A spoiled moonwalk (picture heavy)

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
I didn't get the chance to go out today until after 5pm, my wife having taken the car, so I spent the day browsing the internet. On my friend Steve Williams' blog I noticed that he reported finding large numbers of the rare fern moonwort near Coity pond, close to Blaenavon. Moonwort is a plant I've always wanted to see, and I had never been to Coity pond before, so as soon as Tracy returned I was up and away.

Coity pond sits above Coity tip, a series of old spoil mounds from the industrial coal mining days of Blaenavon. For those of you familiar with the area, it is right next to Big Pit mining museum.

Coity tip is semi-vegetated coil spoil. From a distance it doesn't look like all that much.
9169478082_91dcbe597a_b.jpg


Look again. There are small pearl bordered fritillary butterflies here (I've have to come back another time to see them), and as the spoil heaps are gradually re-vegetated more and more wildlife is moving in. As it was early evening, and windy, and beginning to cloud over, I concentrated on the plant life, although I did catch a common carder bee in the last of the good light.
9169502572_59b4fb15b3_b.jpg


There were large patches of the wonderfully frothy-looking heath bedstraw.
9167265281_ebfb2771ca_b.jpg


Lots of heath speedwell poking through the grass.
9169505480_8205aff2f2_b.jpg


Carline thistle. This is one from last year. Normally associated with lime-rich soils, these thrive on old industrial sites.
9167283773_d2a07ac93c_b.jpg


There was a wonderful show of pea-flowers too. Here is bird's foot trefoil with grass vetchling mixed in.
9169480642_0f9d68101d_b.jpg


This spectacular broom was sheltering in a gully.
9167253935_03ff39c16c_b.jpg


Even the lichen was in full bloom.
9167274523_d94bc2003d_b.jpg


But this is what I went for. Moonwort, with its fruiting bodies on show as well. A lovely little fern, not more than 6 inches tall, but with a single, beautifully sculptured frond.
9167278501_7575b93b1c_b.jpg
9167276217_bc36ab9ca0_b.jpg


Having found the moonwort, I wandered up to the Coity pond, which looked rather nice in the evening light.
9167263225_af8b8b35f9_b.jpg


There were a pair of tufted duck on the water that didn't mind me getting fairly close. I also heard a peregrine calling up here, but couldn't see it.
9169490022_920357a403_b.jpg


Lesser spearwort was frequent.
9169487736_fd8b4ae6bd_b.jpg


On the way back I went through the marshy areas caused by the outflow from the pond, where a boardwalk has been constructed. There were lots of southern marsh orchids
9167279951_fd9e5e113e_b.jpg


Just one thought about all this. The Coity tips are part of the Blaenavon World Heritage Site, and as such are somewhat protected from development, but this is still a brownfield site. Areas like this are being earmarked for 'development' all the time. I know of several similar sites a little further down the valley, with the same wonderful mix of plants and animals (including moonwort), but those are all under threat of being lost to building schemes. In many cases I think I would rather see houses built on greenfield land, which is often just a field of perennial ryegrass with no biodiversity value at all, than lose a site like this.

9169492768_6474a11506_b.jpg


In the mean time, I'm pleased to have a new site to enjoy. It was a really nice place to visit, and I will certainly be going back soon.
 

Squidders

Full Member
Aug 3, 2004
3,853
15
48
Harrow, Middlesex
Very nice... How can the plants and flowers be used in bushcraft?

p.s. - the query above is not a sarcastic remark... I do wonder if those plants have uses as I try not to fill my limited brain with information about ones I have no need of.
 
Last edited:

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Interesting question. Without looking it up, I know the bedstraws used to be used as exactly that - a base for beds. Broom flowers are edible and are used to make wine. Broom twigs were used for making err, brooms (hence the name), the dead carline thistle would probably make decent kindling, and you might be able to use the dry heads as tinder even. The dead wood in the last picture is fuel, and you can eat tufted duck. The vetchling is edible too.

There is even good coal in the coal spoil that you could fuel an established fire with.

Interesting. You made me think. Thanks for the question.
 

daveO

Native
Jun 22, 2009
1,456
519
South Wales
Some lovely pics there.

Just over the hill is Cwmtillery ponds. Really worth a walk up around there if you get a chance. You can do a horseshoe loop right up around the valley. I might go this weekend actually... :rolleyes:
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Some lovely pics there.

Just over the hill is Cwmtillery ponds. Really worth a walk up around there if you get a chance. You can do a horseshoe loop right up around the valley. I might go this weekend actually... :rolleyes:

Dave, I'd love to join you but I've injured my foot. The trip to Coity ponds might be my last for a while :(
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE