In 2023 INCC took on management of a large area of land owned by Brecon Carreg, the mineral water company. It is an amazing site overlooking Carreg Cennen Castle and has huge potential.
Covering 65ha, the land around Brecon Carreg’s factory near Trapp is now known as Llwyndewi after the farm that was originally present. It consists of a wonderful mix of meadows, woodland, marshy grassland, upland acid grassland and of course the River Loughor. Known as Llygad Llwchwr, the river emerges from underground caves and flows through the reserve and eventually meets the sea near Llanelli.
Above: the river running through the nature reserve
Left: inside the source of the River Loughor (photo (c) Mark Burkey)
INCC’s initial work was to walk the site (no easy task!) and map the habitats present, thinking how the diversity could be improved through the introduction of sympathetic management.
We also started doing some baseline ecological surveys, revealing the wonderful wildlife already present including Otters, Badgers, Cuckoos, Ravens, and dragonflies and damselflies. These surveys will continue over coming years to assess how well the habitat management techniques are working. In addition to surveys we have also installed a number of Dormouse boxes, as well as a Barn Owl box.
Above: Badgers and Otters are just two of the species we have seen on cameras at the site so far
With the help of a local arborist we have put up a number of bat boxes and bird boxes. We will monitor these in coming years. Some of the woodland looked ideal for Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca and in 2025 two pairs took up residence in the boxes!
Some of the marshy grassland on site needs managing to improve its potential for wildlife.Up until now it wasn’t managed at all so the grasses have become overgrown and rank, limiting the diversity of flowering plants. It is potentially an important site for Marsh Fritillaries and could act as a stepping stone to link the populations around Trapp with those in the Amman Valley. We have been working with local fencers and graziers and managed to introduce some hardy cattle onto the site in 2025. Cattle are one of the best habitat managers you can find, and they will ensure that the grassland is opened up which will improve the site’s biodiversity.
In 2025 we were lucky enough to host students from Bridgend College at the nature reserve. They worked hard to create a brand new pond, as well as carrying out some ‘Bracken bashing’ – this is a way of thinning dense Bracken in areas where it is starting to shade out sensitive habitats such as acid grassland.
Students also joined local volunteers to start clearing the site of the highly invasive Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera. This plant is very damaging to biodiversity, shading out native vegetation and weakening riverbanks. A huge amount of clearance has already been done and monitoring and control will continue annually. A lot of the work in 2025 was carried out by Liv and Matt, two students who INCC employed over the summer period to give them their first steps to a career in conservation.
We have begun running some guided walks on site to show people just how wonderful the site is and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the various management techniques that are being undertaken. Thanks to Brecon Carreg for their enthusiasm for the project and willingness to go ahead with converting it into a wonderful nature reserve.
