Kemyel Crease Nature Reserve

Cornwall Information & Accommodation Guide

Kemyel Crease is a nature reserve and woodland, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the coast between Mousehole and Lamorna Cove.

This reserve, owned by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, is a terraced cliff with a conifer plantation which slopes down to the sea. The Monterey Pines and Monterey Cypresses were planted by Victorian gardeners as shelter trees to provide a windbreak. Both species are fast growing and salt tolerant. The fuchsia bushes you can see were also introduced as hedges around small potato and flower gardens. These former gardens situated on the south-facing cliffs were known as 'quillets'. There were over one hundred of them in the late 19th century and many of them continued in production until the 1930s.

It would have been a common sight to see donkeys treading the cliffs here as they ploughed the soil and carried seaweed (fertiliser) up from the shore to spread on the gardens.

The mild Cornish climate meant that the produce grown here was ready much earlier in the season than other places in Britain. It was shipped to London markets by train.

Rare fungi can be seen here during summer and autumn. A notable example is the earth star fungus.

The woodland is small (6 acres / 2 hectares) and sheltered and provides welcome shade on a hot day when walking the coast path between Lamorna and Mousehole.

The coastal footpath passes through the middle of the woodland. There is little other access as the area is overgrown.

Kemyel Crease Woodland can only be reached on foot by walking along the Cornwall Coast Path from either Mousehole or Lamorna. The walk from Mousehole is 1 mile / 1.6 km. We chose to walk from Lamorna Cove.

There is an information board on site.

The reserve is dog friendly all year round.

Location:
OS Explorer Map 102

Road directions to Kemyel Crease Nature Reserve

Books online:
Click here to buy books online about Kemyel Crease Nature Reserve

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