Coed-y-Cerrig

Lying in a small deep valley, the little wood at Coed y Cerrig is hidden away in the southern part of Black Mountains; its moist valley floor covered by an unusual type of alder woodland. Some areas of the woodland are coppiced to maintain this unique habitat.

The road through the reserve along the bottom of the valley was once a busy railway line burrowing deeper into the mountains, carrying materials to construct the Grwyne Fawr reservoir 14 kilometres away.

Grid Ref: SO290210 Area: 10.38 hectares

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Visiting

To the south of the road a fully accessible boardwalk route runs for some 300-metres along the valley floor, passing through the wet woodland.

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The ground here is very wet, and the mud can get quite deep off the boardwalk.

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To the north of the road there is a short circular route which climbs steeply up a series of rough stone steps, before passing through the woodland and dropping off down a slope to the car park.

How to get there

The reserve is situated approximately six-and-a-half kilometres north of Abergavenny and three kilometres west of Llanfihangel Crucorney, on either side of a minor road between the small town of Crickhowell and the hamlet of Stanton.

There is informal parking for approximately four vehicles about halfway along the road that runs through the reserve.

Transport
Additionally, a bus route runs along the A465 to Llanfihangel Crucorney, three kilometres east of the reserve.

For more information on services and times, contact Traveline Cymru on 0871 2002233 or on www.traveline-cymru.org.uk

Facilities

There is informal parking for approximately 4 vehicles, though the nearest accessible toilet facilities are in Abergavenny and Crickhowell some nine-and-a-half kilometres away.

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Who looks after it?

The reserve is managed by CCW.

You can contact the southern region reserves team via the CCW enquiries help line on 0845 1306229 or by email at enquires@ccw.gov.uk. You can also write to us at the address under ‘Contact the team’.

Wildlife

Three distinct types of woodlands exist on the site, which offer contrasting conditions for a wide variety of plants and animals.

On the valley floor the water table is near the surface all year round, and the trees are mainly alder and willow. The wet conditions also support plants such as the:

Lesser-pond sedge
Greater tussock sedge
Marsh marigold
Golden saxifrage

Further up the slope the ground is a little drier, and the trees here are mainly:

Ash
Birch
Hazel

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Many flowers find their home here, including:

Nettle-leave bellflower
Toothwort
Purple orchid
Herb paris

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Toothwort is a unique species that doesn’t have chlorophyll to make its own nutrients; instead obtaining its sustenance by growing on the roots of a host plant - usually hazel or elm.

The ground is driest at the very top of the slope, where a flat plateau hosts large oak, ash and beech trees, forming a dense canopy.

Only shade-loving plants can survive underneath, such as holly and bird’s nest orchid. In autumn the bare ground becomes covered with a wide range of fungi, including the chanterelle.

The woodland continues to be maintained by coppicing some of the trees, particularly in the wet areas.

The reserve is home to a variety of birds, with almost thirty species recorded here, including:

Redstart
Wood warbler
Blackcap along
Blue tits
Great tits

In summer about thirteen species of butterfly can also be seen; including that classic woodland butterfly - the speckled wood - fiercely defending its personal shaft of sunlight against trespassers.