Mynwent Bryn y Gaer

The wildflower-rich grassland here consists of common bird’s-foot trefoil, red clover, fairy flax, and black knapweed, attracting six-spot burnet moths, marsh fritillaries, finches and sparrowhawks.

Six-Spot Burnet - © Tate Lloyd

Habitat

The cemetery is home to this wonderful area of flower-rich grassland, looked after by ‘cut and collect’ hay management. All summer the grassland is left to flower and seed before the hay is cut and removed. This is the secret to conserving and encouraging wildflowers.

When to Visit

In early spring listen to skylark sing. From then to early autumn the grassland blooms with flowers and is worth a visit anytime. Amongst the grasses and jointed rushes, enjoy red clover, purple flowers of black knapweed and self-heal, and the many shades of yellows from common bird’s-foot trefoil, meadow buttercup, tormentil and rough hawkbit. In the autumn look for the reds, oranges and yellows of waxcap fungi. On winter afternoons you may see a hunting barn owl.

Biodiversity

The rich flora attracts mining bees, six-spot burnet moths, small copper and migrant painted lady butterflies, and in late May you may be lucky enough to find a marsh fritillary butterfly visiting the spring flowers. Scan the ground for the dainty white flowers of fairy flax. Flocks of goldfinches and linnets feed on the abundance of wildflower seeds attracting, in turn, hunting sparrowhawk.