Porth Hellick ( kw, Porth Helyk, meaning ''Willow Cove'') is a tidal inlet on the south coast of
St Mary’s, the largest island in the
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly (; kw, Syllan, ', or ) is an archipelago off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England. One of the islands, St Agnes, is the most southerly point in Britain, being over further south than the most southerly point of the ...
.
The bay is delineated to the south by a headland known as the Giant’s Castle, which is an
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
cliff fort, and
Porth Hellick Down
Porth Hellick Down is a Neolithic and Bronze Age archeological site located on the island of St Mary's, in the Isles of Scilly in Great Britain. The ancient burial monument encompasses a large cairn cemetery that includes at least six entranc ...
and Porth Hellick Point to the north.
[Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203 ''Land's End'' ] At low tide a wide expanse of sand and rocks are exposed and a bar of fine shingle provides a barrier from the sea to form the largest area of (usually) fresh water on St Mary’s. A stream rises in
Holy Vale
Holy Vale ( kw, Hal an Val) is a minor valley and small settlement within, on the island of St Mary's, the largest of the Isles of Scilly, England. Situated inland, nearby are Maypole and Longstone.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203 ''Land ...
and flows south through Higher Moors to the sea at Porth Hellick. In its half-mile length it falls less than 25 feet and has barely cut a river bed through the marsh;
but feeds the pool with fresh water.
The area is an important feeding station for migrating and wintering birds and was designated as the ''Higher Moors and Porth Hellick Pool (St Mary's)''
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
(SSSI) for the ″wide diversity of habitats with several rare and notable plant species″ in 1971.
Natural history
Higher Moors and Porth Hellick Pool SSSI is one of the three main freshwater wetland areas on Scilly. The wetland is fed by ground water and a small steam to form a mosaic of willow and alder scrub, mire and pools. The peat deposits were once a fuel source and are rich in pollen. Along with other paleo-environmental evidence the deposits provide information about the vegetational history of the islands since the Mesolithic. The area is important as a feeding ground for migrating and wintering birds and for summer visitors and waterfowl. Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler nest in the common reed which grows along the margins of the pools and Coot, Gadwall, Mallard and Moorhen, Teal and Water Rail also breed. The moors were once grazed and the fields have a rich wet grassland flora with Greater Tussock-sedge, Hemlock Water-dropwort, Purple Loosestrife, Royal Fern, Water Mint and Yellow Iris. The acidic boggy areas support Bog Pimpernel, Bog Stitchwort and Marsh St John’s-wort with Lesser Spearwort in the wetter areas.
See also
*
Lower Moors (St Mary's)
The Lower Moors is a wetland between Hugh Town and Old Town Bay on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, St Mary's, the largest island in the Isles of Scilly.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203 ''Land's End'' The Isles of Scilly are an archipelago o ...
References
External links
Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust Higher Moors and Porth Hellick Pool ReserveHigher Moors and Porth Hellick Pool (St Mary's) SSSI
{{SSSIs Cornwall biological
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the Isles of Scilly
Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1971
St Mary's, Isles of Scilly