CYNGOR CEFN GWLAD CYMRU COUNTRYSIDE COUNCIL FOR

SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST CITATION

GWYNEDD MORFA

Date of Notification: 1953, 1977, 1982, 1988, 2001

National Grid Reference: SH570360

O.S. Maps: 1:50,000 Sheet number: 124 1:10,000 Sheet number: SH 64 SE, SW, SH 63 NW, SW,NE, SH 53 NW, NE, SE, SW & SH 52 NE

Site Area: 2209.9ha

Description:

Morfa Harlech is of special interest for its geomorphological and biological (terrestrial and marine) features. Lying to the west of the Mochras Fault, Morfa Harlech has developed upon a sequence of Tertiary sands, silts and clays with thin beds of lignite and conglomerate. In contrast, the and Dwyryd estuary which drain into Bay, represent drowned river valley systems excavated into an underlying rockhead composed of various formations belonging predominantly to the Upper Cambrian Mawddach Group (Merioneth Series) and the early Ordovician Tremadoc Series. The estuary is one of three outstanding, small, bar-built drying estuaries found in Britain and is a feature of the Pen Llyn a’r Sarnau marine candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC). Morfa Harlech includes extensive areas of beach, sand dune, grassland and the Royal St David’s golfcourse. The sand dune and associated saltmarsh is part of the Morfa Harlech a Morfa Dyffryn cSAC. Across the Afon Glaslyn is a man-made embankment known as the Cob which carries the road, railway and footpath and limits the tidal influence up to . The eastern boundary extends along the Afon Dwyryd up to the limit of tidal influence at .

Geomorphology:

Morfa Harlech is an important site for coastal geomorphology studies. It comprises a major cuspate- shaped foreland, in which the alignment of a sand beach and dunes at an acute angle to former seacliffs has encouraged extensive sedimentation. The beach and dunes form a narrow fringing system in the south but widen northwards into several subparallel ridges. It is also significant for the relationship of the ridges to wave energy inputs and seabed morphology. While progradation has been prevalent, there is also some localised erosion, both at the proximal end near Harlech and at the distal end of the spit. Although movements of sand along the spit towards its distal end have contributed in part to its extension across the Afon Glaslyn, changes in the position of the river channel have contributed both to the growth and erosion of the spit. Morfa Harlech is largely unaffected by interference with littoral sediment transport, and is part of a suite of beaches largely aligned to Atlantic swell within the Celtic Sea.

Biology:

The marine biological interest comprises the exposed sandy shore of Morfa Harlech beach and the Glaslyn and Dwyryd estuary. The extensive beach at Morfa Harlech is characterised by typical biotopes (physical habitat and the associated community of species including animals and plants) of an exposed, sandy shore and is the most typical example of an exposed sandy shore within . The biotopes are also highly natural with no non-native species occurring. Species such as sandhoppers Talitridae sp., burrowing amphipods Bathyporea sp. and the isopod Eurydice pulchra are characteristic of the sandy shore.

The Glaslyn and Dwyryd estuary is one of the largest, relatively unmodified estuaries found on the Cardigan Bay coast. The estuary displays a continuous gradient between clean sands found close to the sea and muddy sands and gravels in the sheltered extremes of the estuary. It sustains a wide range of typical sediment biotopes from the open coast up to the tidal limit of the river channels. The hard cliffs of the peninsula and Ynys Giftan support maritime lichen communities, with species such as black tar lichen Verrucaria maura and the orange lichens, Calaplaca marina and Xanthoria parietina. A nationally important marine biotope, muddy gravel with the sand gaper clam Mya arenaria and polychaetes is abundant in certain areas of the estuary. Within the poorly drained muddy saltmarsh channels, estuary ragworm Hediste diversicolor and the peppery furrow shell Scrobicularia plana are abundant. The sandflats south of the Afon Dwyryd support the lugworm Arenicola marina, the common cockle Cerastoderma edule and often high numbers of the amphipod Corophium volutator.

Within the Glaslyn and Dwyryd estuary, there are extensive areas of saltmarsh, particularly at Glastraeth and Glan-y-mor. There are a variety of plant communities, ranging from pioneer saltmarsh with glasswort Salicornia sp. to stands with frequent thrift Armeria maritima, common saltmarsh grass Puccinellia maritima, sea milkwort Glaux maritima, common cord grass Spartina anglica, locally dominant sea rush Juncus maritimus and the nationally scarce lax-flowered sea- lavender Limonium humile. The nationally scarce spiral tasselweed Ruppia cirrhosa is recorded from one area of shallow muddy tidal pools. In similar habitat within the Dwyryd saltmarsh, the nationally rare dwarf spike rush Eleocharis parvula and the Welsh mudwort Limosella australis are locally frequent.

The sand dunes at Morfa Harlech are one of the largest moderately calcareous systems in Britain. The mobile dune communities and the humid dune slack communities (in seasonally wet hollows) are of European importance. It is the largest accreting (growing) system in Wales, which means that there are extensive areas of mobile and semi-fixed dune communities. The transitions from sand dune to saltmarsh are notable. The strand line at Morfa Harlech, which is well developed in most years, characteristically has occasional sea rocket Cakile maritima, saltwort Salsola kali and more rarely sea sandwort Honkenya peploides. Marram grass Ammophila arenaria mobile dune vegetation is extensively developed. It is here that scattered plants of the nationally scarce Portland spurge Euphorbia portlandica can be found. On the seaward side of the dunes, sand couch Elytrigia juncea is a frequent dominant or co-dominant with marram. On the slightly more stable and less exposed mobile dunes, red fescue Festuca rubra is able to increase its cover, frequently accompanied by smooth meadow grass Poa pratensis, sand sedge Carex arenaria, common cat’s ear Hypochoeris radicata and restharrow Ononis repens. Winter annuals such as thyme-leaved sandwort Arenaria serpyllifolia and the nationally scarce dune fescue Vulpia fasciculata occur within the semi-fixed dune habitat. Sand dune mosses Tortula ruralis ssp. ruraliformis, Homalothecium lutescens and Brachythecium albicans are locally abundant.

