Can you spot any of the species listed below?

Trees /Shrubs  tick J Oak J Ash J Beech J J J J J J J Cow wheat Wood anemone Bluebells Herb paris Wood sorrel Wild garlic Red campion J Hawthorn J Elm J Field maple J Herb robert J Harts tongue fern J Male fern J Honeysuckle J Wood spurge J Selfheal J Holly J Hazel J Sycamore

How to get to tHe ReseRve and CountRyside CentRe

Footpaths around Caswell

....
ive ll Dr swe Ca

Woodland Plants & Fungi  tick

Bishops Wood Countryside Centre lies above Caswell Bay. There are two pay and display car parks and a regular bus P service (Bus No. 2) that runs from the P centre of Swansea to Caswell Drive. A number of footpaths lead to the reserve including a coastal path from Mumbles to Caswell.
Bishops Wood
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93 d B45 ell R Casw To Swansea

Caswell Bay

Bishops Wood Countryside Centre

Bluebells

J Artists fungus J Sulphur tuft J King Alfreds cakes J Stonecrop

Meadow Thistle

LoCaL natuRe ReseRves

in the City and County of swansea
1 Pwll Du Cliffs LNR 2 Bishops Wood LNR 3 Killay Marsh LNR 4 Cwmllwyd Wood LNR 5 Cadle Heath LNR 6 Mumbles Hill LNR

er

d Lane lan

Speckled Wood Buzzard

Grassland plants/Limestone cliff plants  tick J Meadowsweet J Early purple orchid J Meadow thistle J Hogweed Animals  tick J J J J J J J Bank vole Pipistrelle bats Horseshoe bats Common lizard Slow worm Adder Wood mice J Beetles J Centipedes J Orange tip butterfly J Brimstone J Speckled wood J J J J J Cow parsley Woundwort Rockrose Wild thyme Wood sage

Badger

J Badger J Fox J Grey squirrel Birds  tick J J J J J J Tree creeper Nuthatch Tawny owl Buzzard Blackbird Green woodpecker

Bluetit

J Stonechat J Greater and lesser spotted woodpecker J Greenfinch J Bullfinch J Jackdaw J Jay J Robin J Blue tit J Long tailed tit J Crow

J J J J J J J J J

Mistle thrush Song thrush Wren Sparrow hawk Wood pigeon Pied wagtail Magpie Marsh tit Great tit

Local Nature Reserves are sites of high nature conservation value or which have local wildlife or geological interest and are of particular value for community enjoyment, involvement and education. They are designated by local authorities with advice and help from the Countryside Council for Wales. Bishops Wood Local Nature Reserve was declared a local nature reserve in 1975. There are currently six Local Nature Reserves in the City and County of Swansea, the locations of which are shown above.
LLANMADOC LLANRHIDIAN LLANGENNITH REYNOLDSTON RHOSSILI OXWICH PORT EYNON

GARNSWLLT

PONTARDDULAIS CLYDACH

PENLLERGAER
GORSEINON

LLANGYFELACH MORRISTON

BIRCHGROVE

GOWERTON

5 4

PENLAN

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Raven

WAUNARLWYDD FFORESTFACH
TOWNHILL UPLANDS

KILLAY

UPPER KILLAY WEST CROSS BISHOPSTON SOUTHGATE

MUMBLES

to find out moRe

If you would like to arrange an activity, group visit, walk or to discuss how your school or group could be involved with the reserve or if you are interested in helping with its management, please contact Dai or Karen on 01792 361703 or Deb Hill on 01792 635749.

BisHoPs wood is on tHe swansea sustainaBiLity tRaiL...

The Sustainability Trail is a series of projects located across Swansea which demonstrate how we can live in a more sustainable way. Take a look at other sites on the Sustainable Trail website www.sustainableswansea.net or call 01792 480200.
21088-10

Bank Vole

Please contact us if you see something different to the species listed above or would like a full species list

This project has been supported by:

75%

November 2010

Bishops wood nature Reserve

The nature reserve lies in a narrow steep-sided, dry limestone valley running north south from Murton to Caswell beach. It is made up of 46 acres (19 hectares) of woodland and limestone grassland and has been designated an SSSI, (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and SAC, (Special Area of Conservation), because of its rich biodiversity. The reserve is managed by the City and County of Swanseas Nature Conservation Team to conserve and enhance wildlife diversity and to provide access and information to visitors and local schools. There are three main footpaths running through the valley, which we have marked as three nature trails on the main map. These are the Acorn trail, Oak leaf trail and the Beech leaf trail. The nature trails take you through a variety of habitats, which support many forms of wildlife.

