Torfaen County Borough
Birding Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a principal area. Torfaen (meaning ‘break-stone’) is an old name for the river – today called Afon Lwyd, which flows through the county borough. Torfaen is bordered by the county of Monmouthshire to the east, the city of Newport to the south, and the county boroughs of Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent to, respectively, the south-west and north-west. The area has a population of around 91,000. Much of the southern part of the county borough around the Cwmbran new town conurbation is now urbanised. The north of the county borough is greener and retains extensive areas of countryside, especially on the route to Blaenavon.There are ten local nature reserves including: Cwmynyscoy Quarry, Churchwood and Springvale Ponds, Garn Lakes, Torfaen Llwyncelyn fields and several run by Gwent Wildlife Trust such as Henllys Bog SSSI. Open areas include Pontypool Park much of which is given to woodland but there is extensive open grassland too.
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Tom Chinnick
School House, Llandenny, Usk NP15 1DL
countyrecorder@gwentbirds.org.uk
07982 719881
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Birds of Gwent
| By WA Venables, AD Baker, RM Clarke, C Jones, JMS Lewis and SJ Tyler | Helm | 2008 | Hardback | 416 pages, line drawings, 32 pages of colour photos, distribution maps | ISBN: 9780713676334 Buy this book from NHBS.com
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Gwent Ornithological Society
WebsiteTJ Russell, The Pines, Highfield Road, Monmouth, Gwent NP5 3HP 01600 716266 - Home Page for the Gwent Ornithological Society (GOS) now up and running with news, the latest newsletter, meetings dates, links and more -
Gwent Wildlife Trust
WebsiteGwent covers the lower Wye and Usk river valleys and the Severn Estuary in South East Wales. In the last fifty years Gwent has lost two thirds of its ancient woodland and the lowlands surrounding the Severn Estuary are threatened by industrial development -
Torfaen Wildlife Interest Group
WebsiteTorfaen Wildlife Interest Group (TWIG) is the Torfaen branch of Gwent Wildlife Trust. We are dedicated to promoting the conservation of nature in our local area. Torfaen has a rich diversity of wildlife, despite a long industrial history, but it is under constant threat. The needs of a large urban population and a burgeoning new industrial base create a great deal of pressure for increasing development and the loss of important habitats. Our wildlife needs to be surveyed, recorded, monitored and protected.
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GWT LNR Branches Fork Meadows
WebpageSatellite ViewBranches Fork Meadows lies below the conifer plantation of Tranch Wood and along the Torfaen cycle path. This small reserve supports a variety of habitats including a pond, damp heathy grassland, willow scrub and young oak woodland. -
GWT LNR Henllys Bog
WebpageSatellite Viewalley mires are areas of water-logged peat in valley bottoms, with characteristic plant communities. Many of these wildlife-rich habitats have been lost through drainage, and they have become very rare nationally. Of the handful of valley mires left in Gwent, Henllys Bog is the best one for wildlife. Henllys Bog is actually fed by springs, and the brook that runs along the edge of the reserve does not supply it with water.
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Henllys Local Nature Reserve Group Blog
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Steve Williams - Valley Naturalist
BLOGBLOG from Pontypool, Torfaen… A natural history journal that follows the activity of a naturalist in the south Wales valleys and beyond. Thrown in for good measure some personal commentary on the issues face by wildlife…