Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2011 - 2016

12 Bodmin Moor

Location

This AONB Section includes the open and enclosed moorland that spans the A30 between Fivelanes and Preeze Cross. It extends to Davidstow Moor in the north, Upton Cross in the east, St Neot in the south and Tresarrett in the west.

Extent

Approximately 21,000 hectares or 80 square miles covering over a fifth (21%) of the Cornwall AONB. This is the largest single section of the Cornwall AONB.

Statement of Significance

An underlying granite intrusion through the surrounding softer killas rock has formed this gently undulating elevated moorland plateau. The imposing summits of Brown Willy and the adjacent slightly lower Roughtor are the highest points of land in Cornwall, their impression of wild remoteness emphasized by the absence of man made structures. These and many other ‘tors’ have ragged crests of dramatically eroded granite creating a distinctive horizon recognisable from afar. The naturally formed ‘Cheesering’ has given its name to an internationally recognised geological category of tor and is an oft used iconic image of moorland Cornwall. Bodmin Moor is one of the best places in Cornwall to escape the intrusions of the 20th Century.

This is part of the central watershed for Cornwall and many small streams and rivers drain the gentle slopes in all directions through shallow valleys toward the edges of the moor. On reaching the softer surrounding killas rock water courses steepen markedly in now incised valleys and picturesque cascades and low waterfalls abound. Golitha Falls is an exceptional example, drawing visitors from far and wide. The resulting rivers such as the Fowey, Tiddy,
Lynher, Inny and Camel flow outward in all directions to eventually meet the distant sea at both the north and south coasts. The River Fowey which rises in the centre of the Moor gave Bodmin Moor its former name of ‘Fowey Moor’.

Despite its relatively small size when compared to the other South West uplands of Exmoor and Dartmoor, the bleak sweeping landforms create an impression of endless empty vastness and huge scale in complete contrast with the intimacy of the surrounding lower valleys. Extensive, unenclosed high moorland is grazed by hardy weather-beaten cattle, sheep and ponies according to historic laws governing common land. This grazing plays an
essential role in controlling scrub thereby maintaining the distinctive openness of this landscape. In parts the moor has never been enclosed. In other areas, past efforts at enclosure are long abandoned leaving enigmatic vestiges of past attempts to tame the land. Edging the open moorland, larger fields show enduring recent enclosure whilst nestling in sheltered folds at lower levels anciently enclosed farmland is recognisable by its smaller fields with irregular boundaries. This long historic process of attempts to tame the open moor has created a fascinating texture of intermingling pockets of commons and enclosures that distinguishes Bodmin Moor from most other upland landscapes. Almost all enclosed fields are semi-improved pasture for livestock grazing and there is little arable farmland.

Cornish hedges and retaining banks are constructed of the ubiquitous ever-present weathered local granite taken directly from the surface of the moor. High up the hedges are often of bare stone, at most supporting just a sparse turf topping or maybe a few gnarled and wind sculpted hawthorns, whilst at lower sheltered locations they support dense walls of mature Beech and native broadleaved trees such as Sessile Oak and Hazel.

The deep river valleys around the edges of the moor support luxuriant broadleaved woodland adding to the enclosed intimacy of these locations. Stately mature Beech trees are especially characteristic of the Fowey valley (Fowey means ‘River of Beech Trees’ in Cornish). Isolated modern conifer plantations however add a dark and sombre contrast to the open moorland. Gorse and bracken add to the roughness of the unimproved acid grassland of some commons whilst at the heads of streams on higher ground between hills poor drainage and substantial rainfall create a rich and interesting patchwork of fens, wetlands, quaking bogs and other valuable habitats emphasising the sense of remote exposure. Most of the north of the moor is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest - the largest single area so designated in Cornwall.

Bodmin Moor is remarkable for the survival of extensive visible remains of historic landscapes giving a tangible perception of a deep and continuous history of occupation stretching far back in time. Identifiable remains range from early Neolithic tor enclosures, bronze age roundhouse settlements and fields systems and from the same period often in separate locations ceremonial features such as barrows and standing stone circles such as
the Hurlers of which the historian William Camden wrote in 1610: ‘The neighbouring inhabitants term them Hurlers, as being by devout and godly error persuaded that they had been men sometime transformed into stones, for profaning the Lord’s Day with hurling the ball’.The distinctive clitter slopes that surround the tors were formed by the shattering effect of summer thaws during the last ice age and this ancient geological landscape has survived ever since, adding to the moor’s timeless qualities.

