Lizard Rarity Walk
1. Starting from the National Trust car park, climb over the stile in the corner of the
car park. Walk down the narrow green lane for about 100m, to the small stream
and stepping stones at the bottom. Walk quietly and you may be lucky enough to
see an adder basking on the path edge or on the rocks near the stream.
2. Take the small wooden stile on you left and follow the path along the edge of the
field towards the rock outcrop. As well as lovely views, this outcrop supports some
of the unique flora for which the Lizard is famed. Two species of clover (Upright
and Twin Headed) might well be growing under your feet).
3. To the foot of the field in front of you is a small timber and stone stile which takes
you down onto the coast path. In early summer these cliffs are swathed in wild
flowers, some of which, although common here, are nationally very scarce. Look
out for the carpets of Spring Squill, (and Autumn Squill in late summer), green
winged orchids and the more common thrift and sea campion. Look closer and you
may find the more unusual fringed rupturewort, spring sandwort and the parasitic
thyme broomrape.
4. Turn left onto the coast path, pausing at the large rock outcrop overlooking Ogo
Dour Cove. This is a good spot for watching chough feeding on the short grazed
turf, basking sharks are also a common sight.
5. The coast path drops down into the valley, over the little stream, before a steady
climb back up the other side.
6. At the top of the hill, a small stone waymarker directs you back towards
Predannack Wollas car park. Turn left here, past the clumps of gorse and
blackthorn favoured by stonechats and whitethroats in the summer. You may also
come across the National Trust’s herd of small Dexter Cattle. These small cattle of
Irish origin are ideally suited to the rough terrain and poor grazing out on the cliffs.
They help to keep the course grasses and scrub in check for the benefit of wildlife.
7. Climb over the polished serpentine stone stile and walk down the narrow green
lane before turning left onto the track.
8. Cross over the small wooden bridge before returning to the car park through the
gate ahead of you.
Features
Geology
The early part of the walk lies on ancient rock. This rock is formed from crystallized
material, which goes through a chemical reaction caused by extreme heat and the
intrusion of a rock called periodotite.
The peridotite alters to form serpentine; this rock is underneath most of the land to
the west of the stream. Serpentine is a very rare rock type world-wide, with an
unusual ultra basic chemical composition. The Lizard exposure, which covers 64
square miles, is by far the largest in the UK.
Lizard flora
The Lizard peninsula is one of the UK’s top sites for rare plants, including four
species found nowhere else in the World. The remarkable flora is partly due to the
unusual geology, including the serpentine and the strange soil conditions it
generates, but rare species such as the upright and twin-headed clovers and
fringed rupturewort also grow on the schist and other rock types. The changing
climate also affect the flora that grow there, particularly the unusual combination of
very mild winter weather, low summer rainfall and autumn gales.
Farming Practises on the Lizard.
The wonderful nature conservation and landscape of the Lizard draws thousands
of visitors every year, but what the casual visitor may not know is that these
wonderful attractions owe everything to farming. If left unmanaged, the coast and
the wider lizard would be overrun with scrub and bramble, which would out
compete the more delicate rare species and make paths impenetrable to the
walker. Grazing by tough native breeds creates the conditions for these species to
survive, and the resulting meat is especially tasty as it is slower grown and more
naturally fed.