Gwent Wildlife Trust
Encyclopedia
Gwent Wildlife Trust (GWT) is a wildlife trust
covering the area between the lower Wye
and Rhymney
rivers which forms the vice county
of Monmouthshire
in south-east Wales
. It is a registered charity and a member of the Wildlife Trusts Partnership.
Naturalists Trust, formed in 1963. In the 1980s the Trust was renamed the Gwent Trust for Nature Conservation, and then Gwent Wildlife Trust. Gwent
was an administrative county between 1974 and 1996, covering a similar but not identical area to the historic county of Monmouthshire.
The Trust's first objective, under the presidency of Lord Raglan, was the conservation of Magor
Marsh, the last remaining area of fenland
on the Caldicot Level
. It was particularly responsible for survey work, training programmes, and increasingly in educational projects and in campaigns against inappropriate development proposals, particularly those affecting the Severn estuary
. In 1991 it purchased Pentwyn Farm at Penallt
, a unique smallholding, including ancient meadows and a collapsing medieval barn, having raised the purchase price of £150,000 within six weeks through a public appeal. In 2001 it bought Springdale Farm near Usk
, containing 40 acres (16.2 ha) of species-rich unimproved grassland, 60 acres (24.3 ha) of other grassland, and an ancient wood
. It now manages 32 reserves, and has a membership of some 7,500.
The Trust currently designates four "Premier Reserves":
Wildlife Trust
The term Wildlife Trust can be used in one of two senses to describe organisations concerned with wildlife:* in a specific sense, to refer to the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts in the United Kingdom, or one of its constituent members known as The Wildlife Trusts; a list of these can be found at...
covering the area between the lower Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
and Rhymney
Rhymney River
The Rhymney River is a river in the Rhymney Valley, south-east Wales, flowing through Cardiff into the Severn estuary.The river forms the boundary between the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.-Path of the river:...
rivers which forms the vice county
Watsonian vice-counties
Vice-counties or biological vice-counties are geographical divisions of the British Isles used for the purposes of biological recording and other scientific data-gathering...
of Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
in south-east Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is a registered charity and a member of the Wildlife Trusts Partnership.
History
Its origins lie in the MonmouthshireMonmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
Naturalists Trust, formed in 1963. In the 1980s the Trust was renamed the Gwent Trust for Nature Conservation, and then Gwent Wildlife Trust. Gwent
Gwent (county)
Gwent is a preserved county and a former local government county in south-east Wales. It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was named after the ancient Kingdom of Gwent....
was an administrative county between 1974 and 1996, covering a similar but not identical area to the historic county of Monmouthshire.
The Trust's first objective, under the presidency of Lord Raglan, was the conservation of Magor
Magor, Monmouthshire
Magor - meaning 'a wall' - is a large village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, between Chepstow and the city of Newport, and adjoining the Caldicot Levels beside the Severn estuary. Magor lies close to the M4 motorway, which has a nearby motorway service area sharing its name...
Marsh, the last remaining area of fenland
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
on the Caldicot Level
Caldicot and Wentloog Levels
The Caldicot and Wentloog Levels are two areas of low-lying estuarine alluvial wetland and intertidal mudflats adjoining the north bank of the Severn estuary, either side of the River Usk estuary near Newport in south east Wales...
. It was particularly responsible for survey work, training programmes, and increasingly in educational projects and in campaigns against inappropriate development proposals, particularly those affecting the Severn estuary
Severn Estuary
The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. Its high tidal range means it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.-Geography:...
. In 1991 it purchased Pentwyn Farm at Penallt
Penallt
Penallt is a village in Monmouthshire, Wales set high on a hill above Monmouth. In the centre of the village, by the village green, is the 17th century village pub, the "Inn at Penallt", formerly called the Bush Inn....
, a unique smallholding, including ancient meadows and a collapsing medieval barn, having raised the purchase price of £150,000 within six weeks through a public appeal. In 2001 it bought Springdale Farm near Usk
Usk
Usk is a small town in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated 10 miles northeast of Newport.The River Usk flows through the town and is spanned by an ancient, arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. A castle above the town overlooks the ancient Anglo-Welsh border crossing - the river can...
