Restoring the Dell at Plas Newydd

The Our Picturesque Landscape Project has just finished its second year, and what a strange year it has been! Unfortunately, a lot of the events we had planned had to be put on hold, but the project has continued to carry out works to conserve and improve access to the landscape of the Dee Valley and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site.

This has included the installation of new railings at the Horseshoe Falls, which has opened up a new viewpoint for visitors. Work to build a car park has also begun at the site of the old Wenffrwd landfill, with the intention to transform the site into a ‘pocket park’ over the next few years.

The biggest changes however have been to the Dell at Plas Newydd, which the project is restoring back into the picturesque valley famously enjoyed by the Ladies of Llangollen. At the start of the year volunteers helped to create over 50 metres of stone walling, and in August stepping stones were installed in the river to create an attractive, enjoyable feature as well as to help combat erosion of the river bank.

Most recently, the railings on some of the footpaths and the fencing on the steps up to the summer house have been restored to look more like the rustic wooden features that would have been present during the time of the Ladies’ residency at Plas Newydd.  

These attractive new features, along with the accessible paths created by the Our Picturesque Landscape project in year one, means the Dell is the perfect place for a relaxing Winter stroll. The café at Plas Newydd is also open Wednesday-Sunday each week, 10am-4pm, to finish off your walk with a warming drink or bite to eat.

Landscape Solutions Grazing Project

The Landscape Solutions Grazing project is underway in North East Wales.

The project is funded by the Welsh Government Sustainable Management Scheme and is hosted by the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

It is a cross county partnership led project, with 10 partner organisations, some of whom are land owners, conservation charities and local authorities. The project aims to bring 40 key sites scattered across the project area into sustainable management regimes. Most of these key sites are designated for ecological importance with many of them being SSSI, SAC, Ramsar, Country parks, Local Nature reserves or fall within the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB and one just reaches the edge of Snowdonia National Park. The sites habitat includes coastal dunes, heathland, calcareous grassland and support species such as black grouse, natterjack toads and great crested newts.

The project will use nature based solutions to address the multiple issues land managers face today and bring a more sustainable approach to the way the key sites are managed. The focus is on grazing animals as this is often the most effective and natural way to maintain certain habitats. Conservation grazing involves using livestock to manage sites for wildlife and to promote biodiversity. It can be carried out on many types of land including woodland, scrub, wetlands and grassland. Grazing animals have shaped our landscapes for generations and can be the most effective and sustainable way of maintaining habitats. Livestock used for conservation grazing are generally native breeds and we will be looking at using sheep, cattle and ponies for our sites. We have also used Oxford Sandy and Black pigs on one of our sites successfully. These animals are bred for their hardiness and will willingly graze on the more dominant plant species, this allows opportunities for a variety of other species to establish.

As well as grazing on faster growing, dominant species of vegetation, grazing animals also help open up the vegetation by moving around sites creating pathways and hoof tracks across the ground. This provides habitats for reptiles and invertebrates and creates spots for new seedlings to flourish. The traditional breeds are hardier than their more intensively farmed counterparts and this means they can manage the harsher conditions, as well as being able to tolerate lower quality grazing compared to grassland that commercial livestock have access to. The faeces the animals produce are beneficial with more than 250 species of insects having been recorded to be found on cowpats, which in turn then provides a vital source of food for birds.

We currently have Belted Galloways, Carneddau ponies and are about to introduce Soay sheep to a couple of the sites. The Belted Galloways are a small, quiet breed of cattle which are ideal for grazing some of the sites and due to their striking look and the beauty of the Carneddau ponies mean they have become a popular attraction for local walkers. The Carneddau pony is used to living out on the mountains over 3,000 feet high with cliffs, rocky slopes and lakes so are a very hardy breed used to eating soft rush, Molina, gorse and mountain grasses. Both have been quiet enough that they do not frighten local users and deter them from the sites but will move away from walkers when approached so they do not get too friendly and start following walkers.

The project will invest in infrastructure such as fencing, site access and the provision of water, as well as the removal of barriers to management such as scrub and bracken encroachment, which will help make these areas more appealing for graziers to bring suitable stock to the sites. Land owners and project staff will work with graziers to develop grazing plans to ensure that all grazing activities are to the benefit of the site and surrounding habitat and ensure the land does not become over or under grazed.

Another key part of the project is to engage with the communities surrounding these sites and provide volunteer opportunities in conservation and animal welfare. There will be opportunities for schools and community groups to get involved in looking after and checking stock. Training in traditional skills such as dry stone walling and hedge laying will be provided to try help narrow the skills gap within the farming and conservation sector and support pathways into employment for future generations.

We are working with local producers to create wildlife friendly branded products to increase the economic sustainability of conservation grazing after the end of the project. This will include meat products, honey production and wool products crafted by local producers.

My First Week as a Assistant Relief Ranger

At the end of July, I began working in the Clwydian range and Dee Valley AONB with the countryside team of Denbighshire. Known as the gateway to Wales, I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful, diverse area to spend my work days and build new skills.

Joining during the last few weeks of any possible Himalayan Balsam removal, I was shown the extent of the problem at some of our sites and how to correctly dispose of them – the job itself was incredibly satisfying but sometimes getting to these “forests” of Balsam was trickier than first thought. Wellies were a must and getting wet was a guarantee but in the heat of the summer and following a nationwide lockdown, there was no better ways to spend the days. This particular activity was a great chance to get to know my new colleagues as it was always quiet when no machinery was needed. The areas targeted were along the River Dee, a very tempting sight after a long day, in fact, one hot day we spotted a single stray Himalayan Balsam plant alone on an island and a work colleague didn’t hesitate in taking those boots and socks off and wading through the shallow water to pull the final plant.

Whilst controlling the spread of a highly invasive plant species, we also had to take care and manage our busier sites, such as the Horseshoe Falls just outside Llangollen which is a UNESCO world heritage site. The Weir directs 12 million tons of water from the River Dee to create the start of the canal which goes all the way to Chirk over two aqueducts, all built by Thomas Telford. Although only small, the site itself is a haven for water sport activities, dog walkers and people walking the canal. Managing the site during the weekends and hotter days was a chance to meet the local people and assist visitors. Typically, the weather in North East Wales is not very predictable and with this job being my first experience working outdoors every day in all weather, coming prepared for everything quickly became ingrained – waterproofs, extra layers, lots of water and of course sun cream always at hand.

What has been most enjoyable about my experience so far is the feeling of accomplishment and the thought of making a difference to an area I have grown up around. One day in particular reflects this as two years ago I witnessed the fire spread on Llantysilio mountain which burned for over a month and destroyed about 250 hectares of heather, bilberry and gorse. During my first week I was able to aid in the restoration of the mountain, spreading out piles of heather to scatter the seed – these piles were so big that it took two of us over 2 hours to completely spread it out in a thin covering over the affected area. Every day I feel so privileged to be able to spend my time helping toward the management of such an amazing place.