November 2022 | Elan Valley https://elanvalley.org.uk/post_month/2022-11-01/ Elan. Yours to Explore Thu, 08 Aug 2024 13:28:16 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 Privacy Policy https://elanvalley.org.uk/privacy-policy/ Wed, 23 Nov 2022 11:27:15 +0000 https://elanvalley.org.uk/?page_id=3042 We are committed to safeguarding the privacy of our website visitors; this policy sets out how we will treat your personal information. Our website uses cookies. By using...

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Privacy Policy

Home » November 2022

We are committed to safeguarding the privacy of our website visitors; this policy sets out how we will treat your personal information.

Our website uses cookies. By using our website and agreeing to this policy, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with the terms of this policy.

What information do we collect?

We may collect, store and use the following kinds of personal information:

information about your computer and about your visits to and use of this website (including your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referral source, length of visit, page views and website navigation);

information that you provide to us for the purpose of subscribing to our website services, email notifications and/or newsletters;

any other information that you choose to send to us;

Cookies

A cookie consists of a piece of text sent by a web server to a web browser, and stored by the browser. The information is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server. This enables the web server to identify and track the web browser.

We may use both “session” cookies and “persistent” cookies on the website. We will use the session cookies to: keep track of you whilst you navigate the website; and remember your website preferences between page requests. We will use the persistent cookies to enable our website to recognise you when you visit.

Session cookies will be deleted from your computer when you close your browser. Persistent cookies will remain stored on your computer until deleted, or until they reach a specified expiry date.

We use Google Analytics to analyse the use of this website. Google Analytics generates statistical and other information about website use by means of cookies, which are stored on users’ computers. The information generated relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of the website. Google will store this information. Google’s privacy policy is available at: http://www.google.com/privacypolicy.html.

Most browsers allow you to reject all cookies, whilst some browsers allow you to reject just third party cookies. For example, in Internet Explorer you can refuse all cookies by clicking “Tools”, “Internet Options”, “Privacy”, and selecting “Block all cookies” using the sliding selector. Blocking all cookies will, however, have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites, including this one.

Using your personal information

Personal information submitted to us via this website will be used for the purposes specified in this privacy policy or in relevant parts of the website.

We may use your personal information to:

enable your use of the services available on the website;

send you email notifications which you have specifically requested;

send to you our newsletter and other marketing communications relating to our business which we think may be of interest to you by post or, where you have specifically agreed to this, by email or similar technology (you can inform us at any time if you no longer require marketing communications);

deal with enquiries and complaints made by or about you relating to the website;

Disclosures

We may disclose information about you to any of our employees, officers, agents, suppliers or subcontractors insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes as set out in this privacy policy.

In addition, we may disclose your personal information:

to the extent that we are required to do so by law;

in connection with any legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings;

in order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights (including providing information to others for the purposes of fraud prevention and reducing credit risk);

to the purchaser (or prospective purchaser) of any business or asset that we are (or are contemplating) selling;

to any person who we reasonably believe may apply to a court or other competent authority for disclosure of that personal information where, in our reasonable opinion, such court or authority would be reasonably likely to order disclosure of that personal information.

Except as provided in this privacy policy, we will not provide your information to third parties.

International data transfers

Information that we collect may be stored and processed in and transferred between any of the countries in which we operate in order to enable us to use the information in accordance with this privacy policy.

Information which you provide may be transferred to countries which do not have data protection laws equivalent to those in force in the European Economic Area.

Security of your personal information

We will take reasonable technical and organisational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information.

We will store all the personal information you provide on our secure (password and firewall protected) servers.

Of course, data transmission over the internet is inherently insecure, and we cannot guarantee the security of data sent over the internet.

Policy amendments

We may update this privacy policy from time-to-time by posting a new version on our website. You should check this page occasionally to ensure you are happy with any changes.

We may also notify you of changes to our privacy policy by email.

Your rights

You may instruct us to provide you with any personal information we hold about you. Provision of such information will be subject to:

the payment of a fee (currently fixed at £25.00);

the supply of appropriate evidence of your identity (for this purpose, we will usually accept a photocopy of your passport certified by a solicitor or bank plus an original copy of a utility bill showing your current address).

We may withhold such personal information to the extent permitted by law.

You may instruct us not to process your personal information for marketing purposes, by using the contact details below. In practice, you will usually either expressly agree in advance to our use of your personal information for marketing purposes, or we will provide you with an opportunity to opt-out of the use of your personal information for marketing purposes.

Third party websites

The website contains links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of third party websites.

Updating information

Please let us know if the personal information which we hold about you needs to be corrected or updated.

Contact

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our treatment of your personal information, please write to us by email to info@elanvalleytrust.org or by post to Elan Estate Office, Elan Village, Rhayader, Powys, LD6 5HP.

Data controller

The data controller responsible in respect of the information collected on this website is Elan Valley Trust.

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Elan Links Artist Residencies – November 2022 https://elanvalley.org.uk/uncategorized/elan-links-artist-residencies-november-2022/ Sat, 19 Nov 2022 12:46:31 +0000 https://elanvalley.org.uk/?p=2942 Elan Links has awarded artist residencies to two artists for their 2023 residency scheme, Gweni Llwyd and Rowena Harris. These residencies are delivered in partnership with Aberystwyth Arts...

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Elan Links has awarded artist residencies to two artists for their 2023 residency scheme, Gweni Llwyd and Rowena Harris.

These residencies are delivered in partnership with Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Midlands Arts Centre respectively.

Elan Links and Aberystwyth Arts Centre have awarded their 2023 artist residency to emerging Welsh artist Gweni Llwyd.  

Gweni is renowned for her playful work which spans tactile and digital realms, exploring the symbiotic relationship between human–made infrastructures and the natural world. She lives between Rotterdam and Wales, and is currently undertaking a Masters in Fine Art at the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

Gweni will spend four weeks in Elan Valley and four weeks in Aberystwyth building links between both locations. She will receive support from Aberystwyth Art Centre’s Curator Ffion Rhys and Artist and Project Manager Richard Powell. The residency is offering an opportunity to create a discourse between these very different locations framed through the lens of water as resource, land use and the climate emergency.

Gweni Llwyd said “In my recent projects, I’ve been examining the symbiotic relationships between human-made infrastructures and the natural world, exploring industrial pasts, and imagining their futures. What might they look, sound, and feel like? Who might live there? I frequently use sites – such as rivers, quarries, and experiences with land and people as starting points, so I’m looking forward to seeing where Cwm Elan and Aberystwyth take me and my making. I usually work with sound, drawing, video, computer animation and installation, so I’m really excited to strip my making back to basics while on the residency, leave the confines of some of the technologies I work with a lot, and see what happens while immersed in fascinating locations. I hope to develop a body of work in Cwm Elan and Aberystwyth that directly relates to my time getting to know the land, human and more-than-human inhabitants of these places.”

