Penallta Marsh
What’s there?
Penallta Marsh is a small, marshy grassland dotted with anthills. A small and vulnerable colony of the rare Marsh Fritillary butterfly survives here amongst the Purple Moor Grass. Heath Spotted and Southern Marsh Orchid and Devils Bit Scabious provide colour in the summer. Alder and Willow trees flourish in the swampy conditions with Bulrush, Hemlock, Water Dropwort, Hemp Agrimony and Hairy Willowherb all providing an excellent habitat for warblers.
Why it’s special
The marsh is special because of its small population of Marsh Fritillary butterflies that thrive here.
29.06.09
Conservation Grazing Notice
We have welcomed some new arrivals at Parc Penallta to help with our conservation management on Penallta Marsh in the form of a number of young cattle who will be grazing the marsh for the next couple of weeks.
The cattle are mostly Welsh Blacks although one is a Belted Galloway that has a distinctive white band around her dun coloured body. They are particularly suitable for conservation grazing as they eat a wide variety of grasses, herbs and plants and are extremely hardy.
They come from the Countryside Service’s farm at Ynys Hywel and have been used successfully at other sites in the county borough such as Aberbargoed Grasslands.
Penallta Marsh is a local nature reserve because of its rich diversity of flowers and plants but unfortunately due to the lack of grazing for a number of years this diversity is under threat from more dominant plants such as bracken and bramble. The cattle will help to trample this vegetation and create better conditions for plants such as Devil’s Bit Scabious which is the food plant for the rare Marsh Fritillary butterfly.
Whilst these breeds of cattle will generally ignore people and dogs we have decided to restrict access to Penallta Marsh for the general public to allow the cattle time to settle into their new surroundings. We would ask the public to keep out of the Marsh area for the time being and also not to try to feed or touch the animals. Your cooperation is much appreciated.
If you would like any further information please speak to the Rangers at the Education Centre or ring 01443 816853.
How to get there:
Grid Reference: ST 136948.
Situated in Parc Penallta, on R47 of the National Cycle Route, near Ystrad Mynach.
By bus: Service 7 - Blackwood to Pontypridd stops on Nelson Rd. (see ‘by car’).
By car: From the A472 Nelson Rd. turn into Station Road (opposite the entrance to Ystrad Mynach station). Take 1 st left into Griffiths St and park at end of street in the small community play area. Follow the access lane to the rear of the houses; the path into Parc Penallta is on the left behind the tall conifer hedge.
By bike: Just off R47 (Celtic Trail) on the eastern side of the park.
|
