Goss Moor

{{Short description|Nature reserve in Cornwall}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox SSSI |name= Goss and Tregoss Moors |image= File:View over Goss Moor - geograph.org.uk - 343607.jpg |image_caption= View over Goss Moor |aos= |interest= Biological |gridref= |coordinates = {{coord|50.4047|-4.8845}} |displaymap= United Kingdom Cornwall (mainland)#UK England |area={{convert|701.9|ha|km2 sqmi|sigfig=4}} |notifydate={{Start date|df=yes|1988}} |enref= }} thumb|Indian Queens power station

'''Goss Moor''' ({{langx|kw|Hal Gors}}, meaning ''moor of reeds'') is a national nature reserve in Cornwall, England, {{convert|12|km|mi}} south-west of Bodmin in the parishes of St Dennis, St Columb Major, Roche and St Enoder. It is the largest continuous mire complex in south-west Britain and consists of mainly peatland and lowland heath. Together with the neighbouring moor to the east, it forms the '''Goss And Tregoss Moors''' Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), as well as the ''Breney Common and Goss and Tregoss Moors'' Special Area of Conservation (SAC).<ref name=sssi>{{cite web|title=Goss And Tregoss Moors |url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1001443.pdf |publisher=Natural England |access-date=27 October 2011 |year=1988 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024215821/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1001443.pdf |archive-date=24 October 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Breney Common and Goss and Tregoss Moors|url=http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/protectedsites/sacselection/sac.asp?EUCode=UK0030098|publisher=Joint Nature Conservation Committee|access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref>

==History== Before 1838, Davies Gilbert wrote that the "flat country round it [St Dennis] is destroyed in the most efficacious manner, having been turned over and over again down to the solid rock, in what is termed streaming for tin".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gilbert |first1=Davies |author-link1=Davies Gilbert |title=The Parochial History of Cornwall, Founded on the Manuscript Histories of Mr Hals and Mr Tonkin; with additions and various appendices |url=https://archive.org/details/parochialhistor02halsgoog |date=1838 |publisher=J B Nichols and Son |location=London |pages=309}}</ref> Between 1908 and 1916 steam powered suction and cutter dredges were used for the mining of alluvial tin on the moor. Drilling took place in 1908 and 1909 but the position of the boreholes and what they contained have been lost. Approximately 70 tons of tin concentrate was extracted and the dredges were later moved to Breney Common, Molinnis and Red Moor.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bristow|first1=Colin M|title=Joseph Henry Collins 1841-1916|journal=Proceedings of the Ussher Society|date=1995|page=451-2|url=http://www.minersoc.org/pages/msinfo/collins.html|access-date=6 March 2015|archive-date=14 August 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814021630/http://www.minersoc.org/pages/msinfo/collins.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The area was designated as the Goss and Tregoss Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1988.<ref name=sssi/>

Matthew Taylor, who had been Member of Parliament for Truro and St Austell from 1987 to 2010, chose the title Baron Taylor of Goss Moor when he was appointed a life peer in the 2010 Dissolution Honours.<ref name="ukparlt">{{cite web |title=Lord Taylor of Goss Moor |url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/228/contact |website=MPs and Lords |publisher=UK Parliament |access-date=29 September 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

==Geography== Goss Moor is {{convert|12|km|mi}} south-west of Bodmin and is overlooked by Castle an Dinas to the north, and the church of St Dennis in the south. The River Fal rises on the moor at Pentivale and flows {{convert|17|km|mi}} to the English Channel at Carrick Roads.<ref>{{cite web|title=NCA 152: Cornish Killas Key Facts & Data|url=http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/152_Cornish_Killas_tcm6-32484.pdf|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140605090108/http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/152_Cornish_Killas_tcm6-32484.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 June 2014|website=Natural England|access-date=6 March 2015|pages=23}}</ref> The A30 road once ran through the middle of Goss Moor. This was a major bottleneck for traffic and had been subject to a long running campaign for expansion which was strongly opposed.<ref name=cfoesl>{{cite web|title=A30 Goss Moor Briefing |url=http://www.foecornwall.org/goss-moor.html |publisher=Cornwall Friends of the Earth |access-date=May 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070525010446/http://www.foecornwall.org/goss-moor.html |archive-date=May 25, 2007 }}</ref> In late 2004 a decision was finally reached and the dual carriageway running to the north of moor was opened on 25 June 2007.<ref name=bbclgm>{{cite web | title = Moor dualling plans get go-ahead | url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/4052133.stm | publisher = BBC | access-date = May 23, 2007 | date=2004-11-29}}</ref> Much of the existing road is now converted to a cycle lane which opened on 11 May 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=New Multi Use Trail at Goss Moor |publisher=Natural England |date=2008-05-06 |url=http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/regions/southwest/press-releases/060508.htm |access-date=2008-08-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907064454/http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/regions/southwest/press-releases/060508.htm |archive-date=September 7, 2008 }}</ref> The Atlantic Coast railway line between Par and Newquay also crosses Goss Moor.

==Scarce or rare species== It is home to a number of scarce and rare species including: ;plants: yellow centaury (''Cicendia filiformis''), marsh clubmoss. ;invertebrates: small red and variable damselfly. ;butterflies: silver-studded blue, marsh fritillary, small pearl-bordered fritillary, grizzled skipper ;moths: narrow-bordered bee hawk and double line.

A 2003 study found twelve different poor fen sub-communities.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Southall | first = E. J. |author2=Dale, M. P. |author3=Kent, M. | title = Spatial and temporal analysis of vegetation mosaics for conservation: poor fen communities in a Cornish valley mire | journal = Journal of Biogeography | volume = 30 | pages = 1427–1443 | date = September 2003 | issn = 0305-0270 |url = http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=15551237 |doi = 10.1046/j.1365-2699.2003.00924.x | access-date = 2008-08-25| url-access = subscription }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{Portal|Cornwall}} * [http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140605090108/http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designatedareas/nnr/1006062.aspx National Nature Reserve] (Natural England). * [https://web.archive.org/web/20030528204340/http://www.geog.plymouth.ac.uk/research/environ/envgoss.htm Hydrology] (University of Plymouth).

Category:Cornish Killas Category:Moorlands of Cornwall Category:National nature reserves in Cornwall Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cornwall Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1988 Category:Special Areas of Conservation in Cornwall