We have recently purchased this site and plan to turn in into a nature reserve.
PRIDEAUX WOODS
| STATUS We have recently purchased this site and plan to turn in into a nature reserve. |
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TYPE OF HABITAT
Prideaux Wood covers in area of over 60 acres (24 hectares). About a quarter of the woodland is still ancient but the rest was planted in the 1960s, mainly with Douglas fir.
ACCESS
Prideaux Wood lies at the end of the Luxulyan Valley, north of St Blazey.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Prideaux is a delightful woodland and a prominent local feature - it can be seen clearly from nearby roads and the village of St Blazey. Prideaux is one of our most important wildlife sites - it is one of only 12 known breeding sites in the country for greater horseshoe bats. The bats live in old mine workings in the center of the woods.
SPECIES OF PARTICULAR INTEREST
The greater horseshoe bats found breeding here are very shy and elusive creatures. They have suffered a terrible decline in Great Britain this century, thought to be in the order of 99%. They are now one of our most endangered animals.
WORK PLANNED
Some of you will know how difficult it has been to buy Prideaux, we have been competing against commercial buyers on the open market, and we have been restricted to paying a fair market price as determined by the District Valuer, so we could not simply offer a little more. These and other problems have resulted in over a year of negotiating and waiting. Now the site is ours and our priority is to link Prideaux Woods to the Luxulyan Valley and make it safe for local people to go walking. At the moment, there are no public rights of way through the wood and it is to closed the public. It is also dangerous, as there are a number of exposed mine workings which need to be made safe. This work has already started and we hope to open the woods soon.