East Looe River - Moorswater to Scarletoak Woods

This part of the East Looe Valley is nowadays rarely visited by birdwatchers, whilst most birds are of more common species, a good morning or afternoon of birdwatching walking along very narrow tree lined country roads with little traffic can be had.

This part of the valley is dominated by the 147 foot high Moorswater Viaduct (built 1881), which carries the Paddington to Penzance mainline. Beside this viaduct stands the 6 'piers' of the original viaduct built in 1855. The Liskeard and Caradon Mineral Line (built 1844) used to run from Moorswater to quarries further North bringing china clay and stone to the Liskeard and Looe Union Canal, for transport to the port of Looe. Derelict remnants of the canal can still be seen on the valley floor, it went out of use on completion of the Liskeard to Looe Branch Line.

The only two railway stations in the United Kingdom with the word halt in their name can be found on this line, here Coombe Junction Halt and further down the line St Keynes Wishing Well Halt, Coombe Junction Halt also has the distinction of being consistently the second least visited station in the United Kingdom.

During Winter months with possible freezing conditions, rare nowadays, some species can be forced off higher ground to this more sheltered valley. During Spring/Autumn migration birds transient through the valley on the way to/from the Southern Coast.