Clegir Mawr

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Clegir Mawr
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Tuberaria guttata Crete.jpg
The spotted rock-rose
Isle of Anglesey UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Anglesey
Location West Gwynedd
Grid reference SH 299 900
Coordinates 53°22′48″N4°33′29″W / 53.3799°N 4.5580°W / 53.3799; -4.5580 Coordinates: 53°22′48″N4°33′29″W / 53.3799°N 4.5580°W / 53.3799; -4.5580
InterestBiological
Area9.6 hectares (24 acres)
Notification 1961

Clegir Mawr is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the community of Cylch-y-Garn in the north-west of the island of Anglesey, Wales. It is a stony coastal headland with an area just under 10 hectares (25 acres) and has been designated principally because of the occurrence of the spotted rock-rose ( Tuberaria guttata ) which is a nationally rare plant and also the county flower of Anglesey.

Contents

Site

The site includes two areas north of Church Bay (Porth Mawr) and includes coastal heath, coastal grassland, sea cliffs and scrub habitats with a total area of 9.6 hectares (24 acres). [1] [2] Much of the area around the site is owned by the National Trust and includes the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path. [3] [4]

Importance

The principal feature is the spotted rock-rose which favours thin acidic soils on rocky ridgelines or steep slopes. The spotted rock-rose is only known to exist in nine British locations. One location is on the Lleyn Peninsula and the remaining seven are on Holy Island, Anglesey. [5] The flower blooms from June to August and the blooms last only a day. [6] The flower is the county flower of Anglesey. [7]

The conditions for the spotted rock-rose are also support a number of other species including sheep's fescue ( Festuca ovina ), common bent ( Agrostis capillaris ), squirreltail fescue ( Vulpia bromoides ), early hair-grass ( Aira praecox ), heather ( Calluna vulgaris ), bell heather ( Erica cinerea ), western gorse ( Ulex gallii ), spring squill ( Scilla verna ) and English stonecrop ( Sedum anglicum ). [5]

The uncommon golden-samphire ( Inula crithmoides ) is found on the sea cliffs, and the prickly sedge ( Carex muricata ) and dodder ( Cuscuta epithymum ) are also found on the site. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Island, Anglesey</span> Island, part of Wales, United Kingdom

Holy Island is an island on the western side of the larger Isle of Anglesey, Wales, from which it is separated by the Cymyran Strait. It is called "Holy" because of the high concentration of standing stones, burial chambers, and other religious sites on the small island. The alternative English name of the island is Holyhead Island. According to the 2011 UK Census, the population was 13,659, of which 11,431 (84%) lived in the largest town, Holyhead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amlwch</span> Town and community in Anglesey, Wales

Amlwch is a port town and community in Wales. It is situated on the north coast of the Isle of Anglesey, on the A5025 which connects it to Holyhead and to Menai Bridge. As well as Amlwch town and Amlwch Port, other settlements within the community include Burwen, Porthllethog/Bull Bay and Pentrefelin. The town has a beach in Llaneilian, and it has significant coastal cliffs. Tourism is an important element of the local economy. At one time it was a booming mining town that became the centre of a vast global trade in copper ore. The harbour inlet became a busy port and significant shipbuilding and ship repair centre, as well as an embarkation point with boats sailing to the Isle of Man and to Liverpool. The community covers an area of about 18 square kilometres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramsey Island</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhosneigr</span> Village in Anglesey, Wales

Rhosneigr is a village in the south-west of Anglesey, north Wales. It is situated on the A4080 road some 10 km south-east of Holyhead, and is on the Anglesey Coastal Path. From the clock at the centre of the village can be seen RAF Valley and Mynydd Twr. The major towns of Holyhead and Llangefni and the city of Bangor are all within easy travelling distance. It is the most expensive place to live in Anglesey in terms of house prices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglesey Coastal Path</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wales Coast Path</span> Long-distance footpath following the coast of Wales

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beddmanarch–Cymyran</span> Protected area of Anglesey, Wales

Beddmanarch–Cymyran is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) on the Welsh island of Anglesey extending to just over 900 hectares, and centred on the Cymyran Strait. It was first notified in 1961 for its coastal botanical and ornithological interest. The site is also a marine protected area as it includes intertidal areas and contains marine components.

Cors Bodwrog is a mesotrophic mire and a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Anglesey, North Wales. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since January 1961 in an attempt to protect its fragile biological elements. The site has an area of 87.28 hectares and is managed by Natural Resources Wales.

Fferam Uchaf is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Anglesey, North Wales, for its exposures of Llanvirn (Ordovician) rocks. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since October 2001 in an attempt to protect its fragile Geological elements. The site has an area of 1.05 hectares, is managed by Natural Resources Wales, and is 1.5 km (0.93 mi) north-east of Llanddeusant.

Glannau Penmon - Biwmares is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Anglesey, North Wales. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since January 1957 in an attempt to protect its fragile biological and geological elements. The site has an area of 170.87 hectares and is managed by Natural Resources Wales.

Glannau Rhoscolyn is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Anglesey, North Wales, and extends along the west coast of Holy Island, Anglesey for approximately 6.5 km (4.0 mi). It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since January 1961 in an attempt to protect its fragile biological and geological elements. The site has an area of 145.49 hectares and is managed by Natural Resources Wales.

Henborth is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Anglesey, North Wales. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since October 1989 in an attempt to protect its fragile geological elements. The site has an area of 10.96 hectares and is managed by Natural Resources Wales.

Llanbadrig - Dinas Gynfor is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Anglesey, North Wales. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since January 1957 in an attempt to protect its fragile geological elements. The site has an area of 26.49 hectares and is managed by Natural Resources Wales.

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Porth Wen Brickworks first built by Charles E Tidy, is now a disused Victorian brickworks which produced fire bricks, made from quartzite (silica) used to line steel-making furnaces. The substantial remains include a number of buildings and the remains of some of the machinery, but has some damage from sea erosion. The site is a scheduled monument.

The geology of Anglesey, the largest (714 km2) island in Wales is some of the most complex in the country. Anglesey has relatively low relief, the 'grain' of which runs northeast–southwest, i.e. ridge and valley features extend in that direction reflecting not only the trend of the late Precambrian and Palaeozoic age bedrock geology but also the direction in which glacial ice traversed and scoured the island during the last ice age. It was realised in the 1980s that the island is composed of multiple terranes, recognition of which is key to understanding its Precambrian and lower Palaeozoic evolution. The interpretation of the island's geological complexity has been debated amongst geologists for decades and recent research continues in that vein.

References

  1. "Clegir Mawr" (PDF) (Map). Natural Resources Wales . 1:10,000. Countryside Council for Wales. 23 January 1987 [Designated 1961]. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  2. "Clegir Mawr Site of Special Scientific Interest" (PDF). Natural Resources Wales . Countryside Council for Wales . Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  3. "Landscape Character Area 4: North West Coast" (PDF). Isle of Anglesey County Council. 30 August 2011. p. 20. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  4. "Section 2: Porth Trwyn (Llanfaethlu) - Cemaes" (PDF). Coastal Path Route Description. Isle of Anglesey County Council . Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 "Anglesey: Clegir Mawr" (PDF). Site of Special Scientific Interest Citation. Countryside Council for Wales. 1986 [Designated 1961]. Retrieved 26 April 2016 via Natural Resources Wales.
  6. "Wildlife Highlights - Spotted Rock Rose". Visit Anglesey. Isle of Anglesey County Council . Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  7. "The floral emblem of your county". The Daily Telegraph . 5 May 2004. Retrieved 26 April 2016.