwall Trust for Nature.[3]
The river coursing out of the north of the site, a tributary of theRiver Par, was found to flow throughtin-bearing gravels by the earlymediaeval period.[4] This part of Red Moor wasmined for loose tin until the end of the 19th century[5] and theoxidised metal is thought to give the moor its descriptive name.[4]
This SSSI used to belong to theRed Moor–Breney Common SSSI, the two sites having split in the 1986 revision where both sites were expanded.[5] It is adjacent toHelman Tor nature reserve.
There are two main habitat types within the site; the drydwarf-shrub heath to the north and wetter marshygrassland, wetland heath and bog-land in the low-lying basin to the south.[5] The bog contains a variety ofSphagnum peat mosses - that disperse their spores from June to August[3] - bog asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum), cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum), and marsh cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris). Other flora on the site include the climbing corydalis (Ceratocapnos claviculata) and the royal fern (Osmunda regalis).[5]
On the site can be found 13 species ofdragonfly anddamselfly, which include thescarce blue-tailed damselfly, a nationally rare species.Aquaticbeetles are also present on the moor, the very scarceHydrochus nitidicollis being one, as well as 2 uncommon spiders.[5]
Birds recorded on the site include thewillow tit,tree pipit,European nightjar and theEurasian sparrowhawk.[5]
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