Bishop's Wood Trail

Can you spot any of the species listed below?

Trees /Shrubs tick

93 d B45 ell R Casw To Swansea

Caswell Bay

J Red campion J Herb robert J Hart’s tongue fern J Male fern J Honeysuckle

Bluebells

J Wood spurge J Selfheal

Grassland plants/Limestone cliff plants & Fungi tick J Meadowsweet J Early purple orchid J Meadow thistle J Hogweed J Cow parsley

J J J J J J

Woundwort Rockrose Wild thyme Wood sage Stonecrop Artist’s fungus

J Sulphur tuft J King Alfred’s cakes Meadow Thistle

Animals tick

Badger

J Badger J Fox J Grey squirrel

J J J J J J J

Bank vole Pip bats Horseshoe bats Common lizard Slow worm Adder Wood mice

J Beetles J Centipedes J Orange tip butterfly J Brimstone J Speckled wood

Tree creeper Nuthatch Tawny owl Buzzard Blackbird Green woodpecker

Bluetit

Bishop’s Wood Countryside Centre

LoCaL natuRe ReseRves in the City and County of swansea

Local Nature Reserves are sites of high nature conservation value or which have local wildlife or geological interest and are of particular value for community enjoyment, involvement and education. They are designated by local authorities with advice and help from the Countryside Council for Wales. Bishop’s Wood Local Nature Reserve was declared a local nature reserve in 1975.

There are currently six Local Nature Reserves in the City and County of Swansea, the locations of which are shown above.

LLANMADOC

OXWICH

Buzzard

3 Killay Marsh LNR 4 Cwmllwyd Wood LNR 5 Cadle Heath LNR 6 Mumbles Hill LNR

GARNSWLLT

PONTARDDULAIS CLYDACH

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

PENLLERGAER LLANGYFELACH

GORSEINON

BIRCHGROVE

MORRISTON

5

GOWERTON

PENLAN

WAUNARLWYDD FFORESTFACH

4 3

LLANRHIDIAN

REYNOLDSTON

Speckled Wood

1 Pwll Du Cliffs LNR 2 Bishop’s Wood LNR

KILLAY

Raven

TOWNHILL UPLANDS

UPPER KILLAY

LLANGENNITH

RHOSSILI

WEST CROSS BISHOPSTON SOUTHGATE

1

2

MUMBLES

6

N

PORT EYNON

Birds tick J J J J J J

d Lane lan

J Stonechat J Greater and lesser spotted woodpecker J Greenfinch J Bullfinch J Jackdaw J Jay J Robin J Blue tit J Long tailed tit J Crow

J J J J J J J J J

Mistle thrush Song thrush Wren Sparrow hawk Wood pigeon Pied wagtail Magpie Marsh tit Great tit

Please contact us if you see something different to the species listed above or would like a full species list

to find out moRe… If you would like to arrange an activity, group visit, walk or to discuss how your school or group could be involved with the reserve or if you are interested in helping with its management, please contact Dai or Karen on 01792 361703 or Deb Hill on 01792 635749.

BisHoP’s wood is on tHe swansea sustainaBiLity tRaiL...

Bank Vole

The Sustainability Trail is a series of projects located across Swansea which demonstrate how we can live in a more sustainable way. Take a look at other sites on the Sustainable Trail website www.sustainableswansea.net or call 01792 480200.

This project has been supported by:

21088-10

Cow wheat Wood anemone Bluebells Herb paris Wood sorrel Wild garlic

er

m Su

Bishop’s Wood

Wood Plants tick J J J J J J

....

Bishop’s Wood Countryside Centre lies above Caswell Bay. There are two pay and display car parks and a regular bus P service (Bus No. 2) that runs from the P centre of Swansea to Caswell Drive.

A number of footpaths lead to the reserve including a coastal path from Mumbles to Caswell.

J Holly J Hazel J Sycamore

m

J Hawthorn J Elm J Field maple

Footpaths around Caswell

ive ll Dr swe Ca

J Oak J Ash J Beech

How to get to tHe ReseRve and CountRyside CentRe…

75%

November 2010

Bishop’s wood nature Reserve The nature reserve lies in a narrow steep-sided, dry limestone valley running north south from Murton to Caswell beach. It is made up of 46 acres (19 hectares) of woodland and limestone grassland and has been designated an SSSI, (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and SAC, (Special Area of Conservation), because of its rich biodiversity.