, containing 40 acres (16.2 ha) of species-rich unimproved grassland, 60 acres (24.3 ha) of other grassland, and an ancient wood
Ancient woodland
Ancient woodland is a term used in the United Kingdom to refer specifically to woodland that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in England and Wales . Before those dates, planting of new woodland was uncommon, so a wood present in 1600 was likely to have developed naturally...
. It now manages 32 reserves, and has a membership of some 7,500.
Current activities and responsibilities
The Trust currently manages over 800 acres (323.7 ha) of wildlife rich habitat including working farms, woodlands and marshes. Projects such as wild flower meadow restoration take place on the reserves. Its projects also involve reviving traditional countryside skills such as charcoal production and dry stone walling.The Trust currently designates four "Premier Reserves":
- Magor Marsh . This is a 90 acres (36.4 ha) wetland reserve with a rich variety of habitats, including damp hay meadows, sedge fen, reedbed, scrub, wet woodland, a large pond and numerous reens. It includes breeding grounds for Common SnipeCommon SnipeThe Common Snipe is a small, stocky wader native to the Old World. The breeding habitat is marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows throughout northern Europe and northern Asia...
, Common RedshankCommon RedshankThe Common Redshank or simply Redshank is an Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.- Description and systematics :...
, Reed WarblerReed WarblerThe Eurasian Reed Warbler, or just Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus scirpaceus, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds across Europe into temperate western Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa....
, Grasshopper WarblerGrasshopper WarblerThe Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella naevia, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds across much of temperate Europe and Asia. It is migratory, wintering from northwest Africa to India....
and Cetti's WarblerCetti's WarblerCetti's Warbler , Cettia cetti, is an Old World warbler which breeds in Europe, northwest Africa and east southern temperate Asia as far as Afghanistan and NW Pakistan. It is the only bush warbler to occur outside Asia...
. It is the richest site in Wales for wetland beetleBeetleColeoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s and soldier-fliesStratiomyidaeThe soldier flies , are a family of flies . The family contains about 1,500 species in about 400 genera worldwide. Adults are found near larval habitats...
. It is the last remnant of fenland on the Caldicot and Wentloog LevelsCaldicot and Wentloog LevelsThe Caldicot and Wentloog Levels are two areas of low-lying estuarine alluvial wetland and intertidal mudflats adjoining the north bank of the Severn estuary, either side of the River Usk estuary near Newport in south east Wales...
, and its pattern of drainage ditches and other features has remained unchanged since the 14th century. - Pentwyn Farm. This covers 30 acres (12.1 ha) high above the Wye valleyWye ValleyThe Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. It is one of the most dramatic and scenic landscape areas in southern Britain....
, with traditional farm buildings, small fields and stone walls. It contains one of the largest areas of unimproved grassland in the area, and provides a habitat for dormice, adders-tongue fernOphioglossumOphioglossum is a genus of about 25-30 species of Ophioglossales in the family Ophioglossaceae, with a cosmopolitan but primarily tropical and subtropical distribution. The name Ophioglossum comes from the Greek, and means "snake-tongue".Adders-tongues are so-called because the spore-bearing stalk...
, and many other species. - Silent Valley Nature Reserve. This covers 125 acres (50.6 ha), including Britain's highest area of beech woodland, together with wet woodland and flushes. The reserve is managed in partnership with Blaenau GwentBlaenau GwentBlaenau Gwent is a county borough in South Wales, sharing its name with a parliamentary constituency. It borders the unitary authority areas of Monmouthshire and Torfaen to the east, Caerphilly to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and...
County Borough Council. - Springdale Farm. This covers 120 acres (48.6 ha) of working farmland, notable for its hay meadows and woodland flowers.