Elan Links and Midlands Arts Centre have awarded their 2023 artist residency to queer Birmingham based artist Rowena Harris(they/she)   

Rowena Harris focuses on how knowledge from disability, sick and crip perspectives, including their own, can inform methods, rhythms, structures and sensibilities for making work. Through moving image and CGI, creative non-fiction writing and discussion, sculpture and installation, they explore bio-cultural and socio-medical dynamics that flow through and affect human bodies differently. Often explored with feminist, queer and crip theory, their work is increasingly concerned with invisible disability and structures of ableism, as well as vectors of power within societal factors that shape how we feel, understand and make sense of our own bodies.

Elan Links is partnering with Midlands Arts Centre on this residency. In late 19th century the wider area of Elan Valley was purchased by Birmingham and a series of dams and reservoirs constructed to collect and transport water to Birmingham. Several farms and buildings were relocated and the landscape was flooded, at great cost to the local community. The reservoirs continue to supply water to the city to this day. This residency is an opportunity to develop a dialogue between these locations, which are so profound linked by water supply.

Elan Links is partnering with Midlands Arts Centre on this residency. In late 19th century the wider area of Elan Valley was purchased by Birmingham and a series of dams and reservoirs constructed to collect and transport water to Birmingham. Several farms and buildings were relocated and the landscape was flooded, at great cost to the local community. The reservoirs continue to supply water to the city to this day. This residency is an opportunity to develop a dialogue between these locations, which are so profound linked by water supply.

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Where to Stargaze https://elanvalley.org.uk/where-to-stargaze/ Wed, 16 Nov 2022 14:24:23 +0000 https://elanvalley.org.uk/?page_id=2484 Would you like to experience the magic of the night sky at Elan? Here are five sites you can visit on the Elan Estate. Claerwen Car Park Craig...

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Where to Stargaze

Home » November 2022

Would you like to experience the magic of the night sky at Elan? Here are five sites you can visit on the Elan Estate.


Claerwen Car Park

SN: 870 633
Average SQM reading: 21.47 MPSAS / 6.37 NELM

Claerwen Dam

SN: 870 636
Average SQM reading: 21.47 MPSAS / 6.37 NELM

Craig Goch Car Park

SN: 894 686
Average SQM Readings: 21.52 MPSAS / 6.39 NELM

Pont ar Elan Car Park

SN 902 715
Average SQM Readings:  21.54 MPSAS / 6.40 NELM

Pont ar Elan is a Dark Sky Discovery Site, one of nine in the Cambrian Mountains

Teifi Pools

SN: 792 675
Average SQM Readings: 21.66 MPSAS / 6.46 NELM

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Landscape Conservation Action Plan https://elanvalley.org.uk/landscape-conservation-action-plan/ Thu, 10 Nov 2022 08:42:53 +0000 https://elanvalley.org.uk/?page_id=2193 The post Landscape Conservation Action Plan appeared first on Elan Valley.

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Landscape Conservation Action Plan

Home » November 2022

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Wartime https://elanvalley.org.uk/heritage/history/wartime/ Thu, 03 Nov 2022 15:35:18 +0000 https://elanvalley.org.uk/?page_id=1938 The Elan Valley Involvement in Two Wars: World War I The first encounter that the Cwmdauddwr Hills had with the British Army was in September 1903 when 13...

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Wartime

Home » November 2022

The Elan Valley Involvement in Two Wars:
World War I

The first encounter that the Cwmdauddwr Hills had with the British Army was in September 1903 when 13 trains arrived at Rhayader station from Swindon carrying 434 men, 138 horses and 6 heavy guns of the Royal Artillery. The Lion Royal hotel, Rhayader, was the HQ for the officers whilst other ranks were billeted in a tented camp in the fields near Nannerth Fawr, Cwmdauddwr. The horses pulled the guns to the top of Penrhiwen, three miles outside Rhayader on the mountain road to Aberystwyth. The War Office had decided to test a new firing range with a view to replacing the ranges at Lydd, then used for the firing of heavy ordnance. Only the guns of the Heavy Battery were sent initially. This exercise lasted two weeks during which period the farmhouses of Hirnant, Glanhirin and Troedrhiwdrain were evacuated.

By 1908 some of the guns firing on these ranges weighed up to five tons and fired shells weighing up to 280lbs over a distance of 5000 yards. The extreme limit of their range being 11,500 yards.

In August 1908 a number of officers from the School of Gunnery, Shoeburyness, arrived in Rhayader for an exhibition of firing with six inch howitzers. Shells of 280lb weight were fired and the flight of these could be followed from the gun muzzle until explosion. On the 5th of the month three batteries were in operation simultaneously firing with large 9.45 calibre guns, 120 rounds were fired at distances ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 yards.

At around this time the first artillery shoot orchestrated from an observation balloon was conducted here.

In 1910 a display of long range (6 miles) gun fire practice with star shells took place at night using 6” and 9.45 ” calibre howitzers. During the day firing at a range of 9 miles took place using shells of 120 lbs for the 6” guns and 280lbs for the 9.45 guns. It is possible to see the craters left by the shells on Esgair Cywion and Esgair Crawnllwyn. Shrapnel from these early firings can still be found.

After the declaration of war on 4th August 1914 the troops training on the Elan Valley hills were immediately withdrawn for embarkation to France.

The Waterworks were initially guarded by members of the Training Corpse of King Edward VII College, Birmingham and 130 local volunteers as part of the National Reserve. Special Constables from Birmingham guarded the treatment works from July 1917.

After the war a memorial to the Special Constables from Birmingham who had guarded the treatment works from July 1917 until November 1918 was built after money was raised by subscription, and a water spout and drinking trough was built at Abernant, some 100yds above Caban Coch Dam.

World War II

From the 2nd September 1939 an order from the Ministry of Transport prohibited the use of the Elan Valley road between Brick house and Pont ar Elan by vehicles of all types. Fulltime guards were placed at both ends of the Elan Valley and a system of passes was instituted for residents, tradesmen etc. The Foel tower was covered in netting, surrounded with barbed wire and steel doors placed over the entrance. An earth and stone blockhouse was also built near the tower. The Chalkhouse, by the filter beds, was also reinforced with large concrete blocks to form strong points.

By August 1939 plans were being made to block entirely the road at Brick House and Pont ar Elan, the roads to be closed one hour before sunset (not later than 8pm) until 8am. A guard acquainted with the inhabitants of the district was stationed at each gate during the time of closure to allow local traffic passage through. Watchers were also stationed at strategic points in the valley.

In September 1940 a splinter proof air raid shelter positioned on the hillside above the school was provided for the children attending the Elan Valley School.

