Newlyn Downs

Newlyn Downs is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in north Cornwall, England, UK, noted for its biological characteristics.

Geography

The SSSI, notified in 1997, is located mainly within the civil parish of St Newlyn East, south of the town of Newquay. The streams that rise on the site are tributaries of the River Gannel. The Downs are also designated a Special Area of Conservation.

Wildlife and ecology

The soil of the site, deriving from slate-based mudstones and siltstones, is permanently waterlogged in large places. It is the foundation for the largest area in Cornwall of Southern Atlantic wet heath, containing cross-leaved heath and Dorset heath.