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Part of the RCT Living Landscape Project

Cwm Clydach

The coal spoil grassland at Cwm Clydach supports a variety of wildflowers, fungi, lichens, reptiles and invertebrates, as well as some very special species including the tormentil mining bee and round-leaved wintergreen.

 

Cwm-Clydach-2
Grayling
Grayling - © Iain H Leach - Butterfly Conservation

Habitat

Clydach Vale Country Park, with its coil spoil grassland, ffridd, woodland, heath, stream and lakes is wonderfully biodiversity rich. Once the site of the Cambrian Colliery, this superb mosaic of habitats hosts an array of spectacular species.

When to Visit

At any time of year, the two lakes are great for waterbirds. Spring is best for the dawn chorus and sunny, cool mornings for spying common lizards. Through to autumn there is a succession of beautiful native wildflowers, with orchids at their peak in June. In winter look out for tumbling ravens and listen for twittering flocks of siskin and redpoll in alder trees.

Biodiversity

The quarry is one of the few places in Wales that supports a nationally important colony of the rare Deptford pink flower. Maintaining the plant’s home on the sunny rock ledges is key to its survival. The lakes are great invertebrate habitat, so look out for broad-bodied chaser and black darter dragonflies, while house martins and swallows catch may and stone flies. Coot, moorhen, little grebe and heron can all be seen, and a flash of blue along the stream will likely be a kingfisher.

We Live Here... Can You Spot Us?

Bee-Orchid

Bee Orchid - © Paul Denning

Tormentil-Mining-Bee

Tormentil Mining Bee - © Liam Olds

Adder

Adder - © Wayne Withers

Southern-Marsh-Orchid

Southern Marsh Orchid

Brown-Banded-Carder-Bee

Brown-Banded Carder Bee - © Liam Olds

Common-Lizard

Common Lizard - © Wayne Withers

Round-Leaved-Wintergreen

Round-Leaved Wintergreen - © Paul Denning

Small-Pearl-Bordered-Fritillary 2

Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary - © Liam Olds