About the reserve

Piercefield Woods are a part of the Lower Wye Valley woodlands, one of the largest and most important areas for native woodland that remain in Britain and at 81ha they are also the largest Nature Reserve Gwent Wildlife Trust manages.

The varied geology of the site, with limestone underlying calcareous woodland with ash, Field Maple and rarer shrubs such as Wild Service tree, Wild Privet, Dogwood and a range of whitebeam species – some of which are only found in the lower Wye Valley. This grades into sandstone underlying acidic woodlands with oak, birch and rowan. The steep ravine woodlands contain both small and large leaved lime: beech woods; and also contain a very rare woodland type in the UK, Yew-dominated woods. Some of these Yews measure up to 5.5m in girth, making them approximately 750 years old, although there is great debate over how old our largest Yew trees are!

The plethora of tree species isn’t the only thing that testifies to the huge importance and diversity of these woodlands, the plant species list is long and includes Wild Daffodil, Lily of the Valley, Spurge Laurel, Stinking Hellebore and Herb Paris as well as carpets of more common species such as bluebells, wild garlic and Wood Anemone.

Previous planting and landscaping in the 1750s give rise to woodland giants - veteran and ancient trees in large number. Look out for twisted old Horse Chestnuts,  beech, limes and oaks as you wander along the Wye Valley walk. These ancient trees are a habitat in their own right and contain many very rare insect species such as Cosnard’s Net Winged Beetle, not currently recorded anywhere else in Wales and a lime bark bast beetle that, again is only recorded in Wales from the Piercefield/Wyndcliff woodlands.

The area is also very important for mammals including many rare bat species including lesser and greater horseshoe and thriving populations of Hazel Dormice and Yellow Necked Mice.

These ancient trees and woodland and the diversity contained within have earned it the highest status of European protection as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

The River Wye, mudflats, estuarine habitats and marshy grassland are another important feature of the site containing approx 7.5 ha of grassland with species such as Meadow Rue, Angelica and Water Dropwort. The river and tidal habitats contain species such as Sea Pearlwort, Sea Plantain, Sea Wormwood, Sea Milkwort, Sea Aster and Seaside Centaury. These habitats are a part of the River Wye Special area of conservation (SAC) making Piercefield Woods the only Gwent Wildlife Trust site to contain two of these topmost designations, a truly unique place!