Dalby Mountain, Patrick

A moorland reserve located in the west of the Island.

The Dalby Mountain reserve is traditional heath moorland, sandwiched between two conifer plantations and bisected by the A27 public road.  It comprises 5% of the island's wet heath. The wet heath is dominated by heather, purple moor grass and rushes with locally abundant bog asphodel.  Other species include devil's bit scabious, cross-leaved heath and heath spotted orchids.  The dry heath is dominated by bell heather, ling heather and western gorse. In addition to the grouse and hen harriers, snipe and curlew may be observed.  Adders tongue fern was found on the roadside verge in 1996.  The area was liable to have become planted with conifers to link adjoining plantations and was bought by Manx Wildlife Trust to prevent the destruction of the moorland habitats.

Management

Parts of the heath on Dalby Mountain are neglected and being invaded by gorse.  Previous management had been ad hoc burning of large blocks of heather.  Future management will involve rotational strip burning with a small area burned each year to create of mosaic of heather stands of different ages.  The wet heath will not be burned.  Shooting is prohibited.

How to get to Dalby Mountain Moorland

Grid ref SC 233769.  The A27 Dalby to Round Table Road passes through the reserve and there is off-road parking space at the point on the west side of the road where a track to Eary Cushlin commences.