An Ecological Survey of Y Dolydd, Llanfyllin 1 An Ecological Survey of Y Dolydd An ecological survey of Y Dolydd including an annotated checklist of the vascular plants, based on fieldwork conducted by volunteers alongside Arvensis Ecology in 2015. Written by Mark and Jenni Duffell of Arvensis Ecology with contributions from Pete Boardman and Andrew Cutts, plus volunteers (see page 12) Arvensis Ecology 19 Compton Mews Ford Shrewsbury Shropshire SY5 9NX Company No. 09574121 2015 ACCESS: Y Dolydd is privately owned and managed by the Y Dolydd Building Preservation Trust. Whilst the site is open to the public it is worth checking the Y Dolydd website www.the-workhouse.org.uk for any events/access issues. All rights reserved. © Mark and Jenni Duffell and Arvensis Ecology 2015. OS Licence No. 100054589 (Arvensis Ecology). Cover photographs Main Picture: Y Dolydd Workhouse Right upper: Poplar Hawkmoth (Photo: Vicky Preece) Right lower: Wall at Y Dolydd (Men’s Courtyard) with Wall Rue and Black Spleenwort. Left: Volunteers undertaking NVC survey in Meadow 2 Contents Introduction 5 Location of Y Dolydd 5 A brief history of Y Dolydd 8 Historical recording 12 The current survey 13 Botanical and NVC Survey 16 Camera Trapping 17 Bioblitz (Small Mammal Trapping, Moth Trap, Bat Walk and Stream survey) 17 Results of Botanical Survey and Meadow NVC survey 19 Results from Bioblitz and other survey events 22 Summary of Recording at Y Dolydd 28 Schedule 5, 8, 9, and Section 42 Species 29 Summary of compartments at Y Dolydd 32 Management considerations and recommendations 43 References 54 Acknowledgements 55 Appendix 1: Annotated Botanical species list 56 Appendix 2: Location of Camera Trap sites, Stream sampling point and Moth trap site. 68 Appendix 3: Location of Small Mammal traps and location of traps with mammals present 69 3 Appendix 4: Location of Nests and nesting sites around main building of Y Dolydd. 70 Appendix 5: Quadrat data from NVC Meadow survey. 71 Appendix 6: Records from Tree and Hedgerow Survey. 72 Appendix 7: Approximate location of individual Trees and hedgerows from Tree Survey. 81 Appendix 8: Results from Camera Trapping at Y Dolydd. 82 Appendix 9: Bat Records, existing Bat Boxes and sites with Bat Potential. 84 Appendix 10: All Mammal records 85 Appendix 11: All Bird records 87 Appendix 12: Grid references and locations for all Small Mammal Traps. 94 Appendix 13: Records of Invertebrates for Y Dolydd. 97 Appendix 14: Plants listed on Schedule 9. 105 4 Introduction Y Dolydd Building Preservation Trust commissioned Arvensis Ecology to lead several events with volunteers recording the flora and fauna present within the grounds of Y Dolydd. Sessions on biological recording, botanical and entomological identification, as well as practical surveying and a Bioblitz took place during May to September 2015. Location of Y Dolydd Y Dolydd also known as Llanfyllin Workhouse is situated to the east of Llanfyllin within the two 1km2 grid squares (SJ1418 and SJ1518) (Figures 1, 2 and 3). The site is within the botanical vice-county of Montgomeryshire (v.c. 47) and the political area of Powys County Council. Y Dolydd is approximately 2.65 hectares, and at around 115m in elevation. The southern boundary of Y Dolydd follows the A490 with a small section of the road being truncated in the 1980s when the road was re-aligned. To the north is the Cadnant stream, which flows from the southwest of the site along the north boundary and continues east towards the Afon Cain. The eastern boundary is marked with a metal fence and hedges. Land to the north and east is pasture land used for cattle and sheep. To the west is an old stable block (Figures 2 and 3). Figure 1: Location of Y Dolydd in relation to Llanfyllin (located within the two 1km2 grid squares shown outlined in red dashes). Source: Where’s The Path OS Licence No. 100054589 (Arvensis Ecology). 5 Figure 2: Aerial photograph of Y Dolydd showing the large cruciform building making up the old workhouse with scattered auxiliary buildings. To the west is the old stable block. To the south of Y Dolydd is the A490, with Llanfyllin to be found further along to the west. The meadows can be seen to the north of the main buildings, extending from west to east. Cultivated areas of the site are to the immediate south, southeast and north of the buildings. Source: Ordnance Survey OS Licence No. 100054589 (Arvensis Ecology). Figure 3: Y Dolydd showing buildings in centre of site, with meadows to north bordered by Cadnant (stream), with the hedges and fencing to the south. The southern boundary is demarcated by the A490. Source: Ordnance Survey OS Licence No. 100054589 (Arvensis Ecology). 