Manx Wildlife Trust to manage Internationally Important Creggans Nature Reserve in Sulby Valley

Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) has secured the long-term management of a site known as Creggans above Tholt y Will in the upper Sulby Valley, after the 46-acre site was purchased by a private donor for conservation as a nature reserve.

Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) has secured the long-term management of a site known as Creggans above Tholt y Will in the upper Sulby Valley, after the 46-acre site was purchased by a private donor for conservation as a nature reserve. 

MWT will manage the site for at least the next 21 years. The Creggans is one of the most important waxcap grassland sites on the Isle of Man, supporting an internationally significant assemblage of grassland fungi. 

Waxcap grasslands are among the world’s most threatened habitats. They depend on unimproved pasture that has not been ploughed, reseeded or intensively fertilised in many decades. Creggans escaped post-Second World War agricultural intensification, allowing an exceptional fungi community to persist and flourish to this day. 

Surveys have recorded numerous rare and globally vulnerable species at the site, including Ballerina Waxcap, Crimson Waxcap, Golden Spindles, Oily Waxcap and Violet Coral. 

 

Parrot Waxcap at Creggans

(c) David Bellamy

The striking green tones of the Parrot Waxcap make it one of the most recognisable fungi of species-rich waxcap grasslands. Although not as rare as some of the site’s other species, it is an iconic indicator of long established, low-intensity pasture managed in balance with nature and is still declining across Europe.

Violet Coral at Creggans

(c) David Bellamy

One of the site’s most significant finds, the Violet Coral is considered globally “Vulnerable to Extinction” and is strongly associated with very old, unimproved grasslands that have escaped agricultural intensification for centuries. The unusual lilac coral-like form is one of the clearest indicators of a high-quality waxcap grassland ecosystem

Ballerina Waxcap

(c) David Bellamy

Often regarded as one of Britain and Ireland’s most beautiful grassland fungi, the Ballerina Waxcap is globally “Vulnerable to Extinction” and strongly linked to traditionally grazed, nutrient-poor pasture. Its presence at Creggans helps demonstrate the high diversity and international importance of the site. 

Despite the international ecological importance of waxcap grasslands, only one site on the Isle of Man, Douglas Head ASSI*, currently has statutory protection for its fungi interest. Creggans is regarded as an equally significant example of this declining habitat. 

Alongside its ecological importance, the Creggans site also holds major cultural and archaeological value. The land contains ruined farmsteads (tholtans), the remains of a Bronze Age burial mound, the Corrody Keeill, and nearby holy wells associated with St Ciaran. These features, along with an ancient network of traditional Manx sod hedge field boundaries and cart tracks, together reflect centuries of settlement and spiritual life in the Sulby Valley. The site also charts the history of Manx farming from subsistence mixed farming towards today’s system of upland sheep grazing. An application has been made to MNH to have the site created a Scheduled Ancient Monument to preserve this important ecclesiastical and agricultural heritage. 

Creggans lies adjacent to Tholt y Will National Glen and offers extensive views across the Sulby Valley, Sulby Reservoir and the Central Hills. Despite its elevated position, the land itself is large gently sloping, with amble nearby public parking and straightforward access, making it unusually well suited to carefully managed public engagement alongside conservation. 

Sheep grazing will continue as an essential part of the site’s conservation management. Year round sheep grazing maintains the short grassland structure required by waxcap fungi and is critical to the survival of these habitats. To facilitate this, no dogs (other than verifiable guide dogs on a lead) are allowed on the reserve at any time. 

The landowner said that their decision to purchase the land for conservation was driven by a desire to invest ethically and make a positive contribution. By placing the land under MWT’s guardianship, he said, nature and people benefit while the future of the site can be carefully safeguarded over the long term. 

MWT is now developing a light-touch management and monitoring plan for the site, working with farmers, archaeologists and specialist groups including the Isle of Man Fungus Group and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Interpretation materials will be developed to help visitors understand the site’s ecological, cultural and archaeological significance. The public opening of the new nature reserve will take place as part of the forthcoming Heritage Open Days with a series of three guided walks on Sunday 11th October during the peak of the grassland fungi fruiting season. The Isle of Man Fungus Group and MWT are also combining forces to deliver formal, in-depth training in mycological survey on Tuesday 27th October. For booking information for these events please see https://www.mwt.im/events

Aerial View of Creggans

(c) Jon Wornham

“This land has been grazed for generations, and that grazing is exactly what has allowed it to become such a special site for rare fungi. I’m pleased to see the site being managed in a way that respects its character and history, while bringing benefits for both people and nature.”
Danny Creer
the farmer whose sheep graze the land
“Creggans is one of the most remarkable combinations of ecological, cultural and landscape heritage I’ve seen on the Isle of Man. Securing its long-term future is hugely important, not just for MWT, but for the Island as a whole, and we are deeply grateful to the landowner for making it possible.”
Graham Makepeace-Warne
CEO of MWT
“From a conservation perspective, this is amongst the most important grassland fungi sites in the whole of Britain and Ireland. Across the world, waxcap grasslands are disappearing through agricultural improvement, development and the loss of traditional grazing. Continued, year-round grazing is absolutely critical here. With careful, continuing management, this site can remain in excellent condition for generations to come, delivering for both our food security and biodiversity at the same time.”
David Bellamy
Head of Conservation & Land at MWT

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