Search Results

Woodland occupies about 40% of the land area of NPT and although most of this is conifer plantation there is also a substantial amount of ancient, semi-natural Oak woodland. In most there are good paths and trails, and many of these woodlands can be accessed easily. < Back Some notable ancient deciduous woodlands in the vicinity of Neath and Briton Ferry Rhai coetiroedd collddail hynafol nodedig yn ardal Castell-nedd a Llansawel Woodland occupies about 40% of the land area of NPT and although most of this is conifer plantation there is also a substantial amount of ancient, semi-natural Oak woodland. In most there are good paths and trails, and many of these woodlands can be accessed easily. Coetir yw oddeutu 40% o arwynebedd tir CNPT ac er mai planigfeydd conifferau yw’r rhan fwyaf, mae yna hefyd gryn dipyn o goetir Derw hynafol, lled-naturiol. Mae’r rhan fwyaf yn cynnwys llwybrau da ac mae llawer ohonynt yn cynnig mynediad hwylus. A significant block of ancient Oak woodland, managed by the Woodland Trust, occurs on the eastern flank of Drumau Mountain between Maesmelin and Dyffryn. Maesmelin Wood is famed for its Blue Ground Beetle population, a nationally rare woodland species and a priority species in NPT and the rest of the UK. Like nearby Darran Wood and Dyffryn Woods, Maesmelin Wood is dominated by Sessile Oak with abundant Holly, Silver Birch and Rowan. There are extensive networks of paths in these woods which allow you to experience wildlife in a tranquil environment. Tyn yr Heol Woods, which can be accessed from Dyffryn Road, is a beautiful valley woodland along the River Clydach near Bryncoch. In spring the colourful ground flora here is replete with Bluebell, Ramsons, Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage, Wood Anemone and Yellow Archangel, and a walk through the woods from Dyffryn Road to Main Road in spring or early summer will allow you to experience this. Craig Gwladus Country Park is a woodland area above Cilfrew and Cadoxton, about 2 miles from Neath town. It has reasonable parking facilities, from which you can gain access to the old dram road. From there you can take a leisurely walk on a straight path below a steep and thickly wooded slope. As you walk west you will reach some stopping points that give great views of Neath and its surroundings. It is worth stopping to look at the extent of semi-natural deciduous woodland there is in this part of the county. Rocky outcrops of Pennant Sandstone can be seen on the south facing slope of the woodland and in some places, rocks dripping with seepage water are covered in bryophytes. Notable among them are the upland liverworts, Straggling Pouchwort and Notched Rustwort, and the impressive dark-green cushions of Mougeot’s Yoke-moss. In many places there are large swards of Great Wood-rush and smaller amounts of Hairy Wood-rush, a good indicator of ancient woodland. In late spring there are impressive displays of Bluebell, particularly in the Beech plantation that is reached as you walk east along the dram road and the whole area is alive with bird song from Robin, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Blackcap and Chiffchaff. If you leave the dram road and head up into the steep woodland you will reach an upper path that takes you through the heart of Craig Gwladus’ ancient oakwood where there are some patches of Wood Anemone. Look out and listen for Wood Warbler if you are here in May or June. In historic times, there must have been a large, impressive and continuous forest of oak between Tonna and Baglan, which today, we see remnants of in Wenallt Wood, Tonna, Eaglesbush Valley and Briton Ferry. Eaglesbush Valley in Melyn Cryddan, is a Local Nature Reserve. A walk along Foundry Road follows the Cryddan Brook into the heart of the valley where ancient woodland clothes the steep east and north-facing slopes. Bluebell and Wood Sorrel are frequent here but there are also local patches of Wood Anemone and Dog’s Mercury, which are not common components of our valley oak woods. Where the public access road comes to an end there is an area of oakwood on the south-facing side of the valley with a field layer of Purple Moor-grass, which is a notable feature. On the other side of the valley, an uneven, narrow path takes you up into Cupola Wood, an ancient Sessile-oak woodland, with an understory of Bilberry and Heather, that is depicted on some of the earliest maps of Neath and its environs. Briton Ferry Woods (and the adjacent area of Baglan Woods) is an extensive block of forest, on the west facing slopes below Mynydd y Gaer, made up of ancient oak woodland mixed with Beech and Scots Pine plantations. A forest road, accessible from the back of Jersey Park in Briton Ferry will take you up through a very scenic Beech woodland into the Sessile-oak woodland which stretches around Myndd y Gaer to the northern end of Baglan. Woodland fungi are often abundant in these beechwoods in autumn. If you follow the forest road it will eventually take you to the old Cefn Cwrt Reservoir, which is surrounded by woodland on its northern and eastern flanks, with bilberry and heather, similar to that of Cupola Wood. Mae darn sylweddol o goetir Derw hynafol, a reolir gan Coed Cadw, ar lethr dwyreiniol Mynydd Drumau rhwng Maesmelin a Dyffryn. Mae safle Coed Maesmelin yn enwog oherwydd ei boblogaeth o’r Chwilen Ddaear Las, sef rhywogaeth goetir sy’n brin ar lefel genedlaethol ac sy’n un o’r rhywogaethau â blaenoriaeth yn CNPT ac yng ngweddill y Deyrnas Unedig. Yn yr un modd â Choed Darran a Choed Dyffryn gerllaw, coed Derw Mes Di-goes yw’r nodwedd amlycaf yng Nghoed Maesmelin ynghyd â choed Celyn, Bedw Arian a Chriafol toreithiog hefyd. Ceir rhwydweithiau helaeth o lwybrau yn y coetiroedd hyn sy’n caniatáu i bobl fwynhau bywyd gwyllt mewn amgylchedd tawel. Mae Coed Tyn yr Heol, y gellir ei gyrraedd o Heol y Dyffryn, yn goetir hyfryd ar lawr y dyffryn ar lan afon Clydach ger Bryncoch. Yn y gwanwyn, mae’r fflora daear lliwgar yma yn llawn Clychau’r Gog, Craf y Geifr, yr Eglyn Cyferbynddail, Blodyn y Gwynt a’r Farddanhadlen Felen, y gallwch eu gweld trwy gerdded o Heol Dyffryn i’r ffordd fawr yn y gwanwyn neu ar ddechrau’r haf. Ardal goetir yw Parc Gwledig Craig Gwladus uwchben Cil-ffriw a Llangatwg, ryw ddwy filltir o dref Castell-nedd. Mae cyfleusterau parcio rhesymol yno sy’n cynnig mynediad at yr hen dramffordd. O’r fan honno, gallwch gerdded yn hamddenol ar lwybr syth o dan lethr serth a choediog. Wrth i chi gerdded tua’r gorllewin, fe welwch arosfannau sy’n cynnig golygfeydd gwych dros Gastell-nedd a’r cyffiniau. Mae’n werth sefyll i gael golwg ar yr holl goetir collddail lled-naturiol sydd yn y rhan hon o’r sir. Mae brigiadau creigiog o Dywodfaen Pennant i’w gweld ar lethr y coetir sy’n wynebu’r de ac mewn rhai mannau, mae’r creigiau lle mae dŵr yn diferu wedi’u gorchuddio â bryoffytau. Mae’n werth nodi bod y rhain yn cynnwys llysiau’r afu ucheldir, y Codlys Traphlith a’r Rhydlys Hiciog, ynghyd â chlustogau gwyrdd tywyll trawiadol mwsogl Amphidium mougeotii . Mewn sawl man, gwelir tonnau mawr o Goedfrwyn Mawr a nifer llai o Goedfrwyn Blewog, sy’n ddangosydd da o goetir hynafol. Ar ddiwedd y gwanwyn, mae Clychau’r Gog yn drawiadol, yn enwedig yn y blanhigfa Ffawydd y gellir ei chyrraedd trwy gerdded tua’r dwyrain ar hyd y dramffordd, ac mae’r ardal gyfan yn seinio i gân y Robin, y Fronfraith, yr Aderyn Du, y Telor Penddu a’r Siff Siaff. Gallwch adael y dramffordd a cherdded i fyny i’r coetir serth i gyrraedd llwybr uwch a fydd yn eich arwain i ganol coetir derw hynafol Craig Gwladus, lle mae rhai clystyrau o Flodau’r Gwynt. Os byddwch yma ym mis Mai neu fis Mehefin, fe allech weld neu glywed Telor y Coed. Yn y gorffennol, mae’n rhaid bod coedwig fawr a thrawiadol o goed derw wedi ymestyn yn ddi-dor rhwng Tonna a Baglan, y mae ei gweddillion i’w gweld heddiw yng Nghoed y Wenallt, Tonna, Cwm Cryddan a Llansawel. Mae Cwm Cryddan, ym Melin Cryddan, yn Warchodfa Natur Leol. Mae modd cerdded ar hyd Heol y Ffowndri gan ddilyn Nant Cryddan i ganol y cwm lle mae coed hynafol yn gorchuddio’r llethrau serth sy’n wynebu’r dwyrain a’r gogledd. Gwelir Clychau’r Gog a Suran y Coed yma yn aml ond mae yma hefyd welyau lleol o Flodau’r Gwynt a Bresych y Cŵn, sy’n llai cyffredin yng nghoetiroedd derw’r dyffrynnoedd. Ym mhen pella’r ffordd fynediad gyhoeddus, mae coed derw yn tyfu ar ochr y cwm sy’n wynebu’r de lle mae cae o Laswellt y Gweunydd yn nodwedd hynod. Ar yr ochr draw, bydd llwybr cul ac anwastad yn eich arwain i fyny i Goed Cupola, sef coetir hynafol o goed Derw Mes Di-goes, gyda Llus a Grug yn tyfu odanynt, sydd wedi’i gynnwys ar rai o’r mapiau cynharaf o Gastell-nedd a’r cyffiniau. Mae Coed Llansawel (ac ardal Coed Baglan gerllaw) yn ddarn helaeth o goedwig, ar y llethrau sy’n wynebu’r gorllewin o dan Fynydd y Gaer, sy’n cynnwys coetir derw hynafol yn gymysg â’r planigfeydd coed Ffawydd a Phinwydd yr Alban. Bydd ffordd goedwig, y mae modd ei chyrraedd o’r tu ôl i Barc Jersey yn Llansawel, yn eich arwain trwy goetir Ffawydd hyfryd iawn i’r coetir Derw Mes Di-goes sy’n ymestyn o amgylch Mynydd y Gaer i ben gogleddol Baglan. Mae ffyngau coetir yn aml yn doreithiog yn y coedwigoedd ffawydd hyn yn yr hydref. Os dilynwch ffordd y goedwig, cewch eich arwain ymhen tipyn at hen Gronfa Ddŵr Cefn Cwrt, sydd wedi’i hamgylchynu gan goetir ar ei llethrau gogleddol a dwyreiniol lle ceir llus a grug yn debyg i Goed Cupola. Gallery Previous Next

A short walk from the village of Melincwrt, near Resolven, will take you along the Melincwrt Brook into a little nature reserve managed by The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. It is an easy walk that takes you into the lower Melincwrt Valley as far as the photogenic waterfall, Sgwd Rhyd yr Hesg, which falls spectacularly into a jumble of sandstone boulders at its base. < Back Melincwrt Valley and Cwm Caca Dyffryn Melin-cwrt a Chwm Caca A short walk from the village of Melincwrt, near Resolven, will take you along the Melincwrt Brook into a little nature reserve managed by The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. It is an easy walk that takes you into the lower Melincwrt Valley as far as the photogenic waterfall, Sgwd Rhyd yr Hesg, which falls spectacularly into a jumble of sandstone boulders at its base. Bydd taith fer ar droed o bentref Melin-cwrt, ger Resolfen, yn eich arwain ar hyd glan Nant Melin-cwrt i warchodfa natur fach sy’n cael ei rheoli gan Ymddiriedolaeth Bywyd Gwyllt De a Gorllewin Cymru. Mae’n dro hawdd sy’n eich arwain i mewn i ran isaf Dyffryn Melin-cwrt mor bell â rhaeadr ffotogenig Sgwd Rhyd yr Hesg sy’n disgyn yn drawiadol dros y casgliad o greigiau tywodfaen oddi tani. In places, the perpendicular walls of the valley are covered in mosses and liverworts, with sheets of Straggling Pouchwort draped over the wet rocks which are splashed by the cascading water, while Royal Fern clings on to the rock behind the waterfall. The path-side river bank is wooded with Wych Elm and Small-leaved Lime in places, and a rather inaccessible, north-facing vertical slab of rock here is covered with Tunbridge Filmy-fern in its only known location in NPT. The steep wooded sides of the valley are dominated by Sessile Oak, with a ground flora that includes Common Cow-wheat, Bluebell and Wood Sorrel. In previous decades, Pied Flycatcher bred in this woodland but they haven’t been recorded here in recent years. However, Grey Wagtail and Dipper are commonly found along the brook, and further upstream, above the waterfall, Spotted Flycatcher and Redstart are often seen. The steep, gorge-like upper Melincwrt Valley, above the waterfall, is little explored, but wet rocks and splash zones there support interesting liverworts such as Compressed Flapwort and the exquisite Handsome Woolywort. Where the brook meanders through Cwm Caca there are banks of Ivy-leaved Bellflower and a large area of marshy grassland filled with rushes and bog mosses. Base-rich flushes in this vicinity have attractive swards of Thick-nerved Apple-moss, and small amounts of Beech Fern reside in the shade of rocky outcrops. Mewn mannau, gorchuddir waliau unionsyth y dyffryn gan fwsoglau a llysiau’r afu, gyda haenau o Godlys Traphlith wedi’u taenu dros y creigiau gwlyb lle mae’r rhaeadr yn tasgu a Rhedyn Cyfrdwy yn glynu at y graig y tu ôl i’r rhaeadr. Mae glan yr afon ar ochr y llwybr yn goediog gyda Llwyfenni Llydanddail a Phisgwydd Dail Bach mewn mannau, ac mae darn o graig fertigol sy’n wynebu’r gogledd ac sy’n anodd iawn ei gyrraedd wedi’i orchuddio gan Redynach Teneuwe Tunbridge, unig leoliad hysbys y rhywogaeth yn CNPT. Derw Mes Di-goes yw’r nodwedd amlycaf ar ochrau coediog serth y dyffryn, gyda fflora daear sy’n cynnwys Gliniogai, Clychau’r Gog a Suran y Coed. Mewn degawdau blaenorol, roedd Gwybedogion Brith yn bridio yn y coetir hwn ond nid ydynt wedi’u cofnodi yma yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Fodd bynnag mae Siglennod Llwyd a Throchyddion i’w canfod yn gyffredin ar hyd y nant ac ymhellach i fyny’r nant, uwchben y rhaeadr, mae Gwybedogion Mannog a Thingochion i’w gweld yn aml. Nid yw rhan uchaf Dyffryn Melin-cwrt a’i hochrau serth, fel ceunant, uwchben y rhaeadr wedi cael ei harchwilio’n fanwl, ond mae’r creigiau gwlyb a’r parthau lle mae’r dŵr yn tasgu yn cynnal mathau diddorol o lysiau’r afu megis yr Ysgol-lys Cywasg a’r Gwlanlys Hardd. Lle mae’r nant yn ymdroelli trwy Gwm Caca, ceir llethrau o Glychlys Dail Eiddew ac ardal helaeth o laswelltir corsiog llawn cyrs a migwynau. Mae’r llaciau tra-fasig yn y cyffiniau hyn wedi denu clystyrau o afal-fwsogl Philonotis calcarea ac mae ychydig o Redyn Corniog i’w canfod yng nghysgod y creigiau bargodol. Gallery Previous Next

The Gnoll Estate, once the 18th century seat of the entrepreneurial Mackworth family, sits prominently on a low hill overlooking Neath town centre. With its wooded landscape, 4 lakes and spacious grassland, it is today an important resource of urban greenspace and a popular venue for the town’s residents and visitors. There is plenty of wildlife to see here at any time of year. < Back Gnoll Estate Country Park Parc Gwledig Ystâd y Gnoll The Gnoll Estate, once the 18th century seat of the entrepreneurial Mackworth family, sits prominently on a low hill overlooking Neath town centre. With its wooded landscape, 4 lakes and spacious grassland, it is today an important resource of urban greenspace and a popular venue for the town’s residents and visitors. There is plenty of wildlife to see here at any time of year. Mae Ystâd y Gnoll, a fu’n gartref i deulu entrepreneuraidd Mackworth yn y ddeunawfed ganrif, ar safle amlwg sy’n edrych dros ganol tref Castell-nedd. Gyda thirwedd goediog, 4 llyn a glaswelltir eang, mae’r parc heddiw yn fan gwyrdd trefol sy’n adnodd pwysig ac yn gyrchfan poblogaidd i breswylwyr ac ymwelwyr â’r dref. Mae digonedd o fywyd gwyllt i’w gweld yma ar bob adeg o’r flwyddyn. Vehicle access to the Gnoll is easiest from the Fairyland entrance which takes you to a large pay and display car park and the nearby Visitor Centre. Alternatively, it can also be walked from Neath Town Centre, walking through the memorial gate and past the lower pond. From the Visitor Centre you can take a leisurely walk around the large lake (the second pond) and a number of paths and trails from there will take you into the heart of the impressive Beech woods. There is plenty to keep young families interested, with the avenue of Horse Chestnut providing a plentiful supply of ‘conkers’ along the route to the old Mackworth House; the hollow Oak, surviving decades of children clambering around its hollow trunk and the plentiful clumps of frogspawn and tadpoles found throughout the many ponds and ditches in the Park. The lake always has lots of wildfowl, including Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Mallard, Tufted Duck and Goosander. On quiet mornings you may also see a Water Rail, a Heron or a Kingfisher and in spring there are usually occasional sightings of Common Sandpiper along the edges of the lake. A grassy bank on the southern perimeter of the lake usually has a spectacular display of Southern Marsh-orchids in early summer. At any time of year you may see Red Kite soaring above your head. There are several magnificent specimen trees in the Beech woods, many of which must have been planted as part of the original Mackworth Estate. There is also lots of Hornbeam and smaller amounts of Norway Maple here and although none of these are native trees in this part of Wales, they provide an impressive woodland environment nonetheless. In autumn, woodland fungi such as the Wood Hedgehog, the Miller and the beautiful Orange Grisette can be found on the woodland floor, and in winter, flocks of Chaffinch with small groups of Brambling forage there for beech mast. Later in spring, Nuthatch can be heard whistling in the canopy while Greater Spotted Woodpecker drum on resonant tree trunks. Chiffchaff and Wood Warbler are among the summer migrants that breed here. Fragments of ancient oak woodland still survive in the Dingle along Preswylfa Brook and in Mosshouse Wood, where Silver-washed Fritillary butterflies are occasional in summer and Purple Hairstreaks fly high in the woodland canopy. Spring displays of Bluebell can be impressive in these places, and you may also find other ancient woodland indicators such as Wood Anemone, Woodruff and Yellow Archangel. The little brooks and streams in these valleys are good places to look out for Grey Wagtail and Dipper. From the Visitor Centre, there is an enjoyable walk to the upper Mosshouse lake, a disused reservoir surrounded by a quiet woodland bisected by an impressive, man-made cascade. Look out for Spotted Flycatcher hereabouts and listen out for trilling Wood Warbler. Pied Flycatcher have bred here in past years but have not been seen recently. En route to the old reservoir you will pass an area thick with birch and willow that has replaced a small plantation of Western Hemlock which was clear-felled not so long ago. The plot is quickly reverting back to deciduous woodland and is usually alive with birdsong from Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Garden Warbler in late spring. Bats are particularly active on warm summer nights around the second pond where there are roosts of Noctule and Daubenton’s bats. They are undoubtedly attracted by the large numbers of moths that fly at these times. Moth traps usually pick up a diversity of species in the park, which have included the uncommon Alder Kitten and Chocolate Tip, as well as larger, spectacular, hawkmoth species. Y ffordd fwyaf hwylus i gerbydau gyrraedd y Gnoll yw trwy fynedfa Fairyland sy’n mynd â chi i faes parcio talu ac arddangos helaeth a’r Ganolfan Ymwelwyr gerllaw. Fel arall, mae modd cerdded yno o ganol tref Castell-nedd, gan fynd trwy’r porth coffa a heibio i’r pwll isaf. O’r Ganolfan Ymwelwyr, gallwch gerdded yn hamddenol o amgylch y llyn mawr (yr ail bwll) lle bydd nifer o lwybrau yn eich arwain oddi yno i ganol y goedwig Ffawydd drawiadol. Mae digon o bethau i gynnal diddordeb teuluoedd ifanc, gyda rhodfa Castanwydd y Meirch sy’n darparu digonedd o ‘goncyrs’ ar hyd y ffordd at hen Dŷ Mackworth; y Dderwen geubren, sydd wedi goroesi degawdau o blant yn dringo drosti a’r clympiau helaeth o grifft broga a phenbyliaid sydd yn y pyllau a’r ffosydd niferus yn y Parc. Mae llawer o adar gwyllt ar y llyn bob amser, gan gynnwys Elyrch Dof, Cwtieir, Ieir Dŵr, Gwyachod Bach, Hwyaid Gwyllt, Hwyaid Copog a Hwyaid Danheddog. Ar foreau tawel fe allech chi hefyd weld Rhegen Ddŵr, Crëyr Glas neu Las y Dorlan ac yn y gwanwyn fel arfer, mae’n gyffredin gweld ambell Bibydd y Dorlan ar lan y llyn. Fel arfer, mae arddangosfa ysblennydd o Degeiriannau’r-gors Deheuol i’w gweld ar fancyn glas ar berimedr deheuol y llyn ar ddechrau’r haf. Gallech weld Barcud Coch yn hedfan uwch eich pen ar unrhyw adeg o’r flwyddyn. Mae nifer o goed enghreifftiol ardderchog yn y goedwig Ffawydd, a gafodd eu plannu, mae’n siŵr, fel rhan o Ystâd wreiddiol Mackworth. Hefyd, mae llawer o Oestrwydd a nifer llai o Fasarn Norwy yma ac er nad yw’r rhain yn goed brodorol yn y rhan hon o Gymru, maen nhw’n darparu amgylchedd coetir trawiadol serch hynny. Yn yr hydref, mae ffyngau coetir megis Pigau Draenog y Coed, Cap y Melinydd a’r Amanita Benfelen hardd ar lawr y coetir ac yn y gaeaf, mae heidiau o Ji-bincod ynghyd â grwpiau llai o Bincod y Mynydd yn fforio am gnau ffawydd yno. Yn hwyrach yn y gwanwyn, clywir Telor y Cnau yn chwibanu yn y canopi wrth i’r Gnocell Fraith Fawr guro ar foncyffion coed atseiniol. Mae’r Siff Siaff a Thelor y Coed ymhlith y mudwyr haf sy’n bridio yma. Mae darnau o goetir derw hynafol yn dal i oroesi yn y Ceunant (Dingle) ar lan Nant Preswylfa ac yng Nghoed Mosshouse, lle gwelir ambell Frith Arian yn yr haf a lle mae Brithribiniau Porffor yn hedfan fry yng nghanopi’r coetir. Mae Clychau’r Gog yn drawiadol yn y mannau hyn a gallech hefyd weld rhai dangosyddion coetir hynafol eraill megis Blodyn y Gwynt, y Friwydd Bêr a’r Farddanhadlen Felen. Mae’r nentydd bach yn y dyffrynnoedd hyn yn fannau da i weld y Siglen Lwyd a Bronwen y Dŵr. O’r Ganolfan Ymwelwyr, mae’n braf mynd am dro at lyn uchaf Mosshouse, sef hen gronfa ddŵr nas defnyddir sydd wedi’i hamgylchynu gan goetir tawel sydd wedi’i hollti gan raeadr ffug sylweddol ei maint. Edrychwch am Wybedog Mannog yma a gwrandewch ar drydar Telor y Coed. Bu’r Gwybedog Brith yn bridio yma yn y gorffennol ond nis gwelwyd yn ddiweddar. Ar eich ffordd at yr hen gronfa ddŵr, byddwch yn mynd heibio i ardal lle mae trwch o goed bedw a helyg wedi cymryd lle planhigfa fach o Hemlog y Gorllewin a gafodd ei llwyrgwympo yn weddol ddiweddar. Mae coetir collddail yn ailddatblygu’n gyflym ar y llain lle mae cân Telor yr Helyg, y Llwydfron, y Telor Penddu a Thelor yr Ardd yn llenwi’r lle tuag at ddiwedd y gwanwyn. Ar nosweithiau cynnes o haf, bydd ystlumod yn arbennig o brysur o gwmpas yr ail bwll lle mae Ystlumod Mawr ac Ystlumod y Dŵr yn clwydo. Mae’n siŵr eu bod nhw’n cael eu denu gan y niferoedd mawr o wyfynod sy’n hedfan ar yr adegau hyn. Mae trapiau gwyfynod fel arfer yn dal amrywiaeth o rywogaethau yn y parc, sydd wedi cynnwys rhywogaethau anghyffredin Cathan y Gwernos a’r Blaen Brown, yn ogystal â rhywogaethau o walchwyfynod trawiadol a mwy o faint. Gallery Previous Next

