What heath is
Heathland is open country covered mainly by low shrubs, especially heathers and gorse, growing on poor, acidic, free-draining soil. It is not a natural wilderness in the simplest sense. In most of Britain, including Cornwall, heath is thought to have developed after woodland was cleared in prehistoric times and then stayed open because people grazed animals, cut turf and gathered fuel there. When that use stops, scrub and trees tend to move in.
Heath is related to moor, but the two are often distinguished. Moorland generally means higher, wetter ground, while heath is usually lower and drier. In Cornwall the two blend into each other, and some uplands contain both. The wider moorland picture, including the granite uplands, is explored in the overview of Cornish moorland.
Why Cornwall has so much of it
Cornwall’s long, exposed coast gives it a good deal of heath. Salt-laden wind keeps trees small or absent on cliff tops, and the thin soils over hard rock are poor in nutrients. The result is a strip of coastal heathland along many stretches of cliff, often mixed with grassland and rocky outcrops. Inland, heath occurs on granite uplands and on parts of the Lizard peninsula, where the underlying rock gives it a particular character.
The Lizard is often highlighted for its heath because some plants there are scarce elsewhere in Britain. One example is Cornish heath, a heather that is closely associated with the Lizard. Because details of plant distribution and protection can change, local nature reserve information is the best source for current guidance.
Plants of the heath
The main structure of heath comes from a few shrubs:
- Heathers. Ling (often just called heather) flowers late in summer, while bell heather flowers earlier and is a deeper purple. Cross-leaved heath prefers damper ground.
- Gorse. The spiny yellow shrub is common on cliff tops, and its coconut-like scent is noticeable on warm days. Common gorse flowers at many times of year, with a peak in spring. Western gorse, a smaller form, flowers later in summer, so some yellow can often be seen in many months.
- Grasses and sedges. Fine grasses fill the spaces between shrubs.
- Bracken. It can dominate where grazing or management is limited.
Together these create the purple-and-yellow patchwork that many visitors associate with late summer in Cornwall.
Wildflowers of the coast
Where heath meets cliff edge, the soil is thinner and wind and spray more intense, so the plants are small and tough. Some often seen near Cornish cliffs include:
- Thrift, or sea pink, forming cushions of pink flowers in spring and early summer.
- Sea campion, with white flowers and a bladder-like base.
- Kidney vetch, a yellow flower also associated with cliffs and dunes.
- Spring squill, a small blue flower of short turf close to the sea.
- Wild thyme and bird’s-foot trefoil in open, sunny spots.
The exact mix depends on rock type, shelter and grazing, so a walk of only a few miles can bring noticeable change. Some of these plants also appear on sand dunes, which have their own habitat.
Insects, birds and reptiles
Heath is more than plants. Its flowers feed bees, butterflies and other insects, and the bare patches among the shrubs provide warm places for basking and nesting. Birds such as stonechats are often seen perched on gorse tops, and meadow pipits and skylarks nest in low cover. Reptiles such as adders and common lizards use sunny, sheltered spots. Adders usually avoid people, but they can bite if surprised or handled, so give them space and keep dogs under close control.
Seabirds nest on the cliffs below many heath areas, and the combined habitat of cliff, heath and sea is among the most valued in the county. Those birds are covered in the guide to coastal seabirds.
How heath is managed
Because heath depends on regular disturbance, conservation groups and landowners often use grazing, cutting or controlled burning to stop scrub taking over. Where animals graze, they nibble young shrubs and trees and prevent the ground from becoming woodland. The role of livestock is explained further in the article on moorland grazing. Management methods vary and can be a matter of debate, particularly concerning burning, so a visitor who sees evidence of work on heath should assume it has a purpose.
Heath is also vulnerable to trampling, fire, and development at its edges. Fires can start easily in dry summers, and they can damage both plants and wildlife. Do not light fires or barbecues, and take care with cigarettes.
Enjoying heath responsibly
A few simple habits help protect the habitat:
- Stay on paths where they exist, as cliff-top vegetation recovers slowly from trampling.
- Do not pick wildflowers; some are protected, and picking reduces the seed available for next year.
- Keep dogs under control, especially during bird nesting season in spring and early summer.
- Take litter home, and avoid disturbing grazing animals.
- Keep well back from cliff edges. Heath often runs right to a crumbling edge, and coastal safety should be considered before leaving the path to take a photograph.
Seasons on the heath
Heath changes through the year. Late winter and early spring bring the first gorse flowers and the green growth of grasses. Late spring and early summer are the best period for cliff-top wildflowers such as thrift. High summer, from roughly midsummer into early autumn, is the time for heather. By autumn the colors fade to bronze and brown, and in winter the shapes of the shrubs, often bent by the wind, show clearly. Each season has something to notice, so repeat visits can be rewarding.