Cuhere Wood
The reserve lies between the extensive woodland of Wentwood Forest and the well-wooded Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. As such, it is an important stepping stone of woodland habitat in the wider landscape, as well as being a valuable reservoir of wildlife in its own right.
Species
Wyeswood Common
Wyeswood Common is set within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The reserve commands stunning views of the surrounding countryside, including the wooded valleys to the north and south. The habitats on the reserve include oak woodland, pasture, species-rich hedgerows and seasonal ponds. The fields are currently managed for hay and silage and as permanent pasture for sheep. Together with the adjacent Pentwyn Farm, this is the Trust’s largest reserve.
Landscape-scale conservation
Lower Minnetts Field
Species
In spring, cowslips appear across the site. In summer, oxeye daisies present a beautiful display along with species such as bird’s-foot-trefoil, common knapweed and common spotted-orchids. Indicators of calcareous grassland such as agrimony and lady’s bedstraw are also present. More unusual plants include common broomrape and adder’s-tongue fern, with common gromwell along the field margins.
Silent Valley Local Nature Reserve SSSI
Silent Valley comprises mature woodland with dramatic veteran trees, bracken-covered slopes above, and areas of damp grassland. The Nant Merddog stream, a tributary of the River Ebbw, runs through the woodland.The woodland is the highest beech wood in Britain, and virtually at the western extremity of the natural range of the beech tree, which extends just into Glamorgan, near Merthyr Tydfil.
This wonderful nature reserve comprises two main areas, one owned by Gwent Wildlife Trust, and the other by Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, with GWT managing the whole reserve.
Strawberry Cottage Wood SSSI
This ancient upland oak wood contains pockets of silver birch and a hazel understory. Lower down the slope, ash becomes more frequent, and there is a stand of large beech trees at one point, and a scatter of fine yew trees.
Branches Fork Meadows
Species
Heather and devil’s-bit scabious are prominent in the drier areas. Heath spotted-orchids can be found in the marshy areas amongst purple moor-grass and sharp-flowered rush. The young woodland is notable for alder buckthorn and a good range of mosses and liverworts. Flowers such as St John’s-wort and eyebright can be seen along the verges of the cycle path bordering the reserve.
Priory Wood SSSI
This woodland is known for its cherry trees – towards the middle of the reserve there is a small area of almost pure cherry. Other tree species include oak, ash, birch, beech and yew. In 2002, the Trust carefully felled four mature oak trees to open up the woodland canopy, thus promoting the ground flora and diversifying the wood. The timber was dragged out by horse to minimise impacts on the ground flora, and was then used for the restoration of a Medieval barn at Pentwyn Farm.
Species
Rogiet Poorland
The ‘Poorland’ was formed when an area of land was set aside in 1855 for the local labouring poor, when the rest of the land on the vast Tredegar Estate was enclosed. The land was farmed until the end of the 19th Century but was then was left derelict and used as a tip. Gwent Wildlife Trust bought the site in 1991 and restored the area as a reserve for wildlife.
Species
Margaret's Wood
Margaret’s Wood is a beautiful woodland, situated on the lower slopes of the Whitebrook valley, in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The wood has some fine examples of mature oak and beech. Other species include cherry, yew, birch and holly.
Kitty's Orchard
Evidence of what looks like horse stables and paddocks are shown in the meadow in the 1845 tithe map. It is thought that the name ‘Kitty’ refers to a horse, once stabled in the orchard.
Species
The grassland is under traditional hay meadow management with a late summer hay cut followed by aftermath grazing. This encourages species such as yellow-rattle and common spotted-orchids to thrive. The meadow is bordered by mature hedgerows with scattered large trees.