Abandoned medieval settlements and their associated vestiges of long abandoned fields
systems and Cornish hedges are still discernable where the wild roughness of the moor has
reclaimed these human attempts at domestication. Significant numbers of surviving holy wells and stone crosses are poignant reminders of the enduring importance of religion in the history of Bodmin Moor’s communities. Some of the older granite quarries make a positive contribution to the landscape for example at Carbilly Tor and Bearah Tor, and particularly the historic stone finger dumps. Partially flooded china clay workings occur at Lower Hawkstor, Parson’s Pit, and Stannon Pit where this product of weathered granite has been found close
to the surface. Prominent engine houses and mining structures especially in the South East of the moor near Caradon Hill and the Minions are a reminder of Cornwall’s and Bodmin Moor’s once great mining industry. The bleak central hamlet of Bolventor (named after a ‘Bold Venture’ to recover tin from moorland streams) is home to the Jamaica Inn made world famous by Daphne du Maurier.

With the tough exposed conditions it is not surprising that this is the most sparsely settled
landscape in the Cornwall AONB – especially so high on the moor where only lonely farmsteads occur often huddled below hill tops to take advantage of any available shelter. By contrast around the fringes of the moor clusters of farms and houses hug the slopes or exploit sheltered hollows. Some of the occasional nucleated villages are named after Saints – for example St Breward, St Neot and St Cleer indicating their medieval churchtown origins. Buildings, often including substantial stone chimneys, are typically constructed of local granite and in exposed locations are weathered to appear as if grown from the bedrock itself. Slate is used on roofs and hung on walls for weather protection.

There are no tracks and few footpaths across the open moor emphasising its remoteness. Elsewhere lower down however there is a widespread network of small winding lanes. These are open and characteristically unenclosed as they cross open moorland, but enclosed and secluded amongst the lower lying land and valleys. Cornwall’s main road the A30 crosses the centre of the moor serving modern travellers as it follows the line of an ancient prehistoric ridgeway.

Management

• Open moorland access is generally subject to management under the Commons system.

• Land owners and commoners are seeking to establish a formally and legally constituted
Commoners Council for Bodmin Moor.

• The Bodmin Moor Parishes Network’s objectives include: To regenerate a stronger economy; To foster and promote the vitality and viability of the area; To generate support for sustainable social, recreational and environmental initiatives; To bring together all the relevant organizations and individuals to work in partnership; To act as the consultative body for the economic, social and environmental regeneration of the area.

• Parish Plans exist for: St Neot, St Breward, Blisland, St Cleer and Linkinhorne.

• The National Trust owns land at Roughtor.

• Active quarrying operations are controlled under the terms of updated planning conditions approved under the Review of Mineral Planning Permissions. Quarrying under existing planning permissions at Parsons Park Pit, Stannon Pit (china clay) and Tor Down Quarry (granite) cannot be resumed following the making of Prohibition Orders

• Part of the moor is designated a World Heritage Site for Mining.

• Most of the moorland area is designated as Open Access land under the CROW Act 2000.

• The ‘Vision for Bodmin Moor’ seeks to establish a plan basis for shared agreement between agencies and with the land owners and commoners regarding management of habitats and historic landscapes of unenclosed land within the moorland line only. This could potentially then be used as a basis for guiding agri-environmental schemes and other relevant activities.

• The Caradon Hill Project seeks to work with the community including schools, local farmers and commoners to conserve the natural and historic landscape through an inclusive programme of minor works, education, training and helping foster community-pride in their landscape.

• The Bodmin Moor Livestock Initiative will run until 2013 and is a Partnership project aimed at improving take up of Axis 1 of RDPE funding to improve the competitiveness of the livestock sector.

• Cornwall Biodiversity Initiative (CBI) plans include enhancing native broadleaved wooded river valley corridors for example those of the Fowey and the Camel and other rivers that rise on or frame Bodmin Moor. The ‘Vision for Bodmin Moor’ (referred to above) is also supported by CBI.

