Coverack to Porthoustock

Coverack to Porthoustock is a coastal Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Cornwall, England, UK, noted for both its biological and geological characteristics. The site contains four Red Data Book plant species.

Coverack to Porthoustock
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Trebarveth salt works along the shore of the SSSI
Location within Cornwall Show map of Cornwall Coverack to Porthoustock (England) Show map of England
Area of Search	Cornwall
Grid reference	SW798195
Coordinates	50.0347°N 5.0769°W / 50.0347; -5.0769
Interest	Biological/Geological
Area	173.46 hectares (1.735 km²; 0.6697 sq mi)
Notification	1951 (1951)
Natural England website

Geography

The 173.5-hectare (429-acre) site, notified in 1951, is situated on the south Cornish coast, within St Keverne civil parish on the Lizard Peninsula. It starts at the village of Coverack in the south, following the shores of the English Channel to the hamlet of Porthoustock in the north.[1][2]

The South West Coast Path runs through the SSSI, part of the coastline around Lowland Point is owned by the National Trust and contains two Geological Conservation Review sites.[2][3]

Wildlife and ecology

The coastline contains four Red Data Book plant species, Cornish heath (Erica vagans), dwarf rush (Juncus capitatus) and twin-headed clover (Trifolium bocconei) along with the nationally scarce autumn squill (Scilla autumnalis).[3]

History

On a raised beach between Pedn-myin (penn, head and meyn stone) and Lowland Point are the 2nd-century, Romano-British Trebarveth saltworks (grid reference SW79651933). Gabbro is the predominant rock here and weathers to a rough clay. Sea water was boiled in two rectangular, stone ovens within an oval building, The residue salt was packed into pots made from the gabbro clay, and course, red pottery sherds (briquetage) can be found in the nearby cliff. Some of the sherds still have potters' fingermarks on them. The ovens measure 150 cm by 40 cm and if packed with vessels 15 cm high, the oven would hold 50 lt of sea water. With the water containing 3% salt by weight, each operation would produce 1½ kg of salt. The saltworks are within a field system and some of the remaining walls stand up to 1 m high.[4][5][6]

References

"Coverack to Porthoustock map". Natural England. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 204 Truro & Falmouth ISBN 978-0-319-23149-4
"Coverack to Porthoustock" (PDF). Natural England. 1993. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
Bates 2000, pp. 24-28
Historic England & 1004319
Peacock, D P S (1969). "A Romano-British Salt-working Site at Trebarveth, St Keverne". Cornish Archaeology. 8: 47–65.

Sources

Historic England, "Multi-period archaeological landscape of settlements, field systems, flint working, salt working and pottery production 450m SSE of Trevarbeth (1004319)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 2 November 2018

Bibliography

Bates, Robin; Scolding, Bill (2000). Beneath the Skin of The Lizard. Truro: Cornwall County Council. ISBN 1 8981 66 09 9.

Ceremonial county of Cornwall
Cornwall Portal
Unitary authorities	Cornwall Council Council of the Isles of Scilly
Major settlements	Bodmin Bude Callington Camborne Camelford Falmouth Fowey Hayle Helston Launceston Liskeard Looe Lostwithiel Marazion Newlyn Newquay Padstow Par Penryn Penzance Porthleven Redruth Saltash St Austell St Blazey St Columb Major St Ives St Just in Penwith St Mawes Stratton Torpoint Truro Wadebridge See also: List of civil parishes in Cornwall
Rivers	Allen Camel Carnon Cober De Lank Fal Fowey Gannel Gover Hayle Helford Inny Kensey Lerryn Looe Lynher Menalhyl Ottery Par Pont Pill Port Navas Red Seaton St Austell Tamar Tiddy Truro Valency full list...
Topics	History Status debate Flag Culture Economy Places List of farms Population of major settlements Demography Notable people The Duchy Diocese Politics Schools Hundreds/shires Places of interest Outline of Cornwall Index of Cornwall-related articles

Biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
Summary	Summarised data for all sites (biological and geological)
Cornwall	Aire Point to Carrick Du Amble Marshes Baulk Head to Mullion Bedruthan Steps and Park Head Boconnoc Park and Woods Bodmin Moor, North Borlasevath and Retallack Moor Boscastle to Widemouth Brendonmoor Breney Common Bude Coast Cabilla Manor Wood Caerthillian to Kennack Carnkief Pond Carrick Heaths Carricknath Point to Porthbean Beach Carrine Common & Penwethers Chyenhal Moor Cligga Head Coombe Mill Coverack to Porthoustock Crow's Nest Crowhill Valley Dozmary Pool Draynes Wood East Lizard Heathlands Eglarooze Cliff Gerrans Bay to Camels Cove Godrevy Head to St Agnes Goonhilly Downs Goss and Tregoss Moors Greenamoor Greenscoombe Wood, Luckett Grimscott Gwithian to Mexico Towans Hayle Estuary & Carrack Gladden Kelsey Head Kennack to Coverack Kernick and Ottery Meadows Loe Pool Loggans Moor Lower Bostraze and Leswidden Lower Fal & Helford Intertidal Lymsworthy Meadows Lynher Estuary Malpas Estuary Marazion Marsh Meddon Moor Meneage Coastal Section Merthen Wood Minster Church Mullion Cliff to Predannack Cliff Nance Wood Newlyn Downs Ottery Valley Park Wood Penhale Dunes Pentire Peninsula Phoenix United Mine Plymouth Sound Shores And Cliffs Polruan to Polperro Polyne Quarry Porthgwarra to Pordenack Point Rame Head & Whitsand Bay Red Moor Redlake Meadows & Hoggs Moor Retire Common River Camel Valley and Tributaries Rock Dunes Rosemullion Rosenannon Bog and Downs St Austell Clay Pits St John's Lake St Nectan's Glen Steeple Point to Marsland Mouth Swanpool Sylvia's Meadow Talland Barton Tamar–Tavy Estuary Tintagel Cliffs Treen Cliff Tregonetha & Belowda Downs Tregonning Hill Trehane Barton Trelow Downs Trevose Head and Constantine Bay Upper Fal Estuary and Woods Upper Fowey Valley Ventongimps Moor West Cornwall Bryophytes West Lizard
Isles of Scilly	Annet Big Pool and Browarth Point Castle Down (Tresco) Chapel Down Eastern Isles Great Pool Gugh Higher Moors and Porth Hellick Pool Lower Moors Norrard Rocks Peninnis Head Pentle Bay, Merrick And Round Islands Plains and Great Bay Pool Of Bryher & Popplestone Bank Rushy Bay and Heathy Hill Samson Shipman Head & Shipman Down St Helen's St Martin's Sedimentary Shore Teän Western Rocks White Island Wingletang Down
Neighbouring areas Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Devon Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset

Geological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
Summary	Summarised data for all sites (biological and geological)
Cornwall	Aire Point to Carrick Du Baulk Head to Mullion Bedruthan Steps and Park Head Belowda Beacon Boscastle to Widemouth Boscawen Bude Coast Caerthillian to Kennack Cameron Quarry Carn Grey Rock and Quarry Clicker Tor Quarry Cligga Head Coverack Cove and Dolor Point Coverack to Porthoustock Crocadon Quarry Crow's Nest Cuckoo Rock to Turbot Point Cudden Point to Prussia Cove De Lank Quarries Duckpool to Furzey Cove East Lizard Heathlands Folly Rocks Gerrans Bay to Camels Cove Godrevy Head to St Agnes Great Wheal Fortune Greystone Quarry Gwithian to Mexico Towans Harbour Cove Hawkstor Pit Hingston Down Quarry & Consols Kennack to Coverack Kingsand to Sandway Point Lidcott Mine Loe Pool Lower Fal & Helford Intertidal Luxulyan Quarry Meneage Coastal Section Mulberry Downs Quarry Mullion Cliff to Predannack Cliff Penberthy Croft Mine Penlee Point Penlee Quarry Pentire Peninsula Polyne Quarry Polyphant Porthcew Porthleven Cliffs Porthleven Cliffs East Rame Head & Whitsand Bay Roche Rock Rock Dunes Rosemullion Rosenun Lane South Terras Mine St Agnes Beacon Pits St Erth Sand Pits St Mewan Beacon St Michael's Mount Stepper Point Stourscombe Quarry Swanpool Tater-du Tintagel Cliffs Trebetherick Point Tregargus Quarries Trelavour Downs Tremearne Par Trevaunance Cove Trevone Bay Trevose Head and Constantine Bay Viverdon Quarry West Lizard Wheal Alfred Wheal Gorland Wheal Martyn Wheal Penrose Yeolmbridge Quarry
Isles of Scilly	Castle Down (Tresco) Chapel Down (St. Martin's) Peninnis Head (St. Mary's) Porth Seal (St. Martin's) Porthloo Shipman Head & Shipman Down (Bryher) St Martin's Sedimentary Shore Teän Watermill Cove White Island
Neighbouring areas: Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Devon Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset

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