Crymlyn Bog and Pant y Sais National Nature Reserve

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Overview

Crymlyn Bog and Pant y Sais NNR – part of the largest lowland fen in Wales – seems a world away from the nearby urban sprawl of Swansea. Crymlyn Bog lies in a large depression which was carved out when the glaciers retreated at the end of the last Ice Age about 12,000 years ago, and Pant y Sais is similar but on a much smaller scale. Among the more unusual plants found on the reserve are yellow iris, bogbean, marsh cinquefoil and royal fern, a deciduous plant sometimes known as the flowering fern because it produces large reddish-brown fronds that look like flower spikes. Other interesting plants at Crymlyn Bog include the rare slender cotton grass and the lesser water plantain. The abundant reedbeds on the reserve make it a great place to see birds like reed and sedge warblers, reed bunting, Cetti’s warbler and water rail. Rarer visitors include bitterns, bearded tits and marsh harriers.

Location

Bon-y-maen

About the area

There’s no getting away from it – when it comes to image, Swansea is a bit of a mixed bag. During its heyday in the 19th century, as king of the copper industry, it was known as ‘Copperopolis’.

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Crymlyn Bog and Pant y Sais National Nature Reserve

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Crymlyn Bog and Pant y Sais National Nature Reserve

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