As in WW1 the Elan Valley watershed was requisitioned by the military for battle training purposes and artillery practice. On the 16th July 1942 the tenants of Glanhirin, Nantybeddau and Claerwen were removed from their homestead with all their belongings in an agreement with the War Office Special Training Area Committee and the Birmingham Corporation. The farm tenants were instructed to complete their sheep shearing before the start of the military operations on 1st August 1942.

The Corporation was also concerned that an attempt to land aircraft on the reservoirs and attack the installations from the water might be attempted, and so a system of booms and rafts was constructed and placed on the Caban reservoir. Booms were also placed around the Foel tower. The vulnerable sluice valves at the base of the tower were buried in gravel and covered with a false concrete floor to prevent possible damage by any explosives, which might be dropped down the shaft.

In October 1940 motor launches provide by the Admiralty were placed on several of the reservoirs. Royal Navy personnel manned the launches with machine gun crews drawn from the local Home Guard.

The Home Guard deployed to the dams were part of the Birmingham Water Corporation. Previously, they had been guarded by the Local Defense Volunteers.

Originally formed as the 9th Birmingham Local Defense Volunteers in May 1940, the 29th Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion ‘C’ Company comprised employees of the city’s water utilities services, a reserved occupation.

By June 1940, Number 6 Platoon was established to guard the infrastructure of the Elan Valley with 48 men. This formidable and unique task required the building of the defenses overlooking the dam in order to secure the water supply from sabotage and enemy paratroopers. From July 1940 to November 1941, 6 Platoon was supported by additional guards sent from the War Office. Afterwards, they were assisted by the Corps of Military Police. The Company was formed and commanded by the general manager of the water company throughout the war, Major A. E. Fordham.

Slipways were constructed for the launching of the motor launches. This scheme was abandoned after 1 month when the launches were immobilised and armoured cars took over their duties.

An AA battery and two searchlights were situated on the Breconshire side near the Caban dam and another two AA batteries and searchlights on the Radnorshire side near Black Rock corner, both withdrawn in 1943. The concrete ‘pillbox’ in the Foel car park is still in situ.

In the early stages of dam construction in the Elan Valley a small masonry dam was built across the Nant y Gro stream, creating a 1,000,000 gallon reservoir on the rocky slopes upstream from Caban Coch providing water for the navvie’s village. After completion of the dams the navvies’ village was demolished and a new stone built village obtained water from the new scheme. However, Nant y Gro Dam remained intact, and provided a valuable test bed for experiments involving the military objective to breach a series of large dams in the Ruhr Valley, Germany, in order to disrupt the production of armaments in the industrial centre of the Ruhr below the dams.

In 1942 secret tests and experiments were carried out by the War Ministry involving Barnes Wallis, an aeronautical engineer at Nant y Gro Dam. The remoteness of the dam was an advantage for the top secret trials to be conducted without fear of being observed. A mine was suspended at the optimum depth from scaffolding halfway along the 180ft dam and detonated remotely. The success of this trial confirmed that it would be necessary to deliver an explosive device underwater and in direct contact with the wall in order to destroy the dam. These and other secret trials resulted in the ‘bouncing bomb’ being perfected by Barnes Wallace and the now famous raid by the ‘617 squadron’. Some remains of the dam at Nant y Gro are still evident today, and a walk to the site is possible from the Visitor Centre.

Acknowledgement for much of this information to Brian Lawrence, Rhayader.

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Mining https://elanvalley.org.uk/heritage/history/mining/ Thu, 03 Nov 2022 15:35:08 +0000 https://elanvalley.org.uk/?page_id=1936 Metal mines of the Elan Estate Lead has been mined in Wales since around 1,000BC. During the roman occupation of AD43 – 407 lead was used in large...

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Mining

Home » November 2022

Metal mines of the Elan Estate

Lead has been mined in Wales since around 1,000BC. During the roman occupation of AD43 – 407 lead was used in large quantities for water pipes, ornaments and coffins. Demand was high again in the eleventh and twelfth centuries to cover roofs of castles, churches and other great buildings. The scale of workings remained small until the sixteenth century when the industry saw steady growth promoted by Queen Elizabeth 1st. Technical advances from Germany greatly improved methods of production and by the eighteenth century Britain was the most important producer of lead in Europe. Lead mining continued into the nineteenth century and most of the mines found on the Elan Estate date from this period. During the eighteenth century however, there was a massive increase in foreign produce and the industry declined, no longer able to compete.

Take a look at this computer-generated re-creation of Cwm Elan Mines when it was in use at the end of the 19th Century.


  • NANT Y CAR North. Grid ref: SN891618. Dates worked: 18th century. – 1854
  • NANT Y CAR South. Grid ref: SN886609. Dates worked: 18th century. – 1883

Produced copper/lead/zinc.

At Nant y Car south the main shaft, now flooded, was lined with masonry resting on timber lintels. There are also the foundations of a stonework winding arrangement on the western side of the shaft and ‘bob-pit’. The shaft was pumped by a flat-rod system powered by the main wheelpit, the narrow stone-lined culvert to the east of the wheelpit housed these rods.

A tramway connects the shaft structures with the two or three stone built ore bins with picking floors in front. Considerable amounts of ‘jigtailings’ by the bins indicate that there were jiggers in use at the site, probably located on the platform remains on the north-east of the crusher house, which still contains the remains of four beam ends, indicating that there were two crusher rolls in operation. A ramp connects the ore bins to the crusher house. To the east lie two circular ‘buddles’ with stone revetment walls surrounding them. Water would flow from the crusher house via a culvert to the buddle area.

The main leat is largely stone lined and is fed from the Rhiwnant stream. The site has remains of three drainage ‘adits’. A series of three-sided shelters, located amongst some natural stone fall, is presumed to have been used for some form of shelter for people employed to dress the stone for building use.


  • DALRHIW. Grid ref: SN885607. Dates worked: 1850 – 1867

Produced copper/lead.

The mine was originally accessed by a footbridge from Nant y Car south mine. The main shaft is located on the southern hill slopes at the top of the site, with a drainage adit on the south bank of the stream. A horse whim would have raised the ore from the shaft. A bob-pit and a wheel pit are associated with the shaft, and the track beds from this system can still be traced. The water channel from the wheel pit runs into Rhiwnant stream.

There are the remains of three ore bins and a small building beside them, probably where the ore was hand sorted before going to the crusher house. The remains of the crusher house and its wheelpit are located down slope from the ore bins. There is a slab floor beside the building which is possibly the washing area. Jigs were powered by another small wheelpit and the stone-slabbed floor on which they stood remains along with jig-waste by the wheelpit wall. No evidence remains of buddles. The mine office/mine managers house has collapsed, attached to it was probably the smithy.


  • NANTYGARW. Grid ref: SN874606. Dates worked:1877 – 1899

Produced lead.