7 A brief history of Y Dolydd. In the late 1830s the Llanfyllin Union was created to distribute relief to paupers, as well as other duties; at the first meeting in February 1837 it was agreed that workhouse ‘be built for the Union capable of containing 250 paupers’. The land on which Y Dolydd was built was owned by the Llanfyllin Rector Mr Hughes, who sold it on the agreement that a burial ground was provided, a chaplain appointed and religious instruction provided for the workhouse children. The building was designed by Thomas Penson, following a model put forward by the ‘Report of the Poor Law Commission’ in 1836. The building has at its centre a three storey house (originally the Master’s accommodation), with four wings coming off from this point. Each wing and the adjacent courtyard allowed for segregation of the men, women, boys and girls. Constructed from brickwork, a local stone and imported dressed stone and slate roofing from nearby Llangynog. Construction started in 1838 and by November 1840 was described by the clerk as ‘The house is filling fast’. The name of Llanfyllin Workhouse changed prior to the 1930s to Y Dolydd or The Meadows. By the 1960s Y Dolydd was modernised and became an old people’s home; these modernisations included the demolition of some buildings, walls and tall ornamental chimneys, replacement of old cast iron windows, and re-roofing. By the 1980s Y Dolydd old people’s home was up for closure by Powys County Council, a local campaign gave it a short reprieve but by September 1982 Y Dolydd closed its doors. A new chapter dawned when Y Dolydd was established as a centre for outdoor pursuits ‘The Challenge Centre’, unfortunately this failed following the death of one of the founders. Upon re- sale much of the internal fixtures were removed and the place fell into dereliction. Only in 2001 was it saved when a local businesswoman Hilary Collins bought Y Dolydd, with the ambition to set it up as business park hopefully bringing business and visitors to Llanfyllin. At this time the Llanfyllin Dolydd Building Preservation Trust was formed and it secured the building in 2004. Since that time the Trust has been working to ‘create a community enterprise for arts, education, environment and heritage’. In 2010 the roof of the front of Y Dolydd was replaced. Land to the northeast and southeast (called North Garden and East Garden in this report) was used by the Workhouse as a vegetable garden (Figure 4). Not shown on any maps (Figures 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9) is the field and metal fence line that runs from the north-eastern corner southwards to near the north-eastern corner of the North Garden hedgerow. When this field was incorporated into Y Dolydd land is unknown but looking at the age of the fence it is not recent. Otherwise the site and boundaries at Y Dolydd look little changed since the 1880s (Figure 5) A more detailed history of Y Dolydd / Llanfyllin Workhouse can be found in Hainsworth (2004). 8 Figure 4: Y Dolydd in the 1930s or 1940s. Seen from the hill to the east, with Llanfyllin in the distance. The A490 is shown on the left (pre re-alignment works). Of interest are the cultivated areas in the North and East Garden. Any hedging around the site is low with only a few trees present. A large tree (Oak?) can also been seen on the boundary with the road, sadly long gone. Source: Hainsworth (2004). Figure 5: 1886 Map of Y Dolydd. Ordnance Survey Six Inch England and Wales, 1842-1952. Source: National Library of Scotland 9 Figure 6: 1902. Map of Y Dolydd. Ordnance Survey Six Inch England and Wales, 1842-1952. Source: National Library of Scotland Figure 7: 1943. Map of Y Dolydd. Ordnance Survey Six Inch England and Wales, 1842-1952. Source: National Library of Scotland 10 Figure 8: 1952. Map of Y Dolydd. Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps of Great Britain, 1937-1961. Source: National Library of Scotland Figure 9: 1960. Map of Y Dolydd. Ordnance Survey One-inch to the mile, 7th Series, 1951-1961. Source: National Library of Scotland 11 Historical Recording Historical data for Y Dolydd Biological recording at Y Dolydd has been sparse hence the current survey. There are only three historical records made for “Y Dolydd”, all for Bats. The earliest was made on the 28th of August 1984, by Marri Packwood who recorded an ‘unknown bat’ as being present at ‘Y Dolidd (sic), Llanfyllin’ in SJ1419. This grid reference is wrong for Y Dolydd, but a search does not reveal any other ‘Y Dolidd’ or ‘Y Dolydd’ in the Llanfyllin area, so it can be assumed to be an error for ‘Y Dolydd’ and should be either SJ1418 or SJ1518. No details are known about Marri Packwood. More recently Mike Green recorded two species of bats, Brown Long-eared Bat Plecotus auritus and Lesser Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus hipposideros on the 21st of January 2008 within Y Dolydd.