Ty Brith
Last updated: 23 October 2007
This site may consist of only 4 fields (5.7ha/14 acres) but it is probably the largest group of unimproved hay meadows in Montgomeryshire. For this reason the reserve has been notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
For hundreds of years, the fields have been managed traditionally. The hay isn't cut until after the flowers have seeded and then cattle graze the fields until the grass has stopped growing.
An area of species rich wetland mire further enhances the second field, attracting numbers of wintering snipe to the reserve.
There are over 100 different flowers and grasses at Ty Brith, including knapweed, bird's foot trefoil, yellow rattle, crested dog's tail, oxeye daisy and three species of orchid - in today's modern silage fields you are lucky to find 6!
The flowers attract butterflies and insects and drop seeds for birds and animals to feed on. Left undisturbed, ground-nesting birds can keep their chicks safely hidden until they are ready to fly away before harvest time.
Grid reference SJ 244178
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