The coastal edge of NPT sweeps around Swansea Bay, from Swansea University Bay Campus near Jersey Marine, to Morfa Beach at the mouth of the River Kenfig. Two hundred years ago this coastal strip was composed of pristine sand dunes, but much of that has since been lost to industrial development. Only Crymlyn Burrows and Baglan Burrows, which are situated on either side of the Neath river mouth, survive as significant areas of sand dune ecosystems in NPT today, although smaller areas of dunes also occur in the vicinity of Aberavon and Morfa. < Back Sand Dune Systems of Baglan Burrows and Crymlyn Burrows Systemau twyni tywod Twyni Baglan a Thwyni Crymlyn The coastal edge of NPT sweeps around Swansea Bay, from Swansea University Bay Campus near Jersey Marine, to Morfa Beach at the mouth of the River Kenfig. Two hundred years ago this coastal strip was composed of pristine sand dunes, but much of that has since been lost to industrial development. Only Crymlyn Burrows and Baglan Burrows, which are situated on either side of the Neath river mouth, survive as significant areas of sand dune ecosystems in NPT today, although smaller areas of dunes also occur in the vicinity of Aberavon and Morfa. Mae arfordir CNPT yn ymestyn ar hyd Bae Abertawe, o Gampws y Bae Prifysgol Abertawe ger Jersey Marine i Draeth y Morfa wrth geg afon Cynffig. Ddau gan mlynedd yn ôl, roedd y llain arfordirol hon yn dwyni tywod dilychwin, ond collwyd llawer o’r rhain o ganlyniad i ddatblygu diwydiannol. Heddiw, Twyni Crymlyn a Thwyni Baglan, ar bob ochr i geg afon Nedd yw’r unig ardaloedd sylweddol o ecosystemau twyni tywod sydd wedi goroesi yn CNPT, er bod darnau llai o dwyni hefyd yng nghyffiniau Aberafan a’r Morfa. Access to Crymlyn Burrows is easy from the Bay Campus, where there is a Pay and Display car park. Baglan Burrows can be accessed from the coast path near Brunel Dock in Briton Ferry or from the northern end of Aberavon Beach. Both are distinguished by their dynamic, accreting sand dune systems, which sets them apart from many other dunes in Glamorgan and allows them to support diverse mobile sand communities of plants and animals. Strand line and foredune areas are well developed at both sites, where there are large amounts of Sea Rocket, Prickly Saltwort and Sea Sandwort and occasionally, scattered plants of Frosted Orache. Moving inland, the mobile foredunes have conspicuous populations of Sea Holly, Sea Bindweed, Dune Pansy and Sea Spurge. Dune Fescue, an uncommon grass in Britain, is also found here with Sand Cat’s-tail in amongst the Marram Grass. Sea Stock, which is now a rare plant on Crymlyn Burrows, can still be found in large numbers on Baglan Burrows. This Red Data species, which in the UK is found only in south Wales and the south west of England, is a very significant feature of our dune systems. Further inland the more fixed areas of dune have a very diverse collection of colourful grassland species, which include Pyramidal Orchid, Heath Violet and Kidney Vetch, which is particularly abundant on Crymlyn Burrows. Butterflies such as Small Blue, Brown Argus and the much larger Dark-green Fritillary fly in these biodiverse grasslands in summer. Unfortunately, many of the diverse dune slack systems that were found on these dunes 50 years ago have been lost. In the 1970s, Fen Orchid, Early Marsh-orchid, Marsh Helleborine, Marsh Lousewort, Marsh Arrowgrass and Round-leaved Wintergreen featured in slack systems on Crymlyn Burrows, but none of these occur there now. However Early Marsh-orchid and Marsh Helleborine can still be found on Baglan Burrows, where there are also significant populations of Yellow Bartsia, Cyperus Sedge, Distant Sedge and Dotted Sedge. Plans and tentative preparations have been made to recreate new dune slacks on Crymlyn Burrows. Of the birds you are likely to see on the dunes, Stonechat, Linnet and Skylark are particularly conspicuous and, in late spring, Cuckoo are often seen and heard. Winter sometimes brings a Short-eared Owl or Hen Harrier hunting over the dunes, while the strand line areas are good places to look for Snow Bunting at that time of year. Wading birds such as Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher and Curlew occur in varying numbers along the shore line, but the large winter feeding flocks of Sanderling that used to congregate on Crymlyn Burrows until recently have disappeared, probably as a result of relentless disturbance. In spring, small groups of Terns, including Little Tern, can usually be seen flying over the sea close to the shore, and Whimbrel are also seen on passage in spring and early autumn in most years. Space does not permit a detailed description of the invertebrate fauna of these dunes but you can expect to see the carabid beetle, Broscus cephalotes , hiding under washed-up debris along the strand line, as well as Sand Digger Wasps and sometimes hundreds of Snake Millipedes. Dune Villa flies are also seen commonly resting on the sand on warm summer afternoons. People are often surprised by the diversity of fungi that occur on our dunes. You might find the Common Bird’s-nest fungus after a careful search of woody debris on the strand line where Dune Brittlestem is common. Less common is the little Dune Inkcap which grows in close association with Marram Grass. Among many other species that occur in the more fixed grassy areas are the beautiful lilac coloured Sordid Blewit and the white Dune Dapperling. Ceir mynediad hwylus i Dwyni Crymlyn o Gampws y Bae, lle mae maes parcio Talu ac Arddangos. Gellir cael mynediad i Dwyni Baglan o lwybr yr arfordir ger Doc Brunel yn Llansawel neu o ben gogleddol Traeth Aberafan. Nodweddir y ddau safle gan systemau twyni tywod cronnus, dynamig, sy’n golygu eu bod yn wahanol i nifer o dwyni eraill ym Morgannwg ac mae hyn yn caniatáu iddynt gynnal planhigion ac anifeiliaid mewn cymunedau tywod symudol amrywiol. Ceir ardaloedd traethlin a chyn-dwyni datblygedig ar y ddau safle, lle mae nifer mawr o Hegydd Arfor, Helys Pigog a Thywodlys Arfor i’w gweld ynghyd ag ambell enghraifft wasgaredig o’r Llygwyn Ariannaid. Yn nes at y tir, mae’r cyn-dwyni symudol yn gartref i boblogaethau amlwg o Gelynnen y Môr, y Taglys Arfor, Trilliw’r Twyni a Llaethlys y Môr. Yn ogystal, mae Peisgwellt y Twyni, sy’n fath anghyffredin o laswellt ym Mhrydain, yn tyfu yma ynghyd â Rhonwellt y Tywyn ynghanol y Moresg. Mae’r Murwyll Arfor, sydd bellach yn blanhigyn prin yn Nhwyni Crymlyn, yn dal i fod yn niferus yn Nhwyni Baglan. Mae’r rhywogaeth Data Coch hon, sydd i’w chanfod yn ne Cymru a de-orllewin Lloegr yn unig yn y Deyrnas Unedig, yn nodwedd bwysig o’n systemau twyni. Yn nes at y tir, mae ardaloedd o dwyni mwy sefydlog yn cynnwys casgliad amrywiol iawn o rywogaethau glaswelltir lliwgar, sy’n cynnwys y Tegeirian Bera, Fioled y Rhos a’r Blucen Felen, sy’n arbennig o doreithiog yn Nhwyni Crymlyn. Yn ystod yr haf, gwelir gloÿnnod byw megis y Glesyn Bach, yr Argws Brown a’r Fritheg Werdd, sy’n llawer mwy o faint, yn hedfan trwy’r glaswelltiroedd bioamrywiol hyn. Gwaetha’r modd, mae llawer o’r systemau llaciau tywod amrywiol a oedd yn rhan o’r twyni hyn 50 mlynedd yn ôl wedi cael eu colli. Yn y 1970au, roedd Tegeirian y Fign Galchog, Tegeirian-y-gors Cynnar, Caldrist y Gors, Melog y Waun, Saethbennig y Gors a Glesyn-y-gaeaf Deilgrwn i’w canfod yn systemau llaciau Twyni Crymlyn, ond nid oes dim o’r rhain yn tyfu yno bellach. Fodd bynnag, mae modd gweld Tegeirian-y-gors Cynnar a Chaldrist y Gors o hyd yn Nhwyni Baglan, lle ceir hefyd boblogaethau sylweddol o’r Gorudd Melyn, yr Hesgen Gynffonnog, yr Hesgen Blodau Pell a’r Hesgen Fannog. Lluniwyd cynlluniau a pharatoadau petrus i ail-greu llaciau tywod newydd yn Nhwyni Crymlyn. O ran yr adar sy’n debygol o gael eu gweld yn y twyni, mae Clochdar y Cerrig, y Llinos a’r Ehedydd yn amlwg iawn a thuag at ddiwedd y gwanwyn, mae’r Gog i’w gweld a’i chlywed yn aml. Weithiau, daw ambell Dylluan Glustiog neu Foda Tinwyn i hela uwchben y twyni yn y gaeaf, ac mae ardaloedd y traethlin yn fannau da i chwilio am Freision yr Eira ar yr adeg honno o’r flwyddyn. Mae adar hirgoes megis Pibydd y Mawn, y Cwtiad Torchog, y Rhostog Gynffonfraith, y Bioden Fôr a’r Gylfinir i’w canfod i raddau gwahanol ar hyd ymyl y traeth, ond mae’r heidiau mawr o Bibyddion y Tywod a arferai ymgasglu i fwydo yn Nhwyni Crymlyn tan yn gymharol ddiweddar wedi diflannu, fwy na thebyg o ganlyniad i aflonyddu di-baid. Yn ystod y gwanwyn, mae grwpiau bach o Fôr-wenoliaid, gan gynnwys y Fôr-wennol Fach, i’w gweld yn aml yn hedfan dros y môr yn agos at y lan, a gwelir Coelgylfinirod hefyd ar eu taith yn y gwanwyn a dechrau’r hydref bob blwyddyn bron. Nid oes digon o le yma i gynnwys disgrifiad manwl o ffawna infertebratau’r twyni hyn ond gellir disgwyl gweld y carabid, Broscus cephalotes , yn cuddio o dan weddillion sy’n dod i’r lan ar hyd y traethlin, yn ogystal â Gwenyn Meirch sy’n tyrchu yn y tywod a channoedd o Nadroedd Miltroed weithiau. Mae’n gyffredin gweld clêr Villa modesta yn gorffwys ar y tywod ar brynhawniau twym yn yr haf. Mae pobl yn aml yn rhyfeddu at yr amrywiaeth o ffyngau sydd i’w canfod yn ein twyni. Gallech weld ffwng Nyth Aderyn o chwilio’n ofalus trwy’r gweddillion pren ar y traethlin lle mae Coesynnau Brau Moresg yn gyffredin. Mae’r Cap Inc Twyni Bach, sy’n tyfu’n agos at y Moresg, yn llai cyffredin. Mae sawl rhywogaeth arall i’w canfod yn yr ardaloedd glaswelltog mwy sefydlog, gan gynnwys lliw lelog hyfryd Lepista sordida a ffwng gwyn Pertyn y Twyni ( Lepiota erminea ). Gallery Previous Next

Data may be collected through this website to enable us to get in touch with you or return your message. As Secretariat of NPT LNP, Neath Port Talbot Council Countryside and Wildlife Team are the Data Controllers for this website. NPT LNP Terms of Reference Definition: For the purposes of the Neath Port Talbot Local Nature Partnership, ‘nature’ shall mean all living organisms and the ecological complexes (including non-living elements and processes) of which they are part. It includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems; the resilience of ecosystems; the services they provide to society and the way in which humans interact with nature. 1.0 Purpose The Neath Port Talbot Local Nature Partnership will: Co-ordinate, promote and record existing and new actions to conserve, promote and enhance nature in Neath Port Talbot, taking account of local and national priorities and keeping the terms of reference set out below. The Partnership will seek to achieve its aims by: 1.1Promoting partnership working between key organisations and individuals that protect and enhance nature in Neath Port Talbot. This will include networking and sharing best practice to promote efficient delivery of actions across partner organisations. 1.2To gather information relevant to the conservation of species and habitats in the Neath Port Talbot area, to formulate plans (“the Local Nature Recovery Action Plan”) from the national and local priorities identified in the Nature Recovery Plan, State of Natural Resources Report and Area Statements to effect conservation, and to deliver actions identified in the LNRAP. 1.3Involving key partners and stakeholders in the development and implementation of Local Nature Recovery Plans for the Partnership through the establishment of working groups and consultation with other existing groups. 1.4To make recommendations for the review of local practices for forestry, agriculture, mineral extraction, industry, business, tourism, parks and other local Council land, etc. in order to look for opportunities to enhance the potential for wildlife. 1.5Supporting the development of projects undertaken by individual organisations that are contributing to the aims of the Partnership and developing new projects to address local priorities. 1.6Monitoring the delivery of nature recovery actions, evaluating progress towards implementation of local plans and revising them as necessary. 1.7Identifying opportunities for integrating the conservation, promotion and enhancement of nature into other policy areas, plans and projects throughout Neath Port Talbot 1.8To link in with regional and national plans, policy and action, as appropriate e.g. Well-Being Plans and Area Statements). 1.9To provide an advisory function on the subject of the state of nature and nature recovery in Neath Port Talbot and, wherever possible, take an evidence-based approach to facilitate this i.e. through presence on strategic steering groups and advice to community councils etc. 2.0 Status The Partnership is a collaborative forum and has no standing as a legal entity. The Partnership will have no authority over any of the functions, duties or responsibilities of the member organisations. Each partner is jointly and equally empowered to establish and implement actions to deliver the aims of these plans in partnership with the others. The Partners will exercise their functions so as to secure compliance with the requirements of all relevant legislation and policy e.g. UN Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) as amended, Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015), Environment (Wales) Act (2016), Nature Recovery Action Plan (Wales) and Action Plan for Pollinators (Wales). 3.0 Membership The membership of the Partnership will comprise committed volunteers, local nature experts, voluntary and public bodies, agencies and owners of locally significant natural habitats in Neath Port Talbot. Members of the Forum are entitled to become members of the charity Neath Port Talbot Biodiversity Action. 