• Some conifer plantations are approaching maturity and will be subject to applications or felling.

Condition

• Large scale china clay extraction operations at Parson’s Park Pit and adjacent to the
AONB at Stannon Pit have ceased in recent years and plant and machinery have been
removed and parts of the sites restored.

• Visitor numbers have led to ground and path erosion at popular locations such as Golitha
falls and the Minions.

• Some historic mining structures remain unstabilised such as the two engine houses at Sharptor and other remains as at Wheal Bray and Phoenix.

• Some aspects of the A30 are visually intrusive on their moorland setting for example in the use of coloured road marking, signage, and detailing.

• Previous headage based agri-environmental payments led to some over grazing — but this
is now largely under control.

• Broadleaved woodlands in Valleys are largely unmanaged.

• Some old hedges are deteriorating from long term lack of maintenance leading in places to the erecting of barbed wire fencing alongside.

• Some existing conifer plantations are visually intrusive due to their design and location.

Bodmin Moor - Guiding Principles

It is intended that these local guiding principles will support the actions of the AONB Partnership and other stakeholders and that their actions will be informed by them. Note: Some local issues may be addressed by strategic policies.

GP12.1	Support proposals for the establishment of a Commons Council as a basis for co-ordinated management of the commons and resolution of commons issues.
GP12.2	Support the extension of the Bodmin Moor Parishes Network and the development of the role of the Network in the conservation and enhancement of the AONB.
GP12.3	Support through a landscape scale approach the integrated management of natural, historic and geologically significant landscapes across the moor with the full involvement of commoners, farmers and landowners through appropriate networks and seek to achieve consensus on long term management objectives.
GP12.4	Support the provision of affordable housing to meet identified local need provided that this maintains the distinctive local settlement pattern and that this respects local vernacular in design and use of materials and conserves and enhances the natural beauty of the AONB.
GP12.5	Assess the landscape, visual and cumulative impact of tall structures including future proposals for farm scale, community and commercial wind turbines on Bodmin Moor and its setting, within the context of the evidence base including the emerging Renewable and Low Carbon Energy Supplementary Planning Document. Those proposals which have an adverse impact on the natural beauty of the moor would not be supported.
GP12.6	Seek improved restoration of China Clay workings at Lower Hawkstor, Parson’s Pit, and Stannon Pit in keeping with the local landform, soils and vegetation communities of their moorland setting. Support further measures to protect and enhance environmental quality when existing quarrying permissions are reviewed.
GP12.7	Support measures to better integrate the A30 with its wider moorland setting for example, vegetation consistent with moorland habitats, native rock exposures, local style Cornish hedges, unenclosed boundaries, appropriate use of local granite, the retention of current positive rural aspects such as unlit sections and the reduction to the minimum necessary of highway signage, lighting and markings.
GP12.8	Seek conservation and enhancement of the character of the small scale rural road network through the use of local stone and local styles in the maintenance and repair of roadside hedges, retention of characteristically unenclosed moorland lanes, utilizing locally characteristic soft passing places and banks for traffic management and avoiding hard engineering works and excess signage for example at Lady Down and Manor Common.
GP12.9	Seek improved integration into the landscape of existing visitor facilities and car parks such as at Golitha Falls, Minions and Roughtor Road in order to reduce their existing landscape and visual impacts.
GP12.10	Support a mutually acceptable approach to pro-active management of access on open access land, with the full involvement of landowners, commoners, moor users, Cornwall Council and other public bodies to ensure a long term strategy for integrated access management, built upon consensus.
GP12.11	Back balanced projects that combine supporting and enabling the community, schools, landowners, commoners and farmers in conserving the natural and historic landscape, with providing education and training and that seek conservation of significant historic features such as mining structures at Sharptor, Wheal Bray and Phoenix.
GP12.12	Seek reduction in the visual impact of existing conifer plantations for example at Priddacombe, Hawkstor, Bolventor Halvana, Smallacoombe and Roughtor consistent with established best practice. Seek opportunities for this to be achieved by restoration to open habitats after productive felling balanced with greater productive woodland creation at appropriate local sites in order to conserve and enhance the open moorland landscape and also protect the economic resource.