Penhein - a case study
The location of the pilot scheme was one of the sites chosen for short listing for the National Botanical Garden for Wales as it has the necessary biodiversity and potential for further improvement.
It comprises a block of ring fenced land of approximately 420 acres of which 100 acres is woodland and 300 acres of grass. The land is approx. 800 feet above sea level at its highest point and about 250 at its lowest. It has land facing in all directions and of three different types, limestone, sandstone and clay.
There is a 20-acre block of semi-natural ancient woodland, which is classified as a National Nature Reserve. This classification is due to the different types of plants, which occur as they represent the original vegetation that occurs naturally in the area.
This vegetation supports native wildlife, and it seems likely that this includes the large tortoiseshell butterfly which is near extinction.
This NNR needs positive management as it was almost clear felled during the second world war and so the timber is now all similar aged tall timber, and needs to be clear felled in rotation to re-establish the broken age pattern that would occur in native woodland. Once the different age pattern and the resulting biodiversity is created, then no further management will be required. Dead and dying timber will be left to rot, as this is a necessary part of the food chain. I refer to dead trees as "burger bars for woodpeckers" in this context.
The remaining woodlands are of a wide variety of derelict woodlands and larch, some which will take a long time to recover, and others may show recovery in three years once the livestock is excluded. Much of this is listed as ancient woodland. The majority faces east on steep banks, which is why it is has never been cleared and farmed.
Approximately half the grassland has been subject to a habitat management agreement and in 2002 this has been running for five years, resulting in a marked decline in agricultural productivity of grass but an improvement of wild flowers with the spectacular establishment of about three acres of bluebells, along with a slow improvement of cowslips and an increase of meadow saffron for example.
At the farmstead is probably the second largest barn in the county of massive stone construction and originally roofed with stone slate, but for the last seventy years it has had a corrugated iron roof over the original roofing timbers. This corn barn was designed to accept cartloads of sheaves, which would then be thrashed in winter with seasonal living accommodation above the main doors. Adjacent is ring of traditional sheds surrounding a courtyard, which picks up the heat and sun from the south wall of the barn.
A different habitat is a 20-acre park facing south with numerous old hard woods and a beech that is close to champion status. This is also the site of a twin arch limekiln. Also on the farm is the site of a pre Roman camp and a platform village. There remain signs of leats for the early watering of valley meadows
The adjacent land is also wildlife friendly with common land to the north which was moorland but is reverting to native scrub oak and birch. To the west a 16th Century farmstead is being reconstructed with native fruit trees being established, in particular all the native apple trees.
South of this land although not quite contiguous is 1000 acres of military training ground surrounded by an anti-personnel fence, containing three SSSI’s.
To the east is native woodland on the opposite side of the steep sided valley with a spate stream in the bottom. Small-scale livestock farming also is adjacent.