4.0 Administration, Finance and Employment One of the Partners will act as host organisation [this is currently Neath Port Talbot Council] and will take responsibility for employment of any staff and administration of any assets or core funds on behalf of the Partnership. The host organisation will maintain a mailing list with which to inform LNP members of news and events concerning biodiversity in Neath Port Talbot. We will not circulate private sector jobs due to the potential for conflicts of interest with members of the LNP. Privacy Policy. Where individual partners take the lead on a project they will resource the project with the appropriate staff, equipment, finance etc. and may administer project – specific funds under the banner of the Partnership if necessary. They will ensure completion of the project and its timely reporting. Routine matters such as sign off of new or revised plans, funding matters and direction of the work of any person employed will be delegated to a Steering Group drawn from the key organisational members to include representatives from Neath Port Talbot Council, Natural Resources Wales, SEWBReC, one non-governmental organisation and one community group/ unaffiliated member, plus the chair of the LNP. A Chairperson and Vice-Chair for the LNP will be elected by members annually. If the Partnership terminates and there are funds or assets in the name of the Partnership these will be transferred to a member organisation continuing the project or return to the original funders. 5.0 Decision Making and Partner Responsibilities Roles and Responsibilities of All Partners: The Partners agree to work together to deliver effective action to conserve and enhance nature in Neath Port Talbot, making best use of available resources through collaborative action. To further the aims of the Partnership as a whole, and not just the aims of individual partner organisations. To assist the Partnership Steering Group in determining annual priorities for the Partnership work programme. To promote, implement and report on actions contributing to the aims of local plans. Identify projects which member organisations can undertake or contribute to in order to meet the aims of local plans and disseminate this information within the member organisation. To identify resources (financial or in-kind) which member organisations can contribute to assist in delivering core administration of the Partnership or specific nature recovery projects. To report on progress through the Partnership’s officer. Frequency of Meetings and Quorum The Steering Group will communicate as necessary in person or via email. There should be a minimum of 3 members of the steering group present in order to be quorate. Decisions will be made by consensus where possible, or by simple majority. The Chair will hold a casting vote in the event of a tied decision. There will be an opportunity for the full Partnership to meet at least six times a year. Additional meetings may be held as resources permit at the discretion of the Steering Group. Recommendations at full Partnership meetings should be made by consensus where possible, or by simple majority. The Partnership’s Officer should endeavour to draw relevant agenda items to the attention of relevant members to ensure adequate opportunity for expert representation at meetings on specific topics. The Chair will hold a casting vote in the event of a tied decision. Working groups will meet as necessary under the direction of the Steering Group and will comprise sufficient members to ensure delivery of the group’s aims with the best knowledge and expertise available locally. The Partnership Officer can invite other organisations or individuals to attend meetings in an advisory capacity as appropriate. Any potential conflict of interest a member has in an agenda item must be declared at the beginning of the meeting. They may be asked to leave the meeting whilst this item is being discussed. 6.0 Equal Opportunities and Data Protection All individuals / groups / businesses working with the Neath Port Talbot Local Nature Partnership will be assessed on their involvement with nature recovery actions alone, without distinction of gender, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions. The Partnership will recognise and respond to issues of language, disability, race, gender, age and culture. If sensitive information is discussed at meetings (for example regarding protected species) it will only be passed to members on a need to know basis and regarded as strictly confidential. Notwithstanding 6.1 & 6.2 (above) the Partnership Officer must comply with the relevant policies of the host organisation. [i] Neath Port Talbot Council is currently the host organisation.

Data may be collected through this website to enable us to get in touch with you or return your message. As Secretariat of NPT LNP, Neath Port Talbot Council Countryside and Wildlife Team are the Data Controllers for this website. NPT LNP Constitution Adopted 17/12/20 1. Name The name shall be the Neath Port Talbot Local Nature Partnership hereinafter called the “Partnership”. 2. Aims and Objectives The primary objective of the Partnership is to further the conservation, awareness and enhancement of nature in Neath Port Talbot. A primary mechanism of this is to implement the Local Nature Recovery Action Plan. In particular: Promoting partnership working between key organisations and individuals that protect and enhance nature in Neath Port Talbot. This will include networking and sharing best practice to promote efficient delivery of actions across partner organisations. To gather information relevant to the conservation of species and habitats in the Neath Port Talbot area, to formulate plans (“the Local Nature Recovery Action Plan”) from the national and local priorities identified in the Nature Recovery Plan, State of Natural Resources Report and Area Statements to effect conservation, and to deliver actions identified in the LNRAP. Involving key partners and stakeholders in the development and implementation of Local Nature Recovery Plans for the Partnership through the establishment of working groups and consultation with other existing groups. To make recommendations for the review of local practices for forestry, agriculture, mineral extraction, industry, business, tourism, parks and other local Council land, etc. in order to look for opportunities to enhance the potential for wildlife. Supporting the development of projects undertaken by individual organisations that are contributing to the aims of the Partnership and developing new projects to address local priorities. Monitoring the delivery of nature recovery actions, evaluating progress towards implementation of local plans and revising them as necessary. Identifying opportunities for integrating the conservation, promotion and enhancement of nature into other policy areas, plans and projects throughout Neath Port Talbot To link in with regional and national plans, policy and action, as appropriate e.g. Well-Being Plans and Area Statements). To provide an advisory function on the subject of nature recovery i.e. through presence on strategic steering groups and advice to community councils etc. 3. Membership Membership is open to all committed volunteers, local nature experts, voluntary and public bodies, agencies and owners of locally significant natural habitats. Anyone with an interest in biodiversity is welcome to join. There is no annual subscription for membership. Membership of the partnership is limited to three representatives of a particular organisation (this does not preclude members of an organisation attending in another organisation’s representative capacity, or separate department of that organisation). All Members of the Partnership shall have the following benefits: to be notified of and granted access to all Meetings of the Partnership and to participate in debates at Meetings to attend seminars, conferences or other events or functions organised by the Partnership to receive a copy of the Constitution of the Partnership and copies of documents produced and circulated by the Partnership The Partnership has the ability to create various Sub Groups or Interest Groups which run parallel to the Biodiversity Partnership. These groups may be formed at any time. Each Sub Group will serve to look at certain areas of work in greater detail and inform the Partnership as necessary. Routine matters such as sign off of new or revised plans, funding matters and direction of the work of any person employed will be delegated to a Steering Group Sub Group drawn from the key organisational members to include such representatives as those organisations providing financial support, the statutory body, one non-governmental organisation, one community group and the chair and secretariat of the LNP. Biodiversity Action is a Sub Group of the Partnership. Biodiversity Action is a registered charity and as such, is eligible to apply for funding for biodiversity related projects. All Members of the Partnership are eligible to nominate themselves as Board Members of Biodiversity Action. 4. Officers of the Partnership The Chairperson and Vice-Chair shall be appointed by the Members. The Chairperson must be independent and impartial during Partnership meetings and whilst in the role of Chairperson. For agenda items in which the Chairperson has a conflict of interest, they must declare it and the Vice-Chair should take the role of Chairperson for that particular item. The appointment of Chairperson and Vice-Chair will be decided by Partnership Members every three years. This appointment will be made during the first meeting of the year. Neath Port Talbot Council provide the Secretariat for the Partnership. This service was offered at the time of the formation of the Partnership and has not changed since. The LNP Coordinator provides this role. 5. Voting Members shall be entitled to one vote each. Where a resolution is proposed at a meeting, the decision shall be made by a show of hands of all members present at the meeting and entitled to vote. Where it is proposed that a vote be taken to elect a new Chairperson for the Partnership, or that the Constitution be amended, each Member shall be entitled to vote by submitting a vote either to the LNP Coordinator in writing and in a sealed envelope at any time prior to the commencement of the meeting, or by ballot at that meeting. In the case of equality of votes, either on a show of hands or on a poll, whoever is the Chairperson shall be entitled to a casting vote, which shall be his/her second vote. 6. LNP Meetings The Partnership shall hold meetings, which all Members shall be entitled to attend, approximately six per annum. The agenda for each meeting shall be circulated by email, to each member. Agenda items duly received by the LNP Coordinator within one week of a meeting, shall be considered for discussion. 7. Minutes The LNP Coordinator shall keep and circulate, via email, minutes of all: proceedings at meetings; including; the names of those present at the meeting the resolutions proposed at the meeting the decisions made at the meeting; and the reasons for those decisions (where appropriate). 2. The LNP Coordinator shall also circulate, via e-mail, any relevant information such as consultation documents and events, for example, which may be of interest. 8. Termination of Membership Membership should be terminated in writing, or verbally, to the LNP Coordinator. An alternative contact should be provided if appropriate or possible to do so. 9.Dissolution of the Partnership The Partnership shall be dissolved if a two thirds majority of members agree at a special meeting convened for that purpose with at least two weeks notice to all members. In considering a resolution to dissolve the Partnership, account shall be taken of new legislation, guidance from the Welsh Government and from organisations represented on the Partnership. If it is agreed to dissolve the Partnership, the meeting shall determine the disposition of any assets of the Partnership, and the Board Members of Biodiversity Action invited to meet to consider its future. If it is proposed to establish a new group with similar objectives, members of the Partnership shall be invited to join the new organisation."