The marram grass becomes less frequent and less vigorous away from the mobile sand. Here, the vegetation grades into extensive stands of fixed dune grassland with frequent red fescue Festuca rubra, bird’s foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, lady’s bedstraw Galium verum and ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata. The dune grasslands support substantial populations of many local species such as the heath spotted orchid Dactylorhiza maculata, pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis and bee orchid Orphrys apifera. The nationally scarce maiden pink Dianthus deltoides is locally abundant.

Extensive dune slacks are dominated by creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera, common sedge Carex nigra and silverweed Potentilla anserina. Other slacks are dominated by creeping willow Salix repens often accompanied by the moss Calliergon cuspidatum, marsh pennywort Hydrocotyle vulgaris and water mint Mentha aquatica. The nationally scarce variegated horsetail Equisetum variegatum is occasional in more open areas. Petalwort Petalophyllum ralfsii, a nationally rare liverwort, is recorded from dune slacks where the vegetation is very open and sparse. Orchids, including the marsh helleborine Epipactis palustris, the northern marsh orchid Dactylorhiza purpurella and the nationally scarce species narrow-leaved marsh orchid Dactylorhiza traunsteineri are locally abundant. Transitions from dune slack to swamp communities occur locally with stands dominated by meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria. Sharp rush Juncus acutus, another nationally scarce plant is frequent and can be locally abundant within the dune slacks, marshy grassland and upper saltmarsh. Grey willow Salix cinerea scrub has developed along the landward side of the dune system.

The transition from dune grassland (i.e. maritime communities) through to non-maritime communities is of interest. Adjacent to the golf course there is an area of herb-rich neutral grassland, dominated by crested dog’s tail Cynosurus cristatus with sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, black knapweed Centaurea nigra and devil’s bit scabious Succisa pratensis occuring frequently. Populations of lesser butterfly orchids Platanthera bifolia and green winged orchid Orchis morio are recorded from these grasslands. The transition from saltmarsh to swamp and damp grassland is well developed at Ty Gwyn marsh. Here the grassland is dominated by Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus, creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera, with frequent lesser spearwort Ranunculus flammula, marsh marigold Caltha palustris, marsh horsetail Equisetum palustre and common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii.

There are two nationally rare mosses, Fissidens algarvicus and Tortula cuneifolia and one nationally scarce moss, Philonotis rigida occurring on the unstable soft clay cliffs south of Harlech. Fissidens serrulatus (also nationally rare) and five nationally scarce bryophytes; Bryum donianum, Campylopus polytrichoides, Fissidens polyphyllus, Riccia beyrichiana and Targionia hypophylla are found in the salt splash zone above Mean High Water on the rocky shores of the Portmeirion peninsula and Ynys Giftan. The nationally scarce dotted sedge Carex punctata is also found in this habitat and on the dune slacks.

Morfa Harlech is a nationally important site for Aculeata (wasps and bees) with the largest breeding population of the rare mining bee Colletes cunicularius within . It is one of the richest sites in Meirionnydd for Coleoptera (beetles). There is also a diverse fauna of sand dune invertebrate specialists.

The saltmarsh at Glan-y-mor is of regional importance for breeding waders, particularly redshank Tringa totanus and lapwing Vanellus vanellus. Curlew Numenius arquata, ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula and oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus also regularly breed. Black-headed gulls Larus ridibundus nest in low numbers at Llyn y Warin, a pool within the dunes. Other breeding birds typical of the sand dunes include skylark Alauda arvensis, linnet Carduelis cannabina, reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus, stonechat Saxicola torquata, sedge warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, shelduck Tadorna tadorna and grasshopper warbler Locustella naevia. During September to March nationally important numbers of pintail Anas acuta feed and roost on the extensive areas of mud and saltmarsh in the Glaslyn/Dwyryd estuary.

The sand lizard Lacerta agilis has been introduced into two areas of sand dune at Morfa Harlech where the habitat is considered suitable and where public pressure is low. The longest established colony has been recorded as breeding.

The Glaslyn /Dwyryd estuary is considered an important breeding and feeding habitat for otter Lutra lutra. The ditches associated with the embankments and adjacent farmland provide suitable bankside habitat for the water vole Arvicola terrestris.

Remarks:

The National Trust owns a small area within Morfa Harlech SSSI.

Most of this site lying above MHWM lies within National Park.

All 883 ha of the Morfa Harlech National Nature Reserve are included.

Nearly all of the site lies within two Special Areas of Conservation (cSAC ) under the EC Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and Wild Flora and Fauna 1992): the Pen Llyn a’r Sarnau marine cSAC and the Morfa Harlech a Morfa Dyffryn cSAC.

There are two plant species listed under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), Welsh mudwort Limosella australis and petalwort Petalophyllum ralfsii. Listed under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act are sand lizard, otter and water vole. Petalwort and otter are also listed under Annex II of the Habitats Directive.

The following species are UK Biodiversity Action Plan species and are known to occur on the site: European otter Lutra lutra; Skylark Alauda arvensis; Water vole Arvicola terrestris; Sand lizard Lacerta agilis; Petalwort Petalophyllum ralfsii; Pipestrelle bat Pipistrellis pipistrellis.

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