Although there a few signs of the earliest workings, most of the remains visible today date from 1886 onwards. The main shaft is stone lined with a timber frame surrounding the top, some timber pump-rods remain in place. Along the south side is the bob-pit and to the east side is a single roomed building of unknown usage. A roughly circular area in the vicinity is probably all that remains of a whim circle. There is a substantial wheelpit to the east with water probably being drawn directly from the stream.

A track leads up to the remains of a processing mill. No wheelpit remains, however, power was presumably provided by water. Three adjoining buildings would once have provided processing machinery. There are also piles of jig waste and the remains of a buddle near to the mill site. Two buildings to the east of the mill consist of stone walls with a concrete cap, which would suggest a timber structure above this point. One of the buildings is divided up internally and may have been a barracks, the other building only contains a single room partition and the presence of a slot in one of the walls suggests the housing of some form of machinery. Jig platforms remain to the east of the shaft.

The remains of a leat exist which probably took ‘slimes’ from the mill to a settling pit. The remains of the mine office are of stone base with a concrete cap, which is divided into two rooms internally. There is also some evidence of a possible garden which appears as a grassy area now. The mine magazine is located at some distance to the east.


  • CWM ELAN MINE. Grid ref: SN901651. Dates worked: 1796 – 1877

Produced lead/zinc.

The early workings remain a series of open-cuts, some small tips and the earthwork remains of a few buildings. Other workings from the 18th century are now lost beneath the spoil tips of the larger 19th century operations. The majority of the structural remains at Cwm Elan date from the 1870’s.

The pumping wheelpit for the main shaft would have housed a 36x4ft wheel, water from this wheel would then pass through the archway to be re-used at the crusher wheelpit. Some of the pumping rods and other supporting iron work can still be found around the site.

Ore from the main shaft would be stored in three ore bins, of which only one remains fairly intact. From here the ore would be taken to the crusher house by tramways. The walls of the crusher house still stand almost at full height, and the crushing rolls supporting beams lie close to the building. The associated wheelpit is of similar size to that of the pumping pit, powering a crusher, jiggers and a circular buddle.

Water from the crusher house wheelpit again flowed out of an arch to feed a third smaller wheelpit which powered a buddle below. Water passed along wooden ‘launders’ and the supports remain in situ.

The site shows evidence of three parallel rows of ten settling pits to launder the lead waste, and these all had interconnecting leats. Situated away from the main areas of activity is the magazine, a small roomed stone building used to store explosives.

Glossary of Terms

  • Lead: Occurs as a sulphide ore known as galena.
  • Ore: Ore is found in veins or ‘lodes’ which run through the country rock sandwiched between layers of quartz or calcite.
  • Adits: Drainage levels or tunnels.
  • Stoping: The actual removal of the ore.
  • Balance bobs/bobpits: The rotating waterwheels powered the pumps and other mechanisms via a system of flat-rods counter balanced by balance bobs in bobpits. (The disadvantage of water power was that in the winter the water supply would freeze and in the summer it would often dry up above ground whilst continuing to enter the mine below ground, leaving the mine unworkable).
  • Launder: A wooden trough.
  • Tye box: A crude sluice.
  • Slime pits: Where any very fine particles could drop out of water suspension for later recovery.
  • Jigger: A wire sieve.
  • Buddle: A semi-automated dressing machine.

Access and Safety

Although it is possible to access all mines mentioned, they are remote and access is difficult. They are situated away from Rights of Way, and access through fenced land can only be taken where permission from the tenant farmer is sought. The terrain is often uneven and boggy. Mining areas are often dangerous, with open shafts and ground liable to sudden subsidence. Access to the shafts is not allowed and are fenced off for your safety. The piles of waste rock and ruined buildings may be unstable and care must be taken at all times.

Further Reading

The old metal mines of Mid Wales, Part 6. A miscellany. (1991) Bick,D.

CPAT Report No 248 Nantygarw Lead Mine, archaeological ground survey. (1997) Jones,N.W.and Frost, P. The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust.

Lead and lead mining. (1994) Willies,Lynn. Shire Publications Ltd.

Lead mining in Wales. (1967) Lewis,W.J. TheClwydPowys archaeological Trust

CPAT Report No 111.1 Powys metal mines ground survey. (1994). Jones,N.W. and Frost,P.

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Railway https://elanvalley.org.uk/heritage/history/railway/ Thu, 03 Nov 2022 15:34:59 +0000 https://elanvalley.org.uk/?page_id=1934 The Elan Valley Railway was built to facilitate the construction of the Birmingham Water Corporation Dams. Railways were the main form of transport at the time. This one...

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Railway

Home » November 2022

The Elan Valley Railway was built to facilitate the construction of the Birmingham Water Corporation Dams.

Railways were the main form of transport at the time. This one transported equipment, materials and men to the dam sites, visitors from Birmingham and also King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra for the official opening on 21st July 1904.

Building of the railway began in 1893 and was completed in 1896. It was built of standard gauge in four stages. The sharp curve of the tracks required short wheelbase locomotives.

A double junction was built to join it to the Cambrian Railway near Rhayader.

The Elan Valley Railway Branch Line was inspected and passed by a Board of Trade Inspector in July 1894 and the Elan Valley Railway branch was officially born.

Railway 4 took the route to the furthest dam, Craig Goch. Blasting the cutting mid-way along this route held up the construction by 3 months, earning itself the name ‘The Devil’s Gulch’!

The locomotives were all named after rivers and streams on the Estate. The first two were acquired in April 1894 and were named Elan and Claerwen. These were joined by Nant Gwyllt and Methan in October 1894, followed by Rhiwnant and Calettwr in 1895.

Today’s Visitor Centre was converted from the old workshops and part of the car park was the site of the locomotive shed and sidings.

By 1898, the steep 1:33 gradients in some sections of the railway had taken their toll on the original locomotives, so two more, Coel and Marchnant, were bought.

At its busiest time the railway had an estimated 53 kilometres (33 miles) of track. Seventeen coaches were used for transporting men to the work sites and the tracks were used for steam powered cranes, power drills and crushers. At the peak of construction around 1000 tons of materials were moved every day!

In 1906 the Birmingham Corporation Water Works locomotives were sold and in 1908 the Elan Valley Double Junction was dismantled.

Finally in 1916 the Elan Valley Railway was completely closed.

In 2004, to mark the centenary of the opening of the dams we managed to bring the only surviving locomotive (Rhiwnant) back to the Elan Valley from a private owner in South East England.

Today, you can retrace the old route of the railway by following the Elan Valley Trail, which runs for 13 kilometres (8 miles) from Cwmdauddwr (just outside Rhayader) to Craig Goch Dam. This passes alongside four of the reservoirs and offers stunning views, and can be used by walkers, cyclists, horse riders and the less able.

