Location

The Marsland valley is an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) extending inland from the Atlantic ocean along the North Cornwall and Devon county boundary.

The Devon Wildlife Trust manages the Marsland Reserve. Its diverse habitat contains a huge range of flora and fauna including many of national importance.

Temperatures in the sheltered valley bottom are often lower at night and higher during the day than the surrounding countryside.  Frosts can occur in the winter despite being situated in the southwest of the country and near to the sea.

The heavily wooded valley sides are protected from all but westerly winds blowing in from the Atlantic.  These westerlies may be responsible for bringing moth species, normally only found on the coast, further inland up the valley.

In such a sparsely populated area there is minimal light pollution.  Consequently, the phases of the moon have an exagerated influence on night-time light levels.  The effectiveness of light traps can reflect this; ranging from impressive catches during a new moon, such as the 45 hawk-moths that came to one MV light, to very low numbers on a night lit by a full moon.

Click here to see a satellite view of the valley together with an interactive map.

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