Gower 2025

Saturday 28th June - Monday 30th June 2025

Sixteen members enjoyed three days of botany in South Wales, with most people based in Mumbles, Gower.  As well as enjoying wonderful coastal scenery and good company, a good range of interesting plants were seen, with various other wildlife spotted on the way.  As usual, group meals were arranged for the first and last evening of the holiday.  Many thanks to everyone involved in organising the holiday and leading the trips. 

Saturday 28th June: Whiteford Sands

Leader: Alan Schofield

Text by Laurence; Photographs by Laurence, Nyree, Susan and Tom

To gain access to the reserve we gathered at the Whiteford Beach carpark near the church of St Madoc, Llanmadoc (SS 4397 9349) and met up with our leader from the National Trust, Nicole Barley. It was a bright sunny day, ideal for botany.

The extensive area consists of sands over glacial tills admixed with clay deposits and silts of tidal flats. Many areas have a high calcium content and thus there is a diverse community of plants. On the day 122 taxa were recorded.

The highlight of the day and indeed of the holiday was being shown the rare Fen Orchid (Liparis loeselii) by Nicole in the fenced off, quite wet, boggy area. There were about ten or possibly more plants to see, showing well all of the floral features. The plants in this area represent about 10% of the UK population, the larger area being at Kenfig. The Fen Orchids on both these sites are the variety ovata, with oval leaves. An account of the conservation status of this rare orchid can be found on the JNCC Website (1903 Fen Orchid): https://sac.jncc.gov.uk/species/S1903

As noted above, the flora reflected the calcium rich soils including Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata), Squinancywort (Asperula cynanchica) and Viper’s Bugloss (Echium vulgare). Another plant of sandy and chalky soils seen in some abundance was Hound's-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale).

A range of other orchids were noted including Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis), Early Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata), Southern Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa) and Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera), and at the end of the visit we were shown the Burnt Orchid (Neotinea urtulata), which had unfortunately just finished flowering.

In the wetter areas adjacent to the marsh area there were good specimens of Sea Club-rush (Bolboschoenus maritimus) and Sharp Rush (Juncus acutus) and in the marsh area was Long-bracted Sedge (Carex extensa).  On departure we all thanked Nicole for her hard work in preparing for our visit and the welcome she and her colleagues gave us.

Sunday 29th June: Port Eynon

Leader: Alan Schofield

Text by Nyree; Photographs by Nyree, Carolyn, Susan and Tom

When we met in the car park there was a heavy drizzle and we all donned waterproof coats, but within about 10 minutes of setting off, the sun was breaking through and we were all stripping off. In a field next to the car park there were lots of lovely Large-flowered Evening-primrose (Oenothera glazioviana) and a Common Blue butterfly was spotted. In the next field along was a wonderfully unique Great Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) that was growing like a corkscrew.

We were soon into some narrow lanes with very high hedges, where we had a quick look on the edge of the beach, before heading back inland slightly. There were some pretty Tree-mallow (Malva arborea), and a plant which caused a lot of debate. Carolyn used an on-line app which identified it as Black Mustard (Brassica nigra) and about 15 minutes later, after much consulting of books, and inspection with hand lenses, it was declared as being, you guessed it, Black Mustard.

As we finally emerged from the high hedges and woodland, there was a rocky area up a steep little climb to our right, which we found to be some old quarry workings. There was a carpet of White Stonecrop (Sedum album), and all sorts of other plants to take a look at. I found some Grayling butterflies, which favour coastal habitats, and which we don’t have in our area at home. It was such a lovely area with magnificent views out to sea that we decided to stay here for lunch. As we left this area, Susan spotted a Grayling curving it’s abdomen forward, and as we watched we actually saw the Grayling lay an egg on Wild Thyme (Thymus drucei).

We remained high above the sea on a nice path with lots to interest us. There was Ploughman's-spikenard (Inula conyzae), Carline Thistle (Carlina vulgaris), Wild/Sea Carrot (Daucus carota), Squinancywort (Asperula cynanchica) and large numbers of the beautiful Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa).

