Cwm Clydach National Nature Reserve

For the Cwm Clydach reserve near Swansea, administered by the RSPB see Cwm Clydach RSPB Reserve.

Cwm Clydach National Nature Reserve is an area of 24.8ha of steeply sloping valley-side on the southern side of the Clydach Gorge, two miles east of Brynmawr in southeast Wales which is protected for its ancient semi-natural beech woods. It was designated by the Nature Conservancy Council and is now protected by its successor authority the Countryside Council for Wales.

The dense foliage of the beech canopy results in a rather minimal ground flora but species like bird’s nest orchid are found amongst the leaf litter. The high humidity of the more sheltered parts of the gorge encourage the growth of ferns, mosses and other lower plants including the lichen, Stricta sylvatica and the hay-scented buckler fern (Dryopteris aemula).

Woodland birds in the reserve include nuthatch and both the green woodpecker and greater spotted woodpecker. Birds of prey include sparrowhawk, kestrel and tawny owl.

The reserve is a part of the Cwm Clydach site of special scientific interest (SSSI) and of the Cwm Clydach Woodlands/Coedydd Cwm Clydach special area of conservation (SAC).^[1]

There is good public access to much of the reserve through a network of public footpaths and paths whilst it is overlooked by a section of the national cycleway and by public roads. Interpretive panels at access points to the reserve provide maps of the reserve and information.

References

1. ^ http://www.ccw.gov.uk/landscape--wildlife/protecting-our-landscape/special-landscapes--sites/protected-landscapes/national-nature-reserves/cwm-clydach.aspx

Coordinates: 51°48′22″N 3°08′10″W / 51.806°N 3.136°W / 51.806; -3.136