A small valley mire surrounded by woodland.  It has a large and interesting flora, 85 plant species have been recorded.

Species

Purple moorgrass tussocks dominate the centre of the mire along with purple loosestrife, meadow thistle, dyer's greenweed and bogbean.  Two insectivorous plants occur, butterwort and round leaved sundew.  Uncommon species include marsh helleborine and fragrant orchid.  A thin fringe of alder woodland surrounds the mire with plans like angelica growing in the damp woodland.  A rare shrub, alder buckthorn, grows in the wet woodland.  Patches of drier woodland have beech trees and sanicle.

The site is rich in invertebrates including dark bush cricket and rare spiders.  Birdlife includes woodpeckers, nuthatch, siskin, redpoll and woodcock.  Grey wagtails feed along the stream.

Grid Reference: 

Parking: ST 262927  Reserve: ST 263926

Access

Wet and boggy.

Multimap link

Location

From Cwmbran head south along the A4051 to a roundabout signed Hollybush, Coed Eva and Henllys.  Turn left and at the next roundabout (in Hollybush) turn left onto Henllys Way.  After about a mile, take a left turn into Henllys Lane and after 200m, another left turn.  Drive past the entrance to Pen-y-Werlod Farm, go 150m up the hill and turn left up a steep sunken lane.  Drive for 1km along this lane, through the yard of Pensarn Farm and then down a hill to the end of the tarmac..  Follow the road around to the right around a hairpin bend over the brow to Pandy Mawr Farm..  Park on the left on rough ground just before the farm.

Walk through the metal field gate south along the edge of the field, go through a second gate, turn left down the slope towards a block of alders which fringe the reserve.