On the bank holiday we went for a spin and ended up going over The Black Mountain, making a very brief pit stop at the old limeworkings of Clogau Mawr (SN722193). The tufa formations are quite remarkable at this site, as I'm sure the bryophytes are too based on what I saw in the five minutes we were there.
Hymenostylium recurvirostrum (photo)
was the highlight, the extremely dense cushions with
Aneura growing over them. Although this area seems to be a well worked part of Carmarthenshire, it's a very easy place to access and see some really nice formations as well as good bryos.
There's some beautiful limestone scenery all along the road as you head east to Llygad Llwchr (eye of the Loughor, where the source of the river emerges from a cave), including great views of Carreg Cennen Castle.
Nice lime spoil tufa ! Myself and Jon Graham looked at the Hurburts Quarry area (SN 73147 19093) just round the corner and some of the other seepages (SN 73792 19737) next to the river (see http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/508972/ and http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/512109/).
ReplyDeleteIts interesting how historic waste can be perceived by modern eyes as intersting and even worth protecting...I wonder what types of habitats we are creating now, with our waste, without knowing?
Yes, it's quite ironic that coal spoil, metalliferous waste, slag tips, quarries, etc. can be such rich hunting grounds in comparison to more 'natural' sites.
ReplyDelete