Data may be collected through this website to enable us to get in touch with you or return your message. As Secretariat of NPT LNP, Neath Port Talbot Council Countryside and Wildlife Team are the Data Controllers for this website. Privacy Policy About us This website is owned and operated by the Neath Port Talbot Local Nature Partnership (NPT LNP). The NPT Local Nature Partnership (NPT LNP) is made up of representatives from a wide range of organisations plus individuals with an interest in local wildlife and land management. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in biodiversity and wildlife conservation in NPT. The Steering Group for NPT LNP is drawn from the key organisational members to include representatives from Neath Port Talbot Council, Natural Resources Wales, SEWBReC, one non-governmental organisation and one community group/ unaffiliated member, plus the chair of the LNP. Neath Port Talbot Council provides the Secretariat for NPT LNP. Any references to ‘we’ or ‘us’ within this privacy policy refers to NPT Local Nature Partnership . Our principal place of business is Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK. If you have queries or would like to request information about the data we hold about you, including requests that we delete your data, please contact us on our email . Your Privacy This policy explains how and why we use your personal data. Data Subject: This is you Data Controller: This is us, Neath Port Talbot Local Nature Partnership. We control how and why your personal data is used under UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). Data Processor: This is a person or organisation which processes your data on our behalf, with your permission. These are Neath Port Talbot Council (Privacy Notice ). We hold data processing agreements with these processors. We will never sell your personal data. We will not collect, store or process your personal details if you are under 13 years of age; unless we have the express permission from your parent or guardian to do so. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of any other websites linked to our website. If you have followed a link from this website to another website you may be supplying information to a third party. You acknowledge that personal data that you may submit for publication through our website or services (e.g. in comments) may be available, via the internet, around the world. We cannot prevent the use (or misuse) of such personal data by others. What data do we collect We may collect, store and process the following personal data about you: Name Phone Number Email Address Website account data e.g. username, password, name and and email address. Information that allows you to register as a volunteer with us e.g. emergency contacts, relevant medical information Correspondence data e.g. communication content send via our email or website contact forms Please do not supply any other person’s personal data to us. As a Data Controller we are required under UK GDPR to inform you which of the Article 6 UK GDPR “Data Processing Conditions” it is relying upon to lawfully process your personal data. In this respect please be advised that in regard to the data provided by you we are relying on the following Article 6 condition(s); “The data subject has given consent to the processing of his/her personal data for one or more specific purposes.” (Article 6(1)(a) UK GDPR). Why we collect and process your data We will only collect, store and process your data when we have a purpose for doing so under Article 6 GDPR ‘Data Processing Conditions’; processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data, in particular where the data subject is a child. Opt-in consent when you have given us express permission to contact you. Your data may be processed for the following reasons: To send you emails about NPT LNP news, events and items of interest, To provide our services e.g. to manage your event bookings To send you emails to notify you about a new blog post on our website To respond to your queries To operate our website Where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims Where such processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject, or in order to protect your vital interests or the vital interests of another natural person. How we process your data: We may disclose your personal data to any member of the partnership insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes, and on the legal bases, set out in this policy. We may share your personal data securely with the following third parties (i.e. persons/bodies/entities outside the Council) in accordance with data sharing arrangements which we have in place with those third parties: Neath Port Talbot Council Countryside and Wildlife Team. You can view the NPT Council Privacy Notices here: Mailing Lists / General. Financial transactions relating to our website and services may be handled by payment services providers, e.g. PayPal, Stripe. We will share transaction data with our payment services providers only to the extent necessary for the purposes of processing your payments, refunding such payments and dealing with complaints and queries relating to such payments and refunds. You can find information about the payment services providers' privacy policies and practices on their websites. We process your data in the UK. However, for the purposes of IT hosting and maintenance your information may be situated outside of the European Economic Area (EEA). This will be done in accordance with guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office. The hosting facilities for our website (Wix.com Ltd.) are situated in Israel, which is considered by the European Commission to be offering an adequate level of protection for the personal information of EU Member State residents. You can view the full Wix Privacy Policy here . How we store your data: The personal information collected from you will be held by us and our Data Processor whilst you remain in the group. Personal data that we process for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes. We continually review what information we hold, and delete what is no longer required. Data is stored on registered secured computers and servers. Your Rights Your principal rights under data protection law are: i. The right of access to their personal data held by a data controller. ii. The right to have inaccurate data corrected by a data controller. iii. The right to have their data erased (in certain limited circumstances). iv. The right to restrict the processing of their data by a data controller (in certain limited circumstances). v. The right to object to their data being used for direct marketing. vi. The right to data portability (i.e. electronic transfer of data to another data controller). vii. The right to withdraw your consent to us processing your data at any time. Further information on all the above rights may be obtained from the Information Commissioner’s website: www.ico.org.uk . You may exercise any of your rights in relation to your personal data by email . Required actions will be completed within 1 month. Cookies A cookie is a file containing an identifier (a string of letters and numbers) that is sent by a web server to a web browser and is stored by the browser. The identifier is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server. Cookies do not typically contain any information that personally identifies a user, but personal information that we store about you may be linked to the information stored in and obtained from cookies. Cookies that we use; (a) authentication - we use cookies to identify you when you visit our website and as you navigate our website (b) status - we use cookies to help us to determine if you are logged into our website (c) personalisation - we use cookies to store information about your preferences and to personalise the website for you (d) security - we use cookies as an element of the security measures used to protect user accounts, including preventing fraudulent use of login credentials, and to protect our website and services generally (e) analysis - we use cookies to help us to analyse the use and performance of our website and services; and (f) cookie consent - we use cookies to store your preferences in relation to the use of cookies more generally. Our service providers use cookies and those cookies may be stored on your computer when you visit our website. We use Wix to host our website and may use other third-party providers to provide certain services on Wix. You can view the privacy policy of this service provider here . Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies and to delete cookies. The methods for doing so vary from browser to browser, and from version to version. Blocking all cookies will have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites. If you block cookies, you will not be able to use all the features on our website. Complaining In the event that you have any queries regarding our use of your personal data, you wish to have access to the same or you wish to make any complaint regarding the processing of your personal data please contact us via email. Please be advised that in the event that you make a request or a complaint and you are dissatisfied with the Council’s response you are entitled to complain directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office. Details of the Commissioner’s Office contact details and further information on your rights may be obtained from the Information Commissioner’s website . Amendments We may update this policy from time to time by publishing a new version here. Last edited 30/6/25

Special Sites in NPT Afan Forest Park Parc Coedwig Afan This large park in the Afan Valley, 48 square miles in area, has lots of tracks and trails that allow visitors to experience nature at any time of year. A Visitor Centre is situated on the A4107 near Cynonville where there is a car park and other facilities including visitor information and refreshments. From here you can take a number of walks, many of which are suitable for families. Read More Bryn Tip Tomen y Bryn Bryn Tip is an area of grassland on the edge of the village of Bryn. In the early 20th century it was the site of the Bryn Navigation Colliery, once a busy and prosperous coal mine which provided employment for hundreds of people. Like many local mines, the colliery ceased operation in the 1960s, leaving behind an imposing, sharply pointed, pyramid-like tip of coal spoil. To stabilise it and render it safe from landslip, the tip was eventually landscaped into a lower mound shape, capped and seeded with a remedial grass and legume mixture. Since then, over the decades, Bryn Tip has developed into a species rich open mosaic site that is now designated a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). Read More Conifer Plantations Planigfeydd Conifferau Woodland and scrub occupies about 40% of the land area of NPT and the greatest part of that is conifer plantation. Large blocks of conifer forest occur in Crynant, Rheola, Glyncastle, Margam and Afan Forest Park (which includes the Michaelston and Pelenna forests). Read More Cwm Du Glen Dyffryn Cwm Du Cwm Du Glen is close to Pontardawe Town Centre and may be accessed from a number of points, but most people use the main (signposted) trail which starts near Pontardawe Cross. The site is well known as an area of high aesthetic and biodiversity value with its steep-sided riparian woodland that dresses the lower section of the Upper Clydach Valley. Read More Gnoll Estate Country Park Parc Gwledig Ystâd y Gnoll The Gnoll Estate, once the 18th century seat of the entrepreneurial Mackworth family, sits prominently on a low hill overlooking Neath town centre. With its wooded landscape, 4 lakes and spacious grassland, it is today an important resource of urban greenspace and a popular venue for the town’s residents and visitors. There is plenty of wildlife to see here at any time of year. Read More Melincwrt Valley and Cwm Caca Dyffryn Melin-cwrt a Chwm Caca A short walk from the village of Melincwrt, near Resolven, will take you along the Melincwrt Brook into a little nature reserve managed by The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. It is an easy walk that takes you into the lower Melincwrt Valley as far as the photogenic waterfall, Sgwd Rhyd yr Hesg, which falls spectacularly into a jumble of sandstone boulders at its base. Read More Pant y Sais Fen and the