For the village in the Rhondda Valley, see Clydach Vale

Clydach Vale

Clydach Vale is a village adjoining Tonypandy in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the Rhondda Valley, Wales. It is named for its situation on the Nant Clydach, a tributary of the River Taff.-Integration of villages:...

 and for the national nature reserve in the Clydach Gorge, see Cwm Clydach National Nature Reserve

Cwm Clydach National Nature Reserve

Cwm Clydach National Nature Reserve is an area of 24.8ha of steeply sloping valley-side on the southern side of the Clydach Gorge, two miles east of Brynmawr in southeast Wales which is protected for its ancient semi-natural beech woods...

Cwm Clydach is a nature reserve on the outskirts of Clydach, Swansea

Swansea

Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...

 (Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

). It is run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Bird Notes and News was first published in April 1903.The title changed to 'Bird Notes' in 1947. In the 1950s, there were four copies per year . Each volume covered two years, spread over three calendar years...

 (RSPB).

It is ancient broadleaved woodland

Ancient woodland

Ancient woodland is a term used in the United Kingdom to refer specifically to woodland that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in England and Wales . Before those dates, planting of new woodland was uncommon, so a wood present in 1600 was likely to have developed naturally...

 and is home to breeding pied flycatchers, redstart

Redstart

Redstarts are a group of small Old World birds. They were formerly classified in the thrush family , but are now known to be part of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae...

s, dippers and buzzards. The Lower Clydach River flows through the centre of the reserve.

Walks & Trails

Public paths and trails are open from dawn to dusk. There are two main trails which begin at the main car park. The shortest, known as the Nixon trail is a 2.2 km circular walk which is suitable for pushchairs. The 4.7 km Trussler trail is rugged in parts. Both trails connect with longer distance footpaths leading off the reserve.

External links

• Cwm Clydach RSPB website
• Gower Birds