Tag: Cornwall
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Flora of The Lizard in summer
A small selection of some of the wonderful plants you are likely to spot in the summer in some of the different habitats across The Lizard.
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Windmill Farm Reserve
Tucked away at the end of a track off the Helston to Lizard road, you’ll find a haven of wildlife and flora, known particularly for its birds. A seventeenth century windmill greets you as you arrive, and a world of walks and exploration is ahead of you. View Larger Map Windmill Farm is worth visiting…
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Poldhu Cove
Poldhu Cove is a small cove with golden sand, situated between Mullion and Gunwalloe on the west coast of The Lizard Peninsula. The cove has a relaxed but intimate atmosphere, and in summer its sandy beach is popular with surfers, swimmers and sandcastle builders and for those wanting to explore rock pools and caves at…
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Kynance Cove
Kynance Cove is one of the most popular destinations on The Lizard Peninsula, and in July and August the car park fills up early and there may be queues along the access road. So, when planning a visit consider coming earlier or later in the day or at another time of the year. If the car…
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Goonhilly Downs
The eighteenth century traveller Charles Littleton said that the Goonhilly Downs were ‘boggy, naked, barren moors with not a tree or shrub to be seen’. Indeed, the plateau of Goonhilly, sitting almost in the middle of The Lizard, can appear bleak on an overcast and cold day, with little shelter from chilly Atlantic breezes. Somewhere…
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Walks and places to visit
This page provides you with a sample of the walks and places to visit on The Lizard peninsula. We will update this page as more walks and places to visit become available.
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Lizard Point
Lizard Point is famed as being the most southerly point on the British mainland, but this is only one of the many reasons tens of thousands of visitors take in the fresh sea air here every year. Extraordinary cliffs and rock formations mixed with an abundance of wildflowers, birds and marine life mean there is…
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About us
By working across boundaries, we hope to ensure that The Lizard Peninsula continues to be internationally recognised for its rich and unique wildlife, landscape, cultural heritage and for its outdoor opportunities, which are welcoming to, and valued by, local people and visitors alike.
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Research
It does not take a genius to know that the more we know about our nature reserve and associated land the better we can care for it. People have been recording and researching the flora and fauna of The Lizard since the first botanical record made here by eminent Cambridge botanist John Ray in 1667. The…
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The Lizard National Nature Reserve
The Lizard is one of the finest places in the country for both landscape and wildlife. Clifftop coastal grasslands and lowland heath are arguably its biggest attractions. Add in rare plants and insects, ponds and archaeology, plus the opportunity for quietude, and you have a rare and unique opportunity indeed. The wildlife rich habitats are in…
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History in the landscape
Wild it may be, but humans have played their part in creating the heathland landscapes of The Lizard, from prehistory to the Second World War buildings of Goonhilly Downs and present-day sustainable farming and grazing practices. The land has been shaped by people, and they have left traces of their passing on the land. On…
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Birds and other animals
The Lizard is a special place for birdwatchers. There are many resident species to see – from the iconic red-legged, red-billed Chough to soaring Skylarks. The Lizard’s southerly location on the mainland also means that passage migrants pass overhead in autumn and spring, many stopping off before the embarking on the next stage of their…
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Blackcap
We are more used to seeing Blackcaps in the summer months, but increasing numbers now overwinter in the UK. Photo: Ron Knight (via Wikimedia Commons)
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Conserving Marsh Fritillaries on The Lizard
The Lizard is home to one of the UK’s rarest butterflies: the beautiful Marsh Fritillary. Sadly, habitat destruction and agricultural intensification have, over the years, had serious consequences for the Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia), which was once far more widespread nationally. The Lizard is one of its remaining strongholds, and much conservation effort is being…
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Hairy Beech Gall
Hairy Beech Galls, induced by a parasitic gall-midge, are one of the galls found on our native Beech trees. Head to our section on invertebrates to find out more. Photo: Amanda Scott