After our damp trip last week the weather smiled on us once again as a dozen of us gathered in the car park of Nant Mawr Visitor Centre the site of the Tanat Valley Light Railway and the Nant Mawr lime kilns.
The Tanat Valley Light Railway Company own almost 2 miles of railway which is the last remaining section of the ‘Old Potts’ which ran in its heyday from the Abbey station in Shrewsbury out to Criggion, Llanymynech and Nant Mawr. The imposing Nant Mawr lime kilns are reputed to be the tallest lime kilns built in 1870 to service the quarry located further up the valley. Further details about the site and its history can be found on their website.
For us the site provided a wide variety of habitats in a small area, so plenty to explore without too much walking! There were grasslands, woodlands, bare areas, streams, carr, railway embankments, pools, deadwood all contained with a site about 600 yards long and 200 yards wide.
Unusually we spent no time in the car park and headed up the path through an area of woodland. We soon found our first shieldbug of the day (we found 8 species in total) – a Green shieldbug.
Emerging from the woodland we found ourselves in a small grassy clearing where there was plenty to keep the botanists amused for some time. In amongst the violets, primroses and others we found the leaves of a Common spotted orchid and a Twayblade whose flower stalk was just emerging from its basal leaves.
(photograph: Les Hughes)
And a Red-headed cardinal beetle watching the world go by.
Leaving the clearing we entered an area of damp woodland where a stream flowed through. The stream banks were awash with Ramsons where craneflies flitted around. Our fungus expert was delighted with a find of an “eyelash” fungus which he believes is the rarely recorded Scutellinia trechispora, but he has referred it to an expert’s expert for confirmation.
(Photograph: Les Hughes).
The path from this area brought us back to the car parking area and in order to keep up with tradition we spent the next hour or so scouring its marginal vegetation for signs of life. And there was plenty to observe and identify including a Bee-fly, a mating pair of Rhopalus subrufus and a Sloe bug. And there was plenty of floral interest, especially along the railway embankment.
Having walked about half a mile in over two hours it was definitely time for lunch. As this was a visitor centre there were plenty of spots to rest our posteriors while we refuelled.
After a leisurely lunch we explored the areas surrounding the railway tracks until we reached the end of the line. This area proved to be full of small areas of different habitat but the areas of bare earth on the banks at the side of the track proved to be a haven for flighty (hence the need for a pot to photograph them) Grizzled skipper butterflies.
The stones of the track bed also provided interest as we found a Common groundhopper making its ay along the line.
The sun was out, the temperature was at its peak, we had walked so far(!); I decided an afternoon drink was needed. I attempted to sit down on the rail. Unfortunately I missed and ended up on my back. Needless to say there was somebody nearby with a camera to record my embarrassment.
(photograph: Les Hughes)
What a site!! I look forward to returning.
Thank you to the owner of the site for granting us access and to Les for making all the arrangements.
Keith Fowler
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