Tennant Canal Ffen Pant y Sais a Chamlas Tenant Pant y Sais Fen is an area of reed-dominated wetland which has almost contiguous connectivity with Crymlyn Bog, the largest lowland fen in Wales. Combined, they make up one of the most important wetland habitats in south Wales. Read More Roadside Verges and Roundabouts Lleiniau Ymyl Ffordd a Chylchfannau As a result of changes in farming practises, modernisation and development, species-rich mesotrophic grasslands, such as traditional hay meadows, have become very rare in NPT and are a dwindling resource in Wales in general. Roadside verges can fulfil a similar role for biodiversity if they are managed properly and although they are not a perfect solution they are becoming important refuges for grassland floras and the insects that live in them. Read More Sand Dune Systems of Baglan Burrows and Crymlyn Burrows Systemau twyni tywod Twyni Baglan a Thwyni Crymlyn The coastal edge of NPT sweeps around Swansea Bay, from Swansea University Bay Campus near Jersey Marine, to Morfa Beach at the mouth of the River Kenfig. Two hundred years ago this coastal strip was composed of pristine sand dunes, but much of that has since been lost to industrial development. Only Crymlyn Burrows and Baglan Burrows, which are situated on either side of the Neath river mouth, survive as significant areas of sand dune ecosystems in NPT today, although smaller areas of dunes also occur in the vicinity of Aberavon and Morfa. Read More Some notable ancient deciduous woodlands in the vicinity of Neath and Briton Ferry Rhai coetiroedd collddail hynafol nodedig yn ardal Castell-nedd a Llansawel Woodland occupies about 40% of the land area of NPT and although most of this is conifer plantation there is also a substantial amount of ancient, semi-natural Oak woodland. In most there are good paths and trails, and many of these woodlands can be accessed easily. Read More The Dulais Valley Marshy Grasslands Glaswelltiroedd Corsiog Cwm Dulais Species-rich marshy grasslands have suffered badly in Wales as a result of agricultural improvements, conifer afforestation, development, inappropriate management and neglect and, unfortunately, there are now few good examples of this extremely important habitat in NPT. However, some parts of the northern sector of the county, particularly in the Dulais and Aman Valleys, still retain marshy grasslands that support significant, biodiverse communities. Read More The Neath Canal Camlas Nedd The Neath Canal is the longest canal in NPT, stretching for Briton Ferry to Glyn Neath in the Vale of Neath, more or less following the direction of the Neath River, which it crosses in a small aqueduct near Clyne. Read More The Nedd Fechan and Pyrddin Valleys Dyffrynnoedd Nedd Fechan a Phyrddin From the little village of Pontneddfechan in the north-east corner of NPT, there is a very popular riverside walk that will take you into a temperate rainforest environment that is renowned for its biodiversity and scenic beauty. Parking is available along Pontneathvaughan Road and from there you can access the trail behind the Angel Inn which takes you into the lower Nedd Fechan Valley. Read More The Vale of Neath Riparian Woodland Corridor Coridor Coetir Glannau Afon Bro Nedd The most diverse woodland flora in NPT is found in the ribbons of woodland that occur along the banks of the River Neath between Tonna and Glynneath. Wych Elm is a common component of these riparian woodlands, with Ash, Sycamore, Alder, Hazel and Small-leaved Lime. Read More

All Posts Search nptlnp May 31 1 min Return of the Ponds at Gnoll Country Park! Visitors to Gnoll Country Park may have noticed the transformation of a wetland area of the park. Over the last 15 years, the ponds that... 1 view 0 comments Post not marked as liked nptlnp May 16 1 min Margam Country Park - A paradise for bats! 🦇 In the UK, we have 18 native species of bat and at Margam Park, we are fortunate enough to have 14 species. Margam Castle is one of the... 3 views 0 comments Post not marked as liked nptlnp Apr 4 1 min It's their future: why you should care about nature in NPT We asked pupils from Cefn Saeson Comprehensive School their thoughts about nature in the county. This is what they had to say. Find out... 22 views 0 comments Post not marked as liked nptlnp Mar 6 2 min 🌻 Nature Unearthed; the launch of the State of Nature and Nature Recovery Action Plan for Neath Port Talbot 🦋 We were overwhelmed by the support for the launch of ‘The State of Nature and Nature Recovery Action Plan for Neath Port Talbot’ at the... 16 views 0 comments Post not marked as liked

Search Results All (201) Events (155) Blog Posts (4) Other Pages (42) 201 items found for "" Events (155) Marsh Fritillary Talk 22 August 2024 | 18:00 Lost Peatlands Volunteer Day - Tree Removal and Sphagnum Planting - Pen Y Cymoedd Windfarm 27 August 2024 | 09:00 c/o Vattenfall, Hwb Pen y Cymoedd, Treorchy CF42 5SX, UK Living Wall Training & Launch - Hyfforddiant ar gyfer creu wal werdd @ The Harlequins 28 August 2024 | 17:00 Harlequin Rd, Port Talbot SA12 6UP, UK View All Blog Posts (4) Return of the Ponds at Gnoll Country Park! Visitors to Gnoll Country Park may have noticed the transformation of a wetland area of the park. Over the last 15 years, the ponds that could once be found here have become overgrown and were all but gone. This was a problem for the amphibians that used to breed here and the other pond life that called this area home. This year, the Friends of Gnoll Park successfully applied to the NPT LNP Grant Fund to restore these ponds. With the help of a mini digger and plenty of elbow grease from the Friends of Gnoll Park, the ponds are now restored! The ponds are specially designed to have plenty of shallow sloping areas, where the most plant and animal life is usually found in ponds. The surrounding grassy habitat provides space for animals to live when they are not in the ponds. The wetland area is now back to being a haven for nature in the Park and tadpoles have already been spotted making the most of the restored area. Let's give a round of applause to the Friends of Gnoll Park for their dedication and teamwork! The NPT LNP Grant Fund is made possible by the Welsh Government Local Places for Nature fund. Margam Country Park - A paradise for bats! 🦇 In the UK, we have 18 native species of bat and at Margam Park, we are fortunate enough to have 14 species. Margam Castle is one of the most important buildings for bats in the whole of Wales. Margam Castle and the surrounding parkland has a fantastic range of habitats that benefit bats, including woodlands, water bodies, open tracts of land and a variety of lochs suitable for a number of species. This captivating video from the wildlife team at NPT Council takes you deep into the heart of Margam Park, where you'll see first-hand the magical flight of these elusive creatures. From the least common bat to the least soprano bat and beyond, explore the diverse species that call this beautiful landscape home. If you would like to know more or have any questions about bats, get in touch with the team at biodiversity@npt.gov.uk Would you like to join us for a bat walk? Keep an eye on the What's On page. It's their future: why you should care about nature in NPT We asked pupils from Cefn Saeson Comprehensive School their thoughts about nature in the county. This is what they had to say. Find out more about how you can help nature in NPT at www.naturenpt.cymru View All Other Pages (42) How can you help? | Neath Port Talbot Nature | NPT LNP How can you help? This site outlines how we can all take action for nature in NPT. NPT Local Nature Partnership members work hard to help nature recover in NPT but it doesn't have to stop there. Nature conservation begins at home and there are steps we can all take, wherever or whoever we are, to help preserve the natural heritage of NPT. In addition to the habitat actions, we have suggested actions here that we, as individuals, could take to help improve the State of Nature in NPT. Take a look at the action plans and see what you could do to help. If you'd like any further information or have any questions about any of the actions, get in touch . In the Community At School At Work In the Garden Join NPT for Nature Volunteer Opportunities Volunteer Opportunities in NPT Below are some of the current volunteer opportunities in NPT - if you like the sound of one, click the link to find out more. Afan Environment Volunteers Work days on 1st Wednesday of the month in the Afan Valley, including habitat management and wildlife surveys. Learn more. Bryncoch Environment Group Nature activities in the locality of Bryncoch, including toad patrols and litter picks. Learn more. Crymlyn Burrows Rare plant monitoring, beach cleans, invasive species control. Keep an eye out for upcoming events here . Learn more. Friends of Craig Gwladus Volunteer work parties and events at Craig Gwladus Country Park. Learn more. Glamorgan Bat Group Bat surveys and research, affiliated with Bat Conservation Trust. Learn more. Lost Peatlands Wildlife surveys, assisting with conservation tasks and supporting at events. Learn more. Afan Angling and Conservation Club Management of the River Afan, including works to remove barriers to fish migration. Learn more. Bryn Residents Action Group (BRAG) Work parties in and around the village of Bryn, including Bryn Tip LNR. Learn more. Coed Cadw Woodland management activities at Woodland Trust woodlands in the county. Learn more. Friends of Gnoll Country Park Volunteer work parties and events at Gnoll Country Park. Learn more. Gower Ornithological Society Bird-focussed walks, talks and surveys in Swansea and NPT. Learn more. Working with Nature NPT Nature activities and volunteering across NPT. Learn more. Buglife B-Lines The NPT B-lines project aims to address the decline in our pollinating insects by creating a network of B-lines linking wildflower-rich habitats across NPT Learn more. Butterfly Conservation Marsh Fritillary surveys and habitat management in locality of the Dulais valley. Learn more. Coed Lleol Workshops and volunteering at sites across NPT Learn more. Friends of Jersey Park Volunteer work parties and events at Jersey Park. Learn more. NPT Wildlife A place to find out about wildlife and nature in Neath Port Talbot. Learn more. IN THE COMMUNITY Are you passionate about helping your community become a better place for people and nature? Below are a few ideas for you. Join the NPT for Nature Group NPT for Nature is a sub-group of NPT Local Nature Partnership which meets every three months. The aim of the group is to provide advice and guidance for actions that you and your local community could do to help your nature neighbours. Join us to get ideas and inspiration, from butterfly surveys to meadow management. NPT Bee Friendly Streets Could you work with your neighbours to create a Bee Friendly Street? NPT Council have produced a guide to help you transform your front gardens, window boxes, shop fronts and communal spaces to encourage pollinators to visit and live on your street. Contact the team to learn more. Balsam Bash In the summer months, the invasive non-native species Himalayan Balsam appears along our rivers. Whilst undoubtedly a beautiful plant, it is a threat to our habitats, quickly out-competing native plant species to become the dominant vegetation over large areas. You can help to protect vulnerable habitats by organising community balsam bashes. Balsam bashing (pulling up the plant by its roots, or bashing it down) is surprisingly mindful and easy! Hedgehog Highways One of the biggest threats to hedgehogs in NPT is isolation from other hedgehogs by fences, walls and busy roads. You could help the hedgehogs in your neighbourhood by working with your neighbours to create a 'Hedgehog Highway'- all it takes is the creation of a small hole in your garden fence! There is lots of information on how this could be achieved here hedgehogstreet.org AT SCHOOL Are you a parent or educator looking to engage children with nature in NPT? Below is a list of actions which you could take to get involved with NPT Nature Partnership projects and help the nature of NPT. NPT Bee Friendly- Nature on the Verge You can help NPT Council to manage verges and grasslands for wildflowers by monitoring areas in your ward to help us to determine if our management is working. We have a number of suggested classroom and outdoor activities that you could do to get the children involved and help us learn how healthy the grassland