Coedydd Afon Menai

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Gwynedd County

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Carboniferous Limestone, Limestone

Description

Description Coedydd Afon Menai is a representative example of an ivy-oak/ash Hedera Helix - Quercus/Fraxinus type woodland. It consists of narrow strips of broadleaved woodland along sections of the southern shore of the Menai Strait. The woodland largely occurs on steep, sometimes rocky slopes although flatter sections of interesting woodland above the slope are included. The most northerly section of woodland (Coed Siliwen) is dominated by sessile oak Quercus Petraea in the canopy and great wood-rush Luzula sylvatica in the ground flora. Wild service tree Sorbus torminalis, a rarity in Gwynedd, occurs here. Around Nantporth the woodland is associated with Carboniferous Limestone. Here ash Fraxinus excelsior with wych elm Ulmus glabra and sessile oak dominate the canopy and hazel Corylus avellana the understorey. Dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis, woodruff Galium odoratum and enchanter's-nightshade Circaea lutentiana are abundant in the ground flora. Various whitebeams are present, including the nationally rare Sorbus porrigentiformis. Other locally uncommon species present include yellow-wort Blackstonia perfoliata, wild madder Rubia Peregrina and spindle Euonymus europaeus. The western section of woodland, including Coed Mair, Coed y Mor and Coed Crawley, typically supports sessile oak and ash dominated woodland with hazel, ash, guelder-rose Viburnum opulus and crab apple Malus sylvestris in the understorey and a basiphilous ground flora, which occurs on the heavy calcareous soils present, particularly on the flatter sections. great woodrush occasionally dominates the ground flora on the steeper slopes. The local reed wood-grass Calamagrostis Epigeos occurs above the shoreline. heron breed in this section of wood.

Species mentioned