Objectives
The Trust objectives can be summarised as:- To stand up for wildlife and the environment
- To create and enhance wildlife havens
- To inspire people about the natural world
- To foster sustainable living
Full list of reserves
- Allt-yr-yn, NewportNewportNewport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
- Branches Fork Meadow, PontypoolPontypoolPontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
- Brockwells Meadow, CaerwentCaerwentCaerwent is a village and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located about five miles west of Chepstow and eleven miles east of Newport, and was founded by the Romans as the market town of Venta Silurum, an important settlement of the Brythonic Silures tribe. The modern village is built...
- CaldicotCaldicotCaldicot may refer to:In the United Kingdom:* Caldicot, Monmouthshire** Caldicot Castle, Monmouthshire** Caldicot * Caldicot, Buckinghamshire- See also :* Caldecote * Caldicott * Caldecott...
Pill - Coed Meyric Moel, CwmbranCwmbranCwmbrân is a new town in Wales. Today forming part of the county borough of Torfaen and lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, Cwmbrân was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield. Cwmbrân means Crow...
- Croes Robert Wood SSSI, TrellechTrellechTrellech is a village in Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, near Monmouth and the location of an archaeological site. The village is designated as a Conservation Area....
- Dan Y Graig, RiscaRiscaRisca is a town of approximately 11,500 people in South Wales, within the Caerphilly County Borough and the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is today part of the Newport conurbation , though it is not a Ward of Newport City Council...
- Dixton Embankment, MonmouthMonmouthMonmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
- Drybridge Community Nature Park, Monmouth
- Graig Wood
- Henllys Bog, Cwmbran
- Kitty's Orchard, UskUskUsk is a small town in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated 10 miles northeast of Newport.The River Usk flows through the town and is spanned by an ancient, arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. A castle above the town overlooks the ancient Anglo-Welsh border crossing - the river can...
- Margarets Wood, WhitebrookWhitebrookWhitebrook is a small village in Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, United Kingdom. It is located four miles south east of Monmouth in the Wye Valley.- History and amenities :...
- Lower Minnetts Field, RogietRogietRogiet is a village and community in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, located between Caldicot and Magor, some 8 miles west of Chepstow and 11 miles east of Newport. It lies close to the M4 and M48 motorways, and the Second Severn Crossing. It is also the location of Severn Tunnel Junction railway...
- Magor Marsh SSSI
- Margaret's Wood, WhitebrookWhitebrookWhitebrook is a small village in Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, United Kingdom. It is located four miles south east of Monmouth in the Wye Valley.- History and amenities :...
- New Grove Meadows, Trellech
- Pentwyn Farm SSSI, PenalltPenalltPenallt is a village in Monmouthshire, Wales set high on a hill above Monmouth. In the centre of the village, by the village green, is the 17th century village pub, the "Inn at Penallt", formerly called the Bush Inn....
- Peterstone Wentlooge Marshes SSSI
- Priory Wood SSSI, Bettws NewyddBettws Newydd- Location :Bettws Newydd is about north of Usk, a few miles south of Clytha near Raglan, Monmouthshire.- Place of prayer :The site was originally an oratory or place of prayer and was founded by Saint Aedan of Ferns, who founded several churches in Wales and was also known as St Aidan of Llawhaden...
- Prisk Wood SSSI, Penallt
- Rogiet Poorland
- Silent Valley SSSI, CwmCwmcwm may refer to* the geographical term for a rounded, glaciated valley also known as a corrie or cirque* the Welsh word for a valley, sometimes anglicized to Coombe* cwm , a general-purpose data processor for the semantic web...
- Solutia Reserve at Great Traston Meadows, NashNash, NewportNash is a village and community parish to the south of the city of Newport, south-east Wales, in the Liswerry ward.- Origin of the name :...
- Springdale Farm, LlangwmLlangwmLlangwm could be one of several places in Wales:*Llangwm, Conwy*Llangwm, Monmouthshire*Llangwm, Pembrokeshire...
- Strawberry Cottage Wood, Llanvihangel Crucorney
- The Wern, Monmouth
- Wyeswood Common, Trellech