More information about the Elan Valley railway can be found in C. W. Judge’s book ‘The Elan Valley Railway’, published by Oakwood Press. (ISBN: 9780853615170)

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Timeline https://elanvalley.org.uk/heritage/history/timeline/ Thu, 03 Nov 2022 15:34:42 +0000 https://elanvalley.org.uk/?page_id=1932 A Rich History The Elan Valley has a rich and intricate history spanning many eras. Though not always the focal point, receiving the spotlight only within the more...

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Timeline

A Rich History

The Elan Valley has a rich and intricate history spanning many eras. Though not always the focal point, receiving the spotlight only within the more recent centuries, the valley has remained a stunning backdrop for human history for millennia.


Prehistoric
Microliths, Cairns and the Caban Coch Hoard


~ 9000 BC
Although having visited Wales (and other parts of Britain) during warmer seasons by around 31,000 BC, humans first made Wales their permanent home after the end of the last Ice Age, around 9,000 BC, as the climate became warmer and able to support continuous habitation.


~ 8000 BC – 5000 BC
From around 8000 to 6000 BC, as the Ice Age continued to thaw, sea levels rose and Wales became roughly the shape it is today. By 5000 BC, temperatures were actually higher than they are today, encouraging birch woodlands to spread and supporting Mesolithic hunter-gatherers. Their presence has been recorded here in the Elan in the form of flint microliths.

~ 4000 BC
The domestication of animals and cultivation of plants heralded the Neolithic period in Britain. These innovations arrived in Britain some 6000 years ago, leading to the first farming communities.


~ 3000 BC – 2000 BC
The Bell-beaker Culture arrived in Britain by around 2500 BC, replacing the Neolithic population. Innovations in technology grew rapidly and early communities thrived under the discovery of copper and tin. Complex social rituals were practiced; the dead were venerated by constructing cairns and erecting large standing stones, such as those at Carnau Cefn-ffordd and Drygarn Fawr. A Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age dolerite battle axe was discovered in a cairn at Clap-yr-Arian. Copper objects were developed around 2400 BC; a primitive, copper ceremonial axe dating to this era holds the title of the oldest metal archaeological find in the valley.


~ 2000 BC – 700 BC
The Bell-beaker Culture gave way to Atlantic Bronze Age societies. From around 2100 BC, smiths discovered how to smelt bronze and, over the next thousand years, bronze gradually replaced stone as the main material for tools and weapons. An Early Bronze Age ogival dagger was unearthed whilst peat digging and a Middle Bronze Age Rapier was discovered on Drygarn Fawr. More famously, however, was the discovery of four bronze socketed axe heads, dubbed the Caban Coch Hoard, unearthed in 1895.


~ 500 BC – AD 48
By around 500 BC, the British Isles were home to many tribal communities. Much of modern-day England, Wales and likely parts of Scotland were inhabited by Brythonic tribes, or Britons. The Llanwrthwl Hoard, four stunning gold torcs, were discovered just outside of the Elan Links area in Llanwrthwl during the 1950s, suggesting that the Elan Valley was once home to high-ranking Britons.


Roman Occupation
Esgair Perfedd, Roman Jewellery and the Nant-y-beddau Stones


AD 48
In AD 48, the Roman Era of Wales began. Roman General Julius Caesar had previously landed on mainland Britain in 54 BC and again in 45 BC but the Roman Conquest of Britain began in earnest in AD 43 under Emperor Claudius.


AD 52
Despite fierce resistance from the Ordovices, a tribe led by chieftain Caratacus, by AD 52 most of the tribes inhabiting Wales were subjugated. It’s possible that the tribes of Wales and the Romans alike used the Elan Valley as a place of worship due to its natural beauty.



AD 70
Under Roman occupation, military camps were established around the AD 70s. The Elan Valley must have been a significant area, important enough to host a Roman marching camp, Esgair Perfedd, which falls within the Elan Estate.


AD 87 – AD 400
From roughly AD 87 to AD 400, Wales and England were under Roman occupation. Gorgeous Roman jewellery was discovered here in 1899, dating to the 1st and 2nd centuries. The collapse and withdrawal of Roman occupation in Britain left Wales to fend for itself against Scoti (Irish raiders), Pictish and Saxon invasions. There was a huge influx of Irish settlers across west Wales. There’s some potential evidence for Irish settlement in the valley as one of the three “Nant-y-beddau Stones” may contain Ogham, an early Irish writing system. Despite these raids, the first Welsh kingdoms emerged.


Sub-Roman and the Middle Ages
Arthurian Lergends, an Elenydd Ambush and Gerald of Wales



AD 400 – 1000
Welsh culture and identity grew. Legends with roots that pre-date Roman occupation were passed down through generations by poets and bards. The Historia Brittonum, c. 828 AD, preserves a legend which took place right here in the valley at Carngafallt, with the legend retold in the Arthurian Welsh romance Culhwch ac Olwen, featuring the fabled King Arthur.


1067
Just a year after the Norman Conquest of England, the first of the Welsh kingdoms was overrun by the Normans.


1164
For the next 200 years, the Normans monopolised on Welsh infighting, gaining land and influence. Throughout the end of the 11th century and much of the 12th, ownership of the commote of Cwmteuddwr was contested between the Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth and the Anglo-Norman Marcher lords. Not all was grim warfare, however; in 1164, a Norman knight, Robert FitzStephen, granted land to the monks of Whitland Abbey in Carmarthenshire. With patronage from Rhys ap Gruffydd (The Lord Rhys), the Cistercian Strata Florida Abbey was founded. Upland Elenydd pools supplied the monastery with fresh eels and trout.


1176
Toward the end of the 12th century, Wales was shrinking under raids and Norman incursions. By this time, Rhys ap Gruffydd ruled much of Wales through Deheubarth. Elfael, a region which lies in modern day Radnorshire, was overseen by Lord Einion Clud. Maen-serth roughly marks the location of Einion’s death at the hands of Roger de Mortimer, who ambushed him in the winter of 1176.


1177
It’s probable that Rhys ap Gruffydd built Rhayader Castle the following year in 1177.


1184
The lands of Cwmteuddwr parish, including the Elan and Claerwen areas, were given to the Cistercian Abbey of Strata Florida by Rhys ap Gruffydd in 1184.


1188 – 1194
In 1191, Gerald of Wales was selected to accompany the Archbishop of Canterbury, touring Wales on a recruitment campaign for the Third Crusade. In 1191, Gerald produced the Itinerarium Cambriae. His work included a description of the Elenydd area, thus producing the first written historical record of the Elan Valley.


1196 – 1197
After King Henry II’s death, Rhys ap Gruffydd believed he was no longer bound by the agreements he had shared with the late king. Rhys attacked Norman lords encroaching on his land and defeated an army led by Roger Mortimer and Hugh de Say near Radnor though at a considerable price: 40 knights were slain in this last battle fought by Rhys, who died unexpectedly in 1197.


Late Middle Ages
Politics, Prized Elenydd Wool and the Dissolution of Strata Florida Abbey


1231
Considerably after the death of Rhys ap Gruffydd, Llywelyn Fawr ruled much of Wales through the northern kingdom of Gwynedd. Llywelyn Fawr expanded his domain further with the Elan Valley and the surrounding area changing hands. In 1231, Llywelyn destoryed Rhayader Castle and it was subsequently never rebuilt.


1238
Strata Florida Abbey became the venue for Llywelyn Fawr’s famous council where he met with fellow Welsh rulers, asking them to acknowledge and swear featly to his only legitimate (but not eldest) son, Dafydd.


1200 – 1300
After the death of Llywelyn Fawr, the Edwardian Conquest brought Wales under the rule of Edward I. A ring of mighty castles was built in north Wales to solidify Edward’s rule. Edward ordered the clearance of the Elenydd area due to “the trees sheltering thieves.”


1300 – 1400
Throughout the 14th century, monks exported wool from the Elan Valley as to as far as Flanders and Florence where it was highly prized.


1401 – 1415
A dispute between neighboring land owners, Lord Grey Ruthin and Owain Glyndŵr sparked a fourteen year-long rebellion against King Henry IV. Strata Florida Abbey was repurposed by Henry IV as a military base from which to quell the rebellion. The abbey was subsequently returned to the Cistercians with the end of the rebellion.


1536 – 1538
The Act of Union brought Wales under English law in 1536 and the legal system of England replaced the native laws of Wales. Two years later, John Leland, an English antiquarian, was sent by King VIII to access Strata Florida Abbey. Leland recorded his encounters with the local Elenydd herdsmen, who told him a local legend concerning a giant named Arthur.


1539
With Henry VIII’s Reformations of the Church came the dissolution of the monasteries, a policy which had been introduced in 1536. Monasteries were closed, their lands and wealth in England and Wales confiscated. This included Strata Florida Abbey in 1539.


1569
One of the earliest references to the local growing of corn was in a lease of the farm of Ciloerwynt in the Claerwen Valley in 1569.


Early Modern Period
Gwaith-y-mwynau Mine, the English Civil War and Bowles’ ‘Coombe-Ellen’


1609
Gwaith-y-mwynau Mine was owned by Sir Hugh Middleton who, in 1609, began the construction of a 61km canal to gravity feed fresh water into the city of London, known as the New River. His work was completed in 1613.


1632 – 1651
When the English Civil War broke out in 1642, most of Wales sided with the Royalists. Wales was crucial for raising recruits and money for the Royalist cause. Gwaith-y-mwynau Mine provided silver to finance the royalist war effort of King Charles I.


1798
English poet, critic and clergyman William Lisle Bowles visited the Elan Valley in 1798, producing the poem Coombe-Ellen, an enormous 351-line piece expressing his vivid appreciation for the life and beauty of nature in the area.


Modern Era
Percy Bysshe Shelley, the Rebecca Riots and the Construction of the Dams


1809
Thomas Grove Jr, cousin to famous poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, became Master of the Elan Valley Estate in 1809.


1811
Shelley visited the Elan Valley between June and August of 1811.


1812
In April, Shelley returned with his wife Harriet to settle into the Elan Valley, this time residing at Nantgwyllt House. Financial and political circumstances force them out of their home by June.


1843 – 1844
Economic depression and the long-standing discontentment with the tolls charged by the Turnpike Trusts led to the Rebecca Riots, so named because of the rioters disguising themselves as women. The Turnpike tollhouse known as Blaenycwm tollgate, located at the top of the Elan Valley, was attacked by rioters in 1843.


1877 – 1899
After a vein of lead ore was discovered around 1877, work began at the Nant y Garw Mine in 1882. The mine switched hands from Builth Lead Mining Co Ltd to Nantygarw Mining Co Ltd until work was abandoned in 1899.


1892
The rapid development of the industrial city of Birmingham led to the lack of clean, available water. The people of Birmingham relied on unsanitary water, leading to outbreaks of typhoid, cholera and dysentery. This caused the Birmingham City Council to petition to the British Government, passing the Birmingham Corporation Water Act in 1892 which was signed by Queen Victoria in July of the same year. This Act of Parliament allowed for the compulsory purchase of the watershed land within the Elenydd area for the purpose of constructing reservoirs, dams and filter stations for collecting, cleaning and directing drinking water to Birmingham.


1893 – 1896
A year after the Birmingham Corporation Water Act was signed, construction of the dams began. A railway line was constructed over three years and a village of wooden huts was built to house the labourers at Elan Village.


1896
The construction of the aqueduct began in 1896, carried out by outside contractors in allotted sections.


1903 – 1914
From 1903 to 1914, the Elan Valley hosted annual exercises from the Royal Garrison Artillery who camped across the moors with batteries of howitzers. By 1904, the construction of the dams had been completed. The foundations of Dol y Mynach Dam were also laid in phase one. On July 21st 1904 King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra opened the dams and just a week later on July 28th 1904, the first continuous flow of water through the aqueduct took place.


1914 – 1918
The building of the second phase was delayed due to the First World War. Special Constables were brought from Birmingham into the valley to guard the treatment works.


1939 – 1945
During World War II, full time guards were placed at both ends of the road into and out of the valley. From 1940 to 1941, pillboxes were built to protect the water supply from attacks. In October of 1940, motor launches provided by the Admiralty were placed on several reservoirs. However, this scheme was abandoned after a month when armoured cars took over.


1946
In order to accommodate the growing demand for water by Birmingham, work began in 1946 on the construction of the ambitious Claerwen Dam. Although built out of concrete, the huge dam was faced with dressed stone at considerable extra cost in order to match the appearance of the other dams.


1952
On October 23rd, 1952, Queen Elizabeth II opened Claerwen Dam as one of her first duties as monarch.


1965
The first Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), was designated on the Estate in 1965.


1974
In 1974, the individual water companies were designated and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water was given responsibility for the Elan Estate, dams and reservoirs.


1985
In 1985, the Elan Valley Visitor Centre opened.


1989
The Elan Valley was included in the Cambrian Mountains Environmentally Sensitive Area in 1989 and The Elan Valley Trust was established after privatisation of the water companies. The Trust’s responsibilities include protecting the wildlife of the estate and encouraging public access and understanding.


1995
In 1995, Elenydd-Mallaen was designated a Special Protection Area under the European Wild Birds Directive.


2002
In 2002, the Claerwen Dam celebrated its half-centenary with the dam opened for visitors to look inside.


2004
The Elan Valley celebrated their half-centenary with a series of special events.


2016
Having been in development since 2013, the Elan Links scheme began. Elan Links is a National Lottery Heritage funded scheme which aims to secure this heritage and boost the opportunities available in the Elan Valley for the future.