Slightly further on, below a small cliff, there was a steep hillside which had an accessible path, and it was a riot of colour, a delight to the eye, with lots of White Stonecrop, Wild Thyme, Common Centuary (Centaurium erythraea), and a rarer plant, Basil Thyme (Clinopodium acinos), which had pretty purple flowers.

On the clifftop was some Hoary Rock-rose (Helianthemum oelandicum), with just one flower starting to open. It was good to see the difference between this and our usual Common Rock-rose (H. nummularium).

We then dropped steeply down to the shore where Golden-samphire (Limbarda crithmoides) was spotted, as well as the more common Rock Samphire (Crithmum maritimum). We also saw a couple of Small Blue butterflies, and a True Lover’s Knot moth happily feeding on Wild Thyme.

A good path took us back inland towards the car park, and just the last section of this path was very overgrown. Fortunately Kay had some secateurs, so she was put in the lead to cut the worst of the brambles for us. A very enjoyable day.

Monday 30th June: Kenfig National Nature Reserve

Leader: David Barden

Text by Rita and Anthony Grainger; Photographs by Nyree, Tom and Laurence

We met our leader, David Barden (a freelance ecologist with great knowledge of Kenfig), at the car park for Kenfig NNR. He explained that Kenfig was now a fixed dune system, whereas in Medieval times the dunes were very unstable (partly due to excessive rabbit warrens and partly due to violent storms). The original port was quickly silted up and though the town continued, it was eventually overwhelmed by storms, together with a considerable number of villages further inland.

We then set off, and were quickly scratching in the sand, bringing up the leaves and flowers of the delightful Bird’s-foot (Ornithopus perpusillus), together with patches of the white form of Common Stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium) and Hare`s-foot Clover (Trifolium arvense). At the side of the lake we were shown Tubular Water-dropwort (Oenanthe fistulosa), which is a plant Rita and I had only seen once before, on the Sefton Coast. We then entered a small wet woodland, where Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris) was abundant, together with a nice patch of Wood Dock (Rumex sanguineus).

Arriving onto the dunes, orchids started to appear: Southern Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa); a tall hybrid orchid, Dactylorhiza x grandis (the hybrid between Southern Marsh-orchid and Common Spotted-orchid) and a few bedraggled Early Marsh-orchids (Dactylorhiza incarnata), mainly of the bright red-flowered subspecies (ssp. coccinea). A few Marsh Fragrant-orchid (Gymnadenia densiflora) were also seen.

A very large number of Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis palustris) were in flower and soon had the photographers full attention. Three plants were found that lacked any dark pink colour in the flowers, making this a variety of Marsh Helleborine that many of us hadn’t seen before. Walking further along, I soon noticed a few more of this variety and started to count them. To my amazement, there were eventually over 200 of these across a very wide area, together with well over 1,000 of the normal Marsh Helleborine.

In a wetter area were growing Variegated Horsetail (Equisetum variegatum), Brookweed (Samolus valerandi) and one small flower of Lesser Water-plantain (Baldellia ranunculoides).

We eventually came to the seaside where Sea-holly (Eryngium maritimum) was in beautiful flower, together with approximately eight Common Broomrape (Orobanche minor) (or a variety thereof). Eyebrights, which we saw here, were later confirmed by David Barden as Arctic Eyebright (Euphrasia arctica).

Shortly afterwards a rare plant was found, Sea Stock (Matthiola sinuata), firstly leaves only and then several plants in flower. Stace (New Flora of the British Isles, 2019) gives this plant a rarity status of RR (scarce) and it is unfortunately very local and decreasing. Our last seaside plant was Rough Clover (Trifolium scabrum).

Thereafter we moved slightly inland to a wet area where there were five Fen Orchids (Liparis loeselii), although none were in flower, together with a large number of Adder`s-tongue (Ophioglossum vulgatum), all in flower. Shortly afterwards the leaves of Heath Dog-violet (Viola canina) were found.

A thoroughly enjoyable, hot day which ended in the outside café where ice creams and cold drinks never tasted so good!