acorn trail:
Length: Terrain: 450 metres Easy, flat all ability path. Starts from the top of Caswell car park and ends at the roundhouse at the top of the valley. 1 Along the whole length of this path, there is open grassland, along the valley floor. In summer you can see many species of butterfly, and meadow flowers, such as Meadowsweet, Selfheal, Hogweed and Woundwort.
Round House
6 5 3 4 5 7 6

2 The woodland to the west has many species that indicate ancient woodland such as Bluebell, Dogs mercury, Wood anemone, Wood sorrel and the rare Herb paris. 3 A beautiful sculpture called Nanci, carved from oak using a chainsaw by an artist called Nanci Hemming.
Wood anemone

4 Ravages of Dutch elm disease, lots of dead wood, important for bats, insects and woodpeckers. This part of the woodland is rich in bird life, spot shy Jays, blue tits and other song birds. 5 The roundhouse was built in 2002 using local green timber. It took 52 oak trees and 36 tonnes of earth to make and is used as an outdoor classroom and as a shelter for local community groups.

MAP KEY
Oak Leaf Trail: Length: 1 km Terrain: Steep steps, narrow, uneven path. Acorn Trail: Length: 450 m Terrain: Easy, flat, all ability path. Beech Leaf Trail: Length: 1.2 km Terrain: Steep steps, narrow, uneven path. Footpath
5

Beech Leaf trail:

Length: Terrain: 1.2 km Steep steps, narrow uneven path. 1 Starts and finishes at a wooden style opposite the Countryside Centre. The style leads you to wooden steps which take you through Gorse, Heather, small trees and shrubs. 2 At the top of the step, turn left and the path takes you to an open grassy cliff top. Enjoy spectacular views over Caswell Bay. The limestone soil supports a diverse range of flowers, such as Thyme, Rockrose and Stonecrop.
Adder

oak Leaf trail:

Length: Terrain: 1 km Steep steps, uneven narrow path
4

Pony Route
Scale: 200 metre Graddfa: 200 metr

2 1 4

Picnic Area

1 Start at the picnic benches at the top of Caswell car park, the path leads into ancient woodland up steep stone steps. 2 Beautiful viewpoint overlooking Caswell Bay, and on a good day, Devon. 3 There are many badger runs leading to the fields above, these look like little footpaths. If you are lucky you may see footprints in the soft mud or hairs stuck to the fence. Badgers usually have a territory range of 30 hectares in a rich habitat.

1 3 2 3

Pipistrelle bat

N
4
Old Quary

See if you can spot common lizards, slow worms and adders basking in the sun. Entering Oak woodland, the trees are stunted and pruned by the strong salt winds. Acidic clay soils support flowers such as Cow wheat and Butchers broom.

2 1

4 Hugging trees; a Hawthorn (smaller one) and an Ash entwined together. You may see black blobs on the Ash branches, these are a fungus called King Alfreds cakes. 5 Grave stones or boundary markers? One has a P and the other FAM. They are simply boundary markers, the P is for Penrice, a large estate on the Gower and FAM is Frank Arthur Morgan who owned part of Bishops Wood. 6 The path takes you down wooden steps under huge Beech trees, Green woodpeckers are often heard here. At the bottom of the steps turn right and you will see the roundhouse. (see Acorn trail)

To Bishopston
Road Caswell

To Swansea

Speckled Wood Stonechat

5 The wooden chalets, dating from the1920s are part of Owens Field, a small local community. 6 The path starts to lead you downhill into the Beech glade. Beech trees cast a heavy shade preventing anything growing underneath. Grey squirrels, Nuthatches, Tree creepers and Woodpeckers are commonly seen here. 7 Downhill through two gates to the roundhouse, the path follows the acorn trail to the car park, then the road back to the countryside centre.
Wood mouse

Wild Garlic

Bank Vole Sulphur Tuft Wool Sorrel Herb Paris

The Roundhouse

To get back to where you started, follow the Acorn trail down the main valley floor.

Wildlife Illustrations by: Mike Hill