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Rhos Pasture https://elanvalley.org.uk/heritage/nature/rhos-pasture/ Wed, 02 Nov 2022 11:10:26 +0000 https://elanvalley.org.uk/?page_id=1714 The Precious Rhos of the Elan Valley Rhos means ‘moor’ or ‘moorland’ in Welsh;  it is marshy grassland comprising of purple moor grass and rushes, often on poorly drained, mainly...

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Rhos Pasture

Home » November 2022
Rhos upland ©Jonathan Davies

The Precious Rhos of the Elan Valley

Rhos means ‘moor’ or ‘moorland’ in Welsh;  it is marshy grassland comprising of purple moor grass and rushes, often on poorly drained, mainly acidic areas with high rainfall. It has other local names in other parts of the country such as ‘wet lawns’ (New Forest), ‘culm grassland’ (Devon) and ‘Fen Meadow’ (East Anglia). This habitat is found predominantly in south-west England, south and west Wales, south-west Scotland, and the west edge of Northern Ireland. The UK distribution has possibly more purple moor-grass and rush pasture than in the rest of Europe.

In the past, purple moor grass and rush pasture was cut for hay during dry summers, but this practice is now in decline. Today, only a few sites are managed as hay meadows, and most are kept as rough grazing for cattle and horses.

Rhôs pastures (purple moor-grass and rush pastures) are a UK BAP (Biodiversity Action Plan) Priority Habitat.

Wildlife of the Rhos

An area of Rhos pasture in good condition has both taller tussocky vegetation and shorter swards of grasses, sedges and herbs. This forms a complex patchwork of various shades of green and brown through the year. These rare habitats support a wide range of wildlife in the Elan Valley catchment which includes breeding waders, flowers and insects.

It is said that a good rush pasture can boast up to 50 different plant species present in just four square metres of grassland. Within the Elan Valley the more uncommon and ‘precious’ plants it supports are species such as the lesser butterfly-orchid, fragrant orchid, meadow thistle, globeflower, Devils bit scabious, sneezewort, saw wort, marsh bedstraw and Tormentil.

Where there is flowing water in these areas these can create flushes which provide an exceptionally rich area for species such the insectivorous common butterwort and round leaved Sundew. Found within these wetter patches you will find bog asphodel, lousewort, meadowsweet, cotton grass, ragged robin, self-heal, heath spotted orchids and Marsh Violets.

With all these colourful flowering plant displays it comes as no surprise a great variety of insect life abounds. The specialities here on the Estate are the double line moth, Small Pearl bordered fritillary (foodplant the marsh violet), marbled white, Large Heath butterfly (foodplant cotton grass), narrow bordered bee hawk moth and the tormentil mining bee.

Common frogs breed in shallow pools between tussocks, and may be hunted by otters during the mating months of March/April. Water Voles can be found within the water courses and feed and nest in the tussocky vegetation on stream sides.

Among the grasses and flowers, curlew and reed bunting breed, skylark and meadow pipit rise up in song. Snipe may be seen darting for cover when disturbed or their distinct drumming heard from their wings as they fly. Hunting for the short tailed field vole over the moor grass often can be seen the barn owl, short eared owl and buzzard.  

Conservation

As with many grassland types, much purple-moor grass and rush pasture has been lost through agricultural ‘improvement’ or has deteriorated through abandonment or inappropriate grazing. 

Grazing and mowing are essential to maintain plant species richness, as well as structural diversity to support a range of invertebrates. Light summer grazing between May and September is usually recommended.

Without cattle or pony grazing, or cutting for hay or bedding, flowers become smothered with a dense thatch of purple moor-grass (which, unusually for a grass, is deciduous) and wetland scrub can become established eventually leading to wet woodland. Some sites are burned in late winter to remove the thatch and promote young fresh growth more palatable to livestock, and encroaching rushes are sometimes cut and removed.

Many of the Rhos pastures in the Elan and Claerwen Valleys are safeguarded as SSSIs and are sympathetically managed through management agreements delivered by the farmer.

The Elan Valley Trust and farmers through a HLF (Heritage Lottery Grant) are working to improve some of the Rhos pastures and promote their importance in the upland landscape.

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Invertebrates https://elanvalley.org.uk/heritage/nature/invertebrates/ Wed, 02 Nov 2022 11:10:15 +0000 https://elanvalley.org.uk/?page_id=1712 Invertebrates do not have a backbone and have multiple, complex life stages that involve metamorphosis from larvae to adult.  The invertebrates of the Elan Valley Estate are well...

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Invertebrates

Home » November 2022

Invertebrates do not have a backbone and have multiple, complex life stages that involve metamorphosis from larvae to adult.  The invertebrates of the Elan Valley Estate are well recorded, and the diversity of species continue to provide surprises to those that take the time to look.

Most invertebrate species are small and quite easily over-looked. Some are more easily seen than others although identification is not always that easy.

These pages cover only a small number of the species that have been found here. It is not a fully comprehensive list and not all invertebrate groups have been included.

The Elan Links Natural Heritage team have been monitoring, restoring and enhancing the natural habitats.  These aim to tackle the threats and challenges to the areas natural heritage, preserving and maintaining it for the future.

Thirty-one species of butterfly have been recorded on the Estate.       

Many of our butterfly species are declining, even species that were once common and widespread and this makes it more important than ever to know what is present so that measures can be taken to maintain suitable habitat for them.

Common species such as the Speckled Wood butterfly can usually be seen flitting along the woodland glades throughout the summer months. Ringlet, Meadow Brown and both the Large, Small and Green Veined White have all been recorded.

One of the more specialist species is the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary that can be found where there are Violets especially Dog Violet. This is the foodplant upon which the caterpillar feeds and hence this fritillary will lay its eggs. This is listed as a Section 42 species of Principal Importance under the NERC Act in Wales as it is a declining species.

Their populations are decreasing overall in Britain, although Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary can still be found in habitat of damp grassland, woodland glades and marshy uplands. They are still recorded in those areas in the Elan Valley.

Dark Green Fritillary are one of the most widespread fritillary species in the UK and has been recorded on the Estate. They are generally found on open ground, preferring the ffridd habitat of the hillsides.  The Silver Washed Fritillary is occasionally recorded in the wooded glades of the Estate and is a fast and strong flying species.

Two species that can be seen at times basking around the stony areas and gravel paths, are the Grayling and Wall butterflies. Both are listed as Section 42 species of Principal Importance under the NERC Act in Wales.  Their numbers unfortunately continue to decline.

The Small and Large Heath butterflies are specialists of open grassland and the Small Heath can be seen in late summer along the sides of the cycle track as well as on the open hill. 

The Purple Hairstreak butterfly is a species that has been recorded in the tops of the oak trees in the woodland of the Elan Valley.  It is on the wing in June and July and is generally difficult to see due its habit of flying in the canopy of the oak woodlands.

The Common Blue butterfly is also a grassland species and can often be seen flitting around on the grass stems beside the cycle track on warm days.  The male is pale blue whilst the female is brown on top of its wings.

