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Much
of the Reserve was notified in 1984 as a Site of Special Scientific
Interest. It is open woodland, interspersed with wet flushes and areas
that were once meadows. The woods form part of one of the most
westerly and highest natural beech woods in Britain. Woodlands
Beech trees provide a
large supply of beech nuts used for food by winter flocks of Chaffinches
and Bramblings. The many ant hills suggest that this area was once
pasture and the ants are the favorite food of the Green Woodpecker.
Other birds nesting in the woodlands include Pied Flycatcher
and Redstart.
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The
Old Tramline and Coal Tip
Further up the
hillside is an old tramline (locally called a Dramline). It
used to take coal from the levels that bored straight into the hillside.
The mining spoil is colonised by mosses and liverworts.
Nature is reclaiming an old coal tip with lichens, mosses, heather,
grasses and in the wetter areas Alder trees. The Alder cones
form a valuable food supply for Siskins, Redpolls and Tits.
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Wet Flushes
These are ideal
for plants like Marsh Thistle, a wide variety of mosses, lichens and
ferns. The Greater Tussock Sedge grows each year from the decayed
remains of previous year's growth which has formed into a huge mound.
The Mountain Fern is one of the most common and Bearded
Lichens are starting to reappear.
Read Kelvin Jones's description
of:
Silent Valley, the Story So Far
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Directions to
Silent Valley Local Nature Reserve
The Reserve is at the
top of Cendl Terrace in Cwm. (Look out for brown Nature
Reserve signs).
From the south:
After Crumlin take the 1st exit at the Aberbeeg
roundabout. On the A4046 keep heading north onto the new
Cwm bypass (2nd exit on the new Cwm roundabout) until
you come to the 40mph limit. Take 1st right.
*
Follow the road past a car sales place on your left,
past the church, also on the left, and then the Bailey's
Arms pub, set back from the road behind a stone wall,
again on the left. Take next left onto Cendl Terrace and
continue to the top until you come to the end of the row
of houses. The reserve turning is on the right opposite
the final house.
From the north:
From Ebbw Vale in the 40mph zone on the A4046 heading
south, take the 2nd exit at the Festival Shopping Centre
roundabout. Pass through the 30mph zone of Waunlwyd and
start onto the 40mph limit of the new bypass. Take the
1st left AFTER the 40mph signs. Continue as from *
above.
Grid Reference: SO 187 062.
Friends of Silent Valley web site:
www.silentvalley.org
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