is. Contact the team to find your nearest NPT Bee Friendly site. NPT Bee Friendly- In the School Grounds Is there an area in your school grounds which is underused? Could you create a wildflower meadow or grassland there? This is a great project for all ages to get involved with, from doing surveys to see what plant species are present and monitoring pollinators to creating posters that tell people about your meadow. All you need to do is identify your area, stop mowing between April and August and very importantly, removing the cut material to compost so that soil nutrients are kept low. Edge cuts will maintain a neat appearance and signage, explaining what you are doing and why, helps to spread the message. The Lost Peatlands of South Wales Did you know that peatlands (peat bogs) store twice as much carbon as forests? And that we have lots of this special habitat in NPT? The Lost Peatlands Project is running until 2025 and is working to restore a large expanse of peatland in the uplands of NPT and RCT. Your school could do a project to learn more about peatlands or even have its own bog garden! Contact the team to find out more. SOS - Save our Swifts The amazing, screaming Swift is a summer visitor to NPT but, sadly, numbers of this red-listed bird are declining everywhere in Wales. This decline is thought to be due in part to the loss of nesting sites as buildings are renovated to modern standards. The provision of nest boxes or integral Swift bricks in suitable buildings may help to reverse this trend. Could you provide nest boxes for Swifts (or other house nesting birds like House Martins) on your school buildings? They need to be placed 5m above the ground with a clear flight path into the box. You can increase the chances of Swifts finding the boxes by playing the call of screaming Swifts to lure them in! Please tell us if you have Swifts nesting in your roof space. AT WORK Are you a business looking to take action for your environmental and social responsibilities? There are a number of ways you can do your bit to help nature in NPT. Support a NPT Local Nature Partnership Project The LNP has projects which you could get involved with, through funding or volunteering. For example, Runtech recently supported the LNP by undertaking a team building day removing invasive Himalayan Balsam at Bryn Tip Local Nature Reserve. If you’d like to find out more about how you could help, get in touch . NPT Bee Friendly - On your grounds Do you manage any verges or other green spaces? Why not start managing them as wildflower verges? Simply changing the time you cut the grass can have a big impact on verge biodiversity. All you need to do is identify your area, stop mowing between April and August and remove the cut material to compost to keep the soil nutrients low. Edge cuts will maintain a neat appearance and signage, explaining what you are doing and why, helps to spread the message. Avoid planting non-native shrubs like Cotoneaster. Land Management with nature in mind You can help local wildlife by stopping use of herbicides and pesticides, avoiding scrub and tree clearance/ management in bird nesting season and by making space for nature on buildings, for example, by installing bird and bat nest boxes. These small steps can have a big impact locally. Creating hedges with native trees and shrubs along boundaries is another way of creating more habitat on your grounds. Why not get your staff together to discuss ideas? Green Infrastructure Did you know that green infrastructure features such as green roofs, rain gardens and living walls can help regulate a building’s internal temperature, reduce storm water runoff and mitigate the urban heat island effect? If planted with native wildflower species, they have the added benefit of being wonderful habitats for pollinators. For inspiration, examples of green roofs in the county can be seen on the containers at Craig Gwladus Country Park and a living wall can be seen at Swansea University Bay Campus. IN THE GARDEN Are you passionate about encouraging wildlife in your garden? Below are a few ideas for you. Go Peat Free As well as being habitats for wildlife and stores of water to prevent flooding, the peatlands in the UK store three billion tonnes of carbon, more than all the forests of Germany, France and the UK put together. Peat from these peatlands is regularly used in the garden as compost. During the last 70 years, extensive areas of upland habitat on deep peat in NPT have been ploughed, drained and planted with conifers. The Lost Peatlands project is working to restore these peatlands, but you can also help by switching to peat-free in the garden. Choose local provenance plants Did you know that our native plant species will have adapted to the local conditions of NPT over a long period of time? This means that they will have local genetic variations, as will the pollinator species which depend on them in NPT. When planting new plants/ seeds in the garden, it is always best to source 'local provenance' stock to prevent this special genetic diversity from being diluted and damaged. Check with your plant supplier where your plants have been sourced from and look for local provenance. Nature isn't Neat Nature by design, isn't neat! You can help the wildlife in your garden by letting areas develop more naturally, leaving longer patches and letting plants like nettles have a little space. Many pollinators, like bees and butterflies, overwinter in dead plant material. You can help them survive the winter by leaving dead plant material standing, then clear it away in spring, only after temperatures are consistently reaching 10°C. Wildflower Lawn It may seem contradictory, but native plant species flourish in low nutrient environments. This is because high nutrient soils allow more competitive species like grasses and brambles to overtake. You can encourage wildflowers in your lawn by putting away the mower in the flowering season and collecting cuttings after mowing to reduce the nutrients in the soil. You can find out more about this here . Sand Dune Systems of Baglan Burrows and Crymlyn Burrows < Back Sand Dune Systems of Baglan Burrows and Crymlyn Burrows Systemau twyni tywod Twyni Baglan a Thwyni Crymlyn The coastal edge of NPT sweeps around Swansea Bay, from Swansea University Bay Campus near Jersey Marine, to Morfa Beach at the mouth of the River Kenfig. Two hundred years ago this coastal strip was composed of pristine sand dunes, but much of that has since been lost to industrial development. Only Crymlyn Burrows and Baglan Burrows, which are situated on either side of the Neath river mouth, survive as significant areas of sand dune ecosystems in NPT today, although smaller areas of dunes also occur in the vicinity of Aberavon and Morfa. Mae arfordir CNPT yn ymestyn ar hyd Bae Abertawe, o Gampws y Bae Prifysgol Abertawe ger Jersey Marine i Draeth y Morfa wrth geg afon Cynffig. Ddau gan mlynedd yn ôl, roedd y llain arfordirol hon yn dwyni tywod dilychwin, ond collwyd llawer o’r rhain o ganlyniad i ddatblygu diwydiannol. Heddiw, Twyni Crymlyn a Thwyni Baglan, ar bob ochr i geg afon Nedd yw’r unig ardaloedd sylweddol o ecosystemau twyni tywod sydd wedi goroesi yn CNPT, er bod darnau llai o dwyni hefyd yng nghyffiniau Aberafan a’r Morfa. Access to Crymlyn Burrows is easy from the Bay Campus, where there is a Pay and Display car park. Baglan Burrows can be accessed from the coast path near Brunel Dock in Briton Ferry or from the northern end of Aberavon Beach. Both are distinguished by their dynamic, accreting sand dune systems, which sets them apart from many other dunes in Glamorgan and allows them to support diverse mobile sand communities of plants and animals. Strand line and foredune areas are well developed at both sites, where there are large amounts of Sea Rocket, Prickly Saltwort and Sea Sandwort and occasionally, scattered plants of Frosted Orache. Moving inland, the mobile foredunes have conspicuous populations of Sea Holly, Sea Bindweed, Dune Pansy and Sea Spurge. Dune Fescue, an uncommon grass in Britain, is also found here with Sand Cat’s-tail in amongst the Marram Grass. Sea Stock, which is now a rare plant on Crymlyn Burrows, can still be found in large numbers on Baglan Burrows. This Red Data species, which in the UK is found only in south Wales and the south west of England, is a very significant feature of our dune systems. Further inland the more fixed areas of dune have a very diverse collection of colourful grassland species, which include Pyramidal Orchid, Heath Violet and Kidney Vetch, which is particularly abundant on Crymlyn Burrows. Butterflies such as Small Blue, Brown Argus and the much larger Dark-green Fritillary fly in these biodiverse grasslands in summer. Unfortunately, many of the diverse dune slack systems that were found on these dunes 50 years ago have been lost. In the 1970s, Fen Orchid, Early Marsh-orchid, Marsh Helleborine, Marsh Lousewort, Marsh Arrowgrass and Round-leaved Wintergreen featured in slack systems on Crymlyn Burrows, but none of these occur there now. However Early Marsh-orchid and Marsh Helleborine can still be found on Baglan Burrows, where there are also significant populations of Yellow Bartsia, Cyperus Sedge, Distant Sedge and Dotted Sedge. Plans and tentative preparations have been made to recreate new dune slacks on Crymlyn Burrows. Of the birds you are likely to see on the dunes, Stonechat, Linnet and Skylark are particularly conspicuous and, in late spring, Cuckoo are often seen and heard. Winter sometimes brings a Short-eared Owl or Hen Harrier hunting over the dunes, while the strand line areas are good places to look for Snow Bunting at that time of year. Wading birds such as Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher and Curlew occur in varying numbers along the shore line, but the large winter feeding flocks of Sanderling that used to congregate on Crymlyn Burrows until recently have disappeared, probably as a result of relentless disturbance. In spring, small groups of Terns, including Little Tern, can usually be seen flying over the sea close to the shore, and Whimbrel are also seen on passage in spring and early autumn in most years. Space does not permit a detailed description of the invertebrate fauna of these dunes but you can expect to see the carabid beetle, Broscus cephalotes , hiding under washed-up debris along the strand line, as well as Sand Digger Wasps and sometimes hundreds of Snake Millipedes. Dune Villa flies are also seen commonly resting on the sand on warm summer afternoons. People are often surprised by the diversity of fungi that occur on our dunes. You might find the Common Bird’s-nest fungus after a careful search of woody debris on the strand line where Dune Brittlestem is common. Less common is the little Dune Inkcap which grows in close association with Marram Grass. Among many other species that occur in the more fixed grassy areas are the beautiful lilac coloured Sordid Blewit and the white Dune Dapperling. Ceir mynediad hwylus i Dwyni Crymlyn o Gampws y Bae, lle mae maes parcio Talu ac Arddangos. Gellir cael mynediad i Dwyni Baglan o lwybr yr arfordir ger Doc Brunel yn Llansawel neu o ben gogleddol Traeth Aberafan. Nodweddir y ddau safle gan systemau twyni tywod cronnus, dynamig, sy’n golygu eu bod yn wahanol i nifer o dwyni eraill ym Morgannwg ac mae hyn yn caniatáu iddynt gynnal planhigion ac anifeiliaid mewn cymunedau tywod symudol amrywiol. Ceir ardaloedd traethlin a chyn-dwyni datblygedig ar y ddau safle, lle mae nifer mawr o Hegydd Arfor, Helys Pigog a Thywodlys Arfor i’w gweld ynghyd ag ambell enghraifft wasgaredig o’r Llygwyn Ariannaid. Yn nes at y tir, mae’r cyn-dwyni symudol yn gartref i boblogaethau amlwg o Gelynnen y Môr, y Taglys Arfor, Trilliw’r Twyni a Llaethlys y Môr. Yn ogystal, mae Peisgwellt y Twyni, sy’n fath anghyffredin o laswellt ym Mhrydain, yn tyfu yma ynghyd â Rhonwellt y Tywyn ynghanol y Moresg. Mae’r Murwyll Arfor, sydd bellach yn blanhigyn prin yn Nhwyni Crymlyn, yn dal i fod yn niferus yn Nhwyni Baglan. Mae’r rhywogaeth Data Coch hon, sydd i’w chanfod yn ne Cymru a de-orllewin Lloegr yn unig yn y Deyrnas Unedig, yn nodwedd bwysig o’n systemau twyni. Yn nes at y tir, mae ardaloedd o dwyni mwy sefydlog yn cynnwys casgliad amrywiol iawn o rywogaethau glaswelltir lliwgar, sy’n cynnwys y Tegeirian Bera, Fioled y Rhos a’r Blucen Felen, sy’n arbennig o doreithiog yn Nhwyni Crymlyn. Yn ystod yr haf, gwelir gloÿnnod byw megis y Glesyn Bach, yr Argws Brown a’r Fritheg Werdd, sy’n