In early spring and again in the autumn months, the Comma butterfly will be on the wing and is distinctive with its ‘cut out’ patterning to the wing.  This is a butterfly of woodland edge and remains one of our more frequently recorded species.

The Large and Small Skipper have been recorded on the Estate and are mainly seen on grass stems although they are associated with late summer flowers as depicted on this Knapweed flower.

Twenty species of Dragonflies and Damselflies have been recorded on the Estate to date. 

The large yellow and black Golden-ringed dragonfly is often seen buzzing over still and moving water in late summer. Another species that can be seen later in the year is the Southern Hawker which will often do a ‘fly past’ and then may zoom right up and appear to have a look at you.

The Nationally Scarce, Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly was recorded on the Estate in 1989 and although not recorded here since, it has recently increased its range and is worth looking out for in the future.

The White legged Damselfly is classed as Uncommon but has been spotted and recorded here.  Found in slow-moving ditches and streams, the male uses its white legs in a fluttering display in front of the female and is the only Damselfly to have these white legs, making it unique to look at.

The Large Red damselfly can be seen hovering around still water, as it hunts for somewhere to lay its eggs in the vegetation. This is a commonly recorded species and is easily confused with the Small Red which is classed as Rare and is restricted to the heathlands of southern England and west Wales.

The Beautiful and Banded Damoiselle have both been recorded here.  They are creatures of slow-moving streams and ditches.

There are many species of invertebrate that can be classed as pollinators and bees are some of the most effective. 

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There are 269 species of bees in the British Isles and over 40 have been recorded in the Elan and Claerwen Valleys. Some of the bees recorded can be found in the upland hay meadows on the Estate as they are flower rich in the summer. However, many of our bee species will also use the heather clad upland areas and hillsides as a nectar and pollen source and can carry out their lifecycle in the soil of the hills and tracks.

Many bees and wasps are important pollinators and most of these are solitary species and do not exist in colonies like bumblebees or social wasps. Their life cycle involves creating a nest site in the ground or a hollow stem, laying and provisioning this cell with pollen or if it is a wasp, another insect for the hatched larvae to feed upon.

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Some of the 40 species recorded here are protected by legislation as they are classed as Section 42 Species of Principle Importance and some are included in the Red Data Book of rare and endangered insects. These bees have niches that require a particular habitat and the Elan Valley upland meadows can provide that special habitat where some species of rare and rather specialist plants occur.

Some species of bee are so specialist that they will depend upon one type of flower structure to gather pollen from. They feed upon these flowers for nectar.  Others will use many types of flower structure and these are usually more commonly recorded species.

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The meadows are grazed to maintain their condition and are Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The resultant hay is treated as a crop each year and gathered in to feed the animals over the winter period.

At one time, traditionally managed hay meadows were found across Britain, however, since 1946 there has been a 98% decrease in meadow land in the UK. This has had a detrimental effect upon our pollinating insects as some species rely particularly upon certain species of flowering plant.

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It is the specialist bee species which need a certain flower structure or even a flower species that is the most threatened. Many have declined in the countryside as they require plants which grow in meadows to survive. This makes the Elan Valley meadows highly important to these valuable insects.

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There are 7,000 species of fly in the UK and they are also important pollinators of plants. Some species will mimic bees and wasps in their colouring which helps them with protection as one of the species of hoverfly below mimics a hornet and the other one mimics a bumblebee. Some species of fly are specifically responsible for pollinating the Globe flower which is found in the hay meadows on the Estate. Greater butterfly Orchid also grow here, and some species of night flying moth have been found to pollinate them.

There is plenty of water in the Elan and Claerwen Valleys and many fresh water invertebrates have been recorded here. Mayflies, Caddis flies and Stoneflies are prevalent in the fast-flowing rivers and streams as well as the ponds and still waters. As well as flies, ants also are useful pollinators and 7 species have been recorded here to date.

Common species such as Yellow Meadow ant and Wood ant have been found as well as the Hairy Wood ant.  As their names suggest, the wood ants colonise woodland, both coniferous and deciduous, and large nests can be found. 

The Yellow Meadow ant is a species of undisturbed grassland and meadows and their nesting mounds can be seen in the meadows throughout the year. It is one of our most common ant species in the UK.

The Order of the Coleoptera is the largest of the insects. There are 4, 072 species of beetle in the UK and over recent years, 400 species have been recorded on the Estate. One exciting discovery on the Estate was the 5 Spot Ladybird.  It is an Endangered species of river shingle, overwintering on gorse or under the shingle stones.

Another interesting species that has been recorded here is the Climbing Corydalis Weevil which is associated with the Climbing Corydalis plant and bracken stands. This is a tiny animal, measuring approximately 4mm in length. It is thought that the larvae feed upon the bracken rhizomes and the adults feed upon the Corydalis plant. It was once only found in the UK but has also been recorded in Europe.

Beetles can be found in most habitats and certain species will inhabit different niches. Beetles are very varied in size and shape and can be most extraordinary in their appearance. Some of the most common are the leaf beetles such as the Green Dock Beetle.

The Cardinal Beetles are species of woodland and can be found beneath the loose bark of rotting trees. Another group of beetles, the long horned, are also found in the woodlands. Their larvae will bore into soft rotting wood. These are known as a saproxylic species and can depend upon decaying wood for all or part of their life cycle.

There are a reasonable number of Glow Worms recorded here each year.  Despite their name these are also beetles and not worms. The females are flightless and can be seen on a dry night, clinging to a stem of grass, glowing from her back end. This is an advert to the male, which can fly, to mate with her. They can be found most easily in the months of June and July.

Their whole life cycle will take place in the area of grassland in which they pupate and so the population may naturally increase over time around that same area.

The Glow Worm is found in chalk and limestone grassland, and feeds upon snails and slugs. They are also distributed in farmland, woodland rides and along railway lines.

Interestingly, they are found mostly along the old railway line footpaths of the Estate and it is thought that they may have been ‘brought in’ on stone that was used when the railway line was constructed over 100 years ago.

To date, 549 species of moth that have been recorded on the Estate.  Many of these are night time flying species, although some species will be on the wing in the day time as well.

As the night time flying moths will come to a specialist light trap, they can be recorded quite easily by carefully removing them the following day to examine.

In 2011, there was an exciting discovery in a local Nature Reserve of the nationally rare and Red Data Book species the Welsh Clearwing moth. Following on from this, the Countryside Ranger, Sorcha Lewis carried out a systematic search of the older specimens of Downy Birch trees on the Estate and the exuviae of the moth was found protruding from some of these trees, proving its presence here as well.

Other rarities that have been recorded on the Estate include Pretty Pinion, Orange Underwing and Fen Square-Spot.

The Six Spot Burnet and the Silver Y are day time flying moths that are seen and recorded here.

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