The reserve is managed by the City and County of Swansea’s Nature Conservation Team to conserve and enhance wildlife diversity and to provide access and information to visitors and local schools.

There are three main footpaths running through the valley, which we have marked as three nature trails on the main map. These are the Acorn trail, Oak leaf trail and the Beech leaf trail. The nature trails take you through a variety of habitats, which support many forms of wildlife.

acorn trail: Length: Terrain:

450 metres Easy, flat all ability path.

Starts from the top of Caswell car park and ends at the roundhouse at the top of the valley.

1 Along the whole length of this path, there is open grassland, along the valley floor. In summer you can see many species of butterfly, and meadow flowers, such as Meadowsweet, Selfheal, Hogweed and Woundwort.

Round House 6

6 3

Acorn Trail: Length: 450 m Terrain: Easy, flat, all ability path.

4

Beech Leaf Trail: Length: 1.2 km Terrain: Steep steps, narrow, uneven path.

Pony Route

2

1 3 2

Adder

3

3 There are many badger runs leading to the fields above, these look like little footpaths. If you are lucky you may see footprints in the soft mud or hairs stuck to the fence. Badgers usually have a territory range of 30 hectares in a rich habitat.

5 Grave stones or boundary markers? One has a P and the other FAM. They are simply boundary markers, the P is for Penrice, a large estate on the Gower and FAM is Frank Arthur Morgan who owned part of Bishops Wood.

6 The path takes you down wooden steps under huge Beech trees, Green woodpeckers are often heard here. At the bottom of the steps turn right and you will see the roundhouse. (see Acorn trail)

The Roundhouse

To get back to where you started, follow the Acorn trail down the main valley floor.

1.2 km Steep steps, narrow uneven path.

3

See if you can spot common lizards, slow worms and adders basking in the sun.

4

Entering Oak woodland, the trees are stunted and pruned by the strong salt winds. Acidic clay soils support flowers such as Cow wheat and Butchers broom.

N Old Quary

2 1

4 Hugging trees; a Hawthorn (smaller one) and an Ash entwined together. You may see black blobs on the Ash branches, these are a fungus called King Alfred’s cakes.

Length: Terrain:

2 At the top of the step, turn left and the path takes you to an open grassy cliff top. Enjoy spectacular views over Caswell Bay. The limestone soil supports a diverse range of flowers, such as thyme, rockrose and stonecrop.

Picnic Area

2 Beautiful viewpoint overlooking Caswell Bay, and on a good day, Devon.

Beech Leaf trail:

Graddfa: 200 metr

4

1 Start at the picnic benches at the top of Caswell car park, the path leads into ancient woodland up steep stone steps.

Scale: 200 metre

4

1

1 km Steep steps, uneven narrow path

5 The roundhouse was built in 2002 using local green timber. It took 52 oak trees and 36 tonnes of earth to make and is used as an outdoor classroom and as a shelter for local community groups.

1 Starts and finishes at a wooden style opposite the Countryside Centre. The style leads you to wooden steps which take you through Gorse, Heather, small trees and shrubs.

Footpath 5

Wood anemone

4 Ravages of Dutch elm disease, lots of dead wood, important for bats, insects and woodpeckers. This part of the woodland is rich in bird life, spot shy Jays, blue tits and other song birds.

Oak Leaf Trail: Length: 1 km Terrain: Steep steps, narrow, uneven path.

5

5

3 A beautiful sculpture called Nanci, carved from oak using a chainsaw by an artist called Nanci Hemming.

MAP KEY

7

oak Leaf trail: Length: Terrain:

2 The woodland to the west has many species that indicate ancient woodland such as Bluebell, Dog’s mercury, Wood anemone, Wood sorrel and the rare Herb paris.

To Bishopston Road Caswell

To Swansea

5 The wooden chalets, dating from the1920’s are part of Owen’s Field, a small local community.

6 The path starts to lead you downhill into the Beech glade. Beech trees cast a heavy shade preventing anything growing underneath.

Grey squirrels, Nuthatches, Tree creepers and Woodpeckers are commonly seen here.

7 Downhill through two gates to the roundhouse, the path follows the acorn trail to the car park, then the road back to the countryside centre.

Wildlife Illustrations by: M. Hill