llawer mwy o faint, yn hedfan trwy’r glaswelltiroedd bioamrywiol hyn. Gwaetha’r modd, mae llawer o’r systemau llaciau tywod amrywiol a oedd yn rhan o’r twyni hyn 50 mlynedd yn ôl wedi cael eu colli. Yn y 1970au, roedd Tegeirian y Fign Galchog, Tegeirian-y-gors Cynnar, Caldrist y Gors, Melog y Waun, Saethbennig y Gors a Glesyn-y-gaeaf Deilgrwn i’w canfod yn systemau llaciau Twyni Crymlyn, ond nid oes dim o’r rhain yn tyfu yno bellach. Fodd bynnag, mae modd gweld Tegeirian-y-gors Cynnar a Chaldrist y Gors o hyd yn Nhwyni Baglan, lle ceir hefyd boblogaethau sylweddol o’r Gorudd Melyn, yr Hesgen Gynffonnog, yr Hesgen Blodau Pell a’r Hesgen Fannog. Lluniwyd cynlluniau a pharatoadau petrus i ail-greu llaciau tywod newydd yn Nhwyni Crymlyn. O ran yr adar sy’n debygol o gael eu gweld yn y twyni, mae Clochdar y Cerrig, y Llinos a’r Ehedydd yn amlwg iawn a thuag at ddiwedd y gwanwyn, mae’r Gog i’w gweld a’i chlywed yn aml. Weithiau, daw ambell Dylluan Glustiog neu Foda Tinwyn i hela uwchben y twyni yn y gaeaf, ac mae ardaloedd y traethlin yn fannau da i chwilio am Freision yr Eira ar yr adeg honno o’r flwyddyn. Mae adar hirgoes megis Pibydd y Mawn, y Cwtiad Torchog, y Rhostog Gynffonfraith, y Bioden Fôr a’r Gylfinir i’w canfod i raddau gwahanol ar hyd ymyl y traeth, ond mae’r heidiau mawr o Bibyddion y Tywod a arferai ymgasglu i fwydo yn Nhwyni Crymlyn tan yn gymharol ddiweddar wedi diflannu, fwy na thebyg o ganlyniad i aflonyddu di-baid. Yn ystod y gwanwyn, mae grwpiau bach o Fôr-wenoliaid, gan gynnwys y Fôr-wennol Fach, i’w gweld yn aml yn hedfan dros y môr yn agos at y lan, a gwelir Coelgylfinirod hefyd ar eu taith yn y gwanwyn a dechrau’r hydref bob blwyddyn bron. Nid oes digon o le yma i gynnwys disgrifiad manwl o ffawna infertebratau’r twyni hyn ond gellir disgwyl gweld y carabid, Broscus cephalotes , yn cuddio o dan weddillion sy’n dod i’r lan ar hyd y traethlin, yn ogystal â Gwenyn Meirch sy’n tyrchu yn y tywod a channoedd o Nadroedd Miltroed weithiau. Mae’n gyffredin gweld clêr Villa modesta yn gorffwys ar y tywod ar brynhawniau twym yn yr haf. Mae pobl yn aml yn rhyfeddu at yr amrywiaeth o ffyngau sydd i’w canfod yn ein twyni. Gallech weld ffwng Nyth Aderyn o chwilio’n ofalus trwy’r gweddillion pren ar y traethlin lle mae Coesynnau Brau Moresg yn gyffredin. Mae’r Cap Inc Twyni Bach, sy’n tyfu’n agos at y Moresg, yn llai cyffredin. Mae sawl rhywogaeth arall i’w canfod yn yr ardaloedd glaswelltog mwy sefydlog, gan gynnwys lliw lelog hyfryd Lepista sordida a ffwng gwyn Pertyn y Twyni ( Lepiota erminea ). Gallery Previous Next Gnoll Estate Country Park < Back Gnoll Estate Country Park Parc Gwledig Ystâd y Gnoll The Gnoll Estate, once the 18th century seat of the entrepreneurial Mackworth family, sits prominently on a low hill overlooking Neath town centre. With its wooded landscape, 4 lakes and spacious grassland, it is today an important resource of urban greenspace and a popular venue for the town’s residents and visitors. There is plenty of wildlife to see here at any time of year. Mae Ystâd y Gnoll, a fu’n gartref i deulu entrepreneuraidd Mackworth yn y ddeunawfed ganrif, ar safle amlwg sy’n edrych dros ganol tref Castell-nedd. Gyda thirwedd goediog, 4 llyn a glaswelltir eang, mae’r parc heddiw yn fan gwyrdd trefol sy’n adnodd pwysig ac yn gyrchfan poblogaidd i breswylwyr ac ymwelwyr â’r dref. Mae digonedd o fywyd gwyllt i’w gweld yma ar bob adeg o’r flwyddyn. Vehicle access to the Gnoll is easiest from the Fairyland entrance which takes you to a large pay and display car park and the nearby Visitor Centre. Alternatively, it can also be walked from Neath Town Centre, walking through the memorial gate and past the lower pond. From the Visitor Centre you can take a leisurely walk around the large lake (the second pond) and a number of paths and trails from there will take you into the heart of the impressive Beech woods. There is plenty to keep young families interested, with the avenue of Horse Chestnut providing a plentiful supply of ‘conkers’ along the route to the old Mackworth House; the hollow Oak, surviving decades of children clambering around its hollow trunk and the plentiful clumps of frogspawn and tadpoles found throughout the many ponds and ditches in the Park. The lake always has lots of wildfowl, including Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Mallard, Tufted Duck and Goosander. On quiet mornings you may also see a Water Rail, a Heron or a Kingfisher and in spring there are usually occasional sightings of Common Sandpiper along the edges of the lake. A grassy bank on the southern perimeter of the lake usually has a spectacular display of Southern Marsh-orchids in early summer. At any time of year you may see Red Kite soaring above your head. There are several magnificent specimen trees in the Beech woods, many of which must have been planted as part of the original Mackworth Estate. There is also lots of Hornbeam and smaller amounts of Norway Maple here and although none of these are native trees in this part of Wales, they provide an impressive woodland environment nonetheless. In autumn, woodland fungi such as the Wood Hedgehog, the Miller and the beautiful Orange Grisette can be found on the woodland floor, and in winter, flocks of Chaffinch with small groups of Brambling forage there for beech mast. Later in spring, Nuthatch can be heard whistling in the canopy while Greater Spotted Woodpecker drum on resonant tree trunks. Chiffchaff and Wood Warbler are among the summer migrants that breed here. Fragments of ancient oak woodland still survive in the Dingle along Preswylfa Brook and in Mosshouse Wood, where Silver-washed Fritillary butterflies are occasional in summer and Purple Hairstreaks fly high in the woodland canopy. Spring displays of Bluebell can be impressive in these places, and you may also find other ancient woodland indicators such as Wood Anemone, Woodruff and Yellow Archangel. The little brooks and streams in these valleys are good places to look out for Grey Wagtail and Dipper. From the Visitor Centre, there is an enjoyable walk to the upper Mosshouse lake, a disused reservoir surrounded by a quiet woodland bisected by an impressive, man-made cascade. Look out for Spotted Flycatcher hereabouts and listen out for trilling Wood Warbler. Pied Flycatcher have bred here in past years but have not been seen recently. En route to the old reservoir you will pass an area thick with birch and willow that has replaced a small plantation of Western Hemlock which was clear-felled not so long ago. The plot is quickly reverting back to deciduous woodland and is usually alive with birdsong from Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Garden Warbler in late spring. Bats are particularly active on warm summer nights around the second pond where there are roosts of Noctule and Daubenton’s bats. They are undoubtedly attracted by the large numbers of moths that fly at these times. Moth traps usually pick up a diversity of species in the park, which have included the uncommon Alder Kitten and Chocolate Tip, as well as larger, spectacular, hawkmoth species. Y ffordd fwyaf hwylus i gerbydau gyrraedd y Gnoll yw trwy fynedfa Fairyland sy’n mynd â chi i faes parcio talu ac arddangos helaeth a’r Ganolfan Ymwelwyr gerllaw. Fel arall, mae modd cerdded yno o ganol tref Castell-nedd, gan fynd trwy’r porth coffa a heibio i’r pwll isaf. O’r Ganolfan Ymwelwyr, gallwch gerdded yn hamddenol o amgylch y llyn mawr (yr ail bwll) lle bydd nifer o lwybrau yn eich arwain oddi yno i ganol y goedwig Ffawydd drawiadol. Mae digon o bethau i gynnal diddordeb teuluoedd ifanc, gyda rhodfa Castanwydd y Meirch sy’n darparu digonedd o ‘goncyrs’ ar hyd y ffordd at hen Dŷ Mackworth; y Dderwen geubren, sydd wedi goroesi degawdau o blant yn dringo drosti a’r clympiau helaeth o grifft broga a phenbyliaid sydd yn y pyllau a’r ffosydd niferus yn y Parc. Mae llawer o adar gwyllt ar y llyn bob amser, gan gynnwys Elyrch Dof, Cwtieir, Ieir Dŵr, Gwyachod Bach, Hwyaid Gwyllt, Hwyaid Copog a Hwyaid Danheddog. Ar foreau tawel fe allech chi hefyd weld Rhegen Ddŵr, Crëyr Glas neu Las y Dorlan ac yn y gwanwyn fel arfer, mae’n gyffredin gweld ambell Bibydd y Dorlan ar lan y llyn. Fel arfer, mae arddangosfa ysblennydd o Degeiriannau’r-gors Deheuol i’w gweld ar fancyn glas ar berimedr deheuol y llyn ar ddechrau’r haf. Gallech weld Barcud Coch yn hedfan uwch eich pen ar unrhyw adeg o’r flwyddyn. Mae nifer o goed enghreifftiol ardderchog yn y goedwig Ffawydd, a gafodd eu plannu, mae’n siŵr, fel rhan o Ystâd wreiddiol Mackworth. Hefyd, mae llawer o Oestrwydd a nifer llai o Fasarn Norwy yma ac er nad yw’r rhain yn goed brodorol yn y rhan hon o Gymru, maen nhw’n darparu amgylchedd coetir trawiadol serch hynny. Yn yr hydref, mae ffyngau coetir megis Pigau Draenog y Coed, Cap y Melinydd a’r Amanita Benfelen hardd ar lawr y coetir ac yn y gaeaf, mae heidiau o Ji-bincod ynghyd â grwpiau llai o Bincod y Mynydd yn fforio am gnau ffawydd yno. Yn hwyrach yn y gwanwyn, clywir Telor y Cnau yn chwibanu yn y canopi wrth i’r Gnocell Fraith Fawr guro ar foncyffion coed atseiniol. Mae’r Siff Siaff a Thelor y Coed ymhlith y mudwyr haf sy’n bridio yma. Mae darnau o goetir derw hynafol yn dal i oroesi yn y Ceunant (Dingle) ar lan Nant Preswylfa ac yng Nghoed Mosshouse, lle gwelir ambell Frith Arian yn yr haf a lle mae Brithribiniau Porffor yn hedfan fry yng nghanopi’r coetir. Mae Clychau’r Gog yn drawiadol yn y mannau hyn a gallech hefyd weld rhai dangosyddion coetir hynafol eraill megis Blodyn y Gwynt, y Friwydd Bêr a’r Farddanhadlen Felen. Mae’r nentydd bach yn y dyffrynnoedd hyn yn fannau da i weld y Siglen Lwyd a Bronwen y Dŵr. O’r Ganolfan Ymwelwyr, mae’n braf mynd am dro at lyn uchaf Mosshouse, sef hen gronfa ddŵr nas defnyddir sydd wedi’i hamgylchynu gan goetir tawel sydd wedi’i hollti gan raeadr ffug sylweddol ei maint. Edrychwch am Wybedog Mannog yma a gwrandewch ar drydar Telor y Coed. Bu’r Gwybedog Brith yn bridio yma yn y gorffennol ond nis gwelwyd yn ddiweddar. Ar eich ffordd at yr hen gronfa ddŵr, byddwch yn mynd heibio i ardal lle mae trwch o goed bedw a helyg wedi cymryd lle planhigfa fach o Hemlog y Gorllewin a gafodd ei llwyrgwympo yn weddol ddiweddar. Mae coetir collddail yn ailddatblygu’n gyflym ar y llain lle mae cân Telor yr Helyg, y Llwydfron, y Telor Penddu a Thelor yr Ardd yn llenwi’r lle tuag at ddiwedd y gwanwyn. Ar nosweithiau cynnes o haf, bydd ystlumod yn arbennig o brysur o gwmpas yr ail bwll lle mae Ystlumod Mawr ac Ystlumod y Dŵr yn clwydo. Mae’n siŵr eu bod nhw’n cael eu denu gan y niferoedd mawr o wyfynod sy’n hedfan ar yr adegau hyn. Mae trapiau gwyfynod fel arfer yn dal amrywiaeth o rywogaethau yn y parc, sydd wedi cynnwys rhywogaethau anghyffredin Cathan y Gwernos a’r Blaen Brown, yn ogystal â rhywogaethau o walchwyfynod trawiadol a mwy o faint. Gallery Previous Next View All

Wed, 28 Aug | Harlequins Rugby Ground Living Wall Training & Launch - Hyfforddiant ar gyfer creu wal werdd @ The Harlequins You are invited to discover a living wall near you Hyfforddiant ar gyfer creu wal werdd Time & Location 28 Aug 2024, 18:00 – 19:00 Harlequins Rugby Ground, Harlequin Rd, Port Talbot SA12 6UP, UK About the event Have you spotted the new LivingWall and Mural at the Harlequins Rugby Ground? This exciting addition not only showcases the stunning biodiversity of Neath Port Talbot but also creates a vital habitat for pollinators and other wildlife to flourish. To celebrate this new natural space and offer inspiration on how you can create something similar in your own space, join us for our Green Wall Event on the 28th August - 6:00pm - at the Rugby Ground. Enjoy complimentary teas, coffees, and take home a free plant! We look forward to seeing you there. Any questions please email - greeninfrastructure@npt.gov.uk ____________________________________________ Ydych chi wedi gweld y wal werdd a’r murlun newydd ar faes rygbi’r Harlequins? Mae’r ychwanegiad cyffrous hwn yn dangos bioamrywiaeth syfrdanol Castell-nedd Port Talbot ac yn creu cynefin hanfodol i beillwyr a bywyd gwyllt arall ffynnu. Er mwyn dathlu’r lle naturiol newydd hwn a chynnig ysbrydoliaeth o ran sut y gallwch greu rhywbeth tebyg yn eich ardal eich hun, ymunwch â ni ar gyfer ein Digwyddiad Wal Werdd ar 28 Awst - 6:00 y prynhawn ar y maes rygbi. Gallwch fwynhau te a choffi a bydd planhigyn am ddim i chi fynd ag ef adref gyda chi! Edrychwn ymlaen at eich gweld chi yno. Unrhyw gwestiynau anfonwch e-bost at - greeninfrastructure@npt.gov.uk Show More Share this event

No Schedule to display at the moment