The Caldicot and Wentloog Levels are two areas of low-lying estuarine

alluvial Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluv ...

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

and intertidal

mudflat Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal fl ...

s adjoining the north bank of the Severn Estuary, either side of the

River Usk The River Usk (; cy, Afon Wysg) rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain (''y Mynydd Du''), Wales, in the westernmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially forming the boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys, it fl ...

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

near

Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...

in south east

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. They are also known collectively as the

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...

Levels or Gwent Levels, and the name Wentloog is sometimes spelled Wentlooge in official publications. The

Caldicot Caldicot may refer to: * Caldicot, Buckinghamshire * Caldicot, Monmouthshire * Caldicot (hundred) * Caldicot Castle, Monmouthshire * Caldicot railway station, a part of the British railway system * Caldicot RFC, a Welsh rugby union club * Caldico ...

Level lies to the southeast of Newport between the

and

River Wye The River Wye (; cy, Afon Gwy ) is the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, fourth-longest river in the UK, stretching some from its source on Plynlimon in mid Wales to the Severn estuary. For much of its length the river forms part of Wal ...

and consists of . It is home to Newport Wetlands Reserve. The

Wentloog Wentlooge ( cy, Gwynllŵg), sometimes known as Wentloog, is a community in the southwest of the city of Newport, South Wales, in the Marshfield ward. The community includes Peterstone Wentloodge and St. Brides Wentloodge and in 2011 had a popu ...

Level lies to the southwest between the River Usk and

Rhymney River The Rhymney River ( cy, Afon Rhymni) is a river in the Rhymney Valley, South Wales, flowing through Cardiff into the Severn Estuary. The river formed the boundary between the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire until in 1887, t ...

and consists of . The levels are formed from tidal deposits and

alluvium Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluv ...

, which have been recurrently inundated and reclaimed from the Severn Estuary by humans since

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

times. They have been patterns of settlement, enclosure and drainage systems belonging to successive periods of use, and are extremely rich

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

ly, with finds from the

Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

and

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

periods. They are an important wetland resource. Parts have been designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. They are registered as a Historic Landscape of Outstanding Historic Interest in Wales.Gwent Levels – Historic Landscape Characterisation
/ref>

History and archaeology

There have been variations in both land and sea levels in the Severn Estuary since the start of human habitation in the area. The Levels have been reclaimed from the sea at different times during the historic period, preserving evidence of patterns of settlement, enclosure and drainage systems.Bell, M., Caseldine, A. and Neumann, H. (2000). ''Prehistoric Intertidal Archaeology in the Welsh Severn Estuary'', CBA Research Report 120 Mesolithic and later remains have been discovered at Goldcliff, and late Mesolithic human footprints at

Uskmouth Uskmouth ( cy, Aberwysg) is an area to the south of the city of Newport, South Wales. Location Uskmouth is effectively in the west of the village of Nash. It is at Uskmouth that the River Usk meets the Severn estuary. Amenities It includes ...

. One of the most significant finds was of a 3rd-century Romano-British boat found at

Wilcrick Wilcrick ( cy, Chwilgrug) is a hamlet within the administrative boundary of the city of Newport, South Wales, just to the west of Magor and approximately southeast of Newport city centre. It is within the historic county of Monmouthshire. ...

near

Magor Magor may refer to the following: ;Places * Magor, Monmouthshire, a village in Wales, United Kingdom * Magor with Undy, a community in Wales, United Kingdom * Magor Farm, a Romano-British villa near Illogan in Cornwall * Breton name for Magoar * C ...

. The Romans occupied the area from the 2nd to the 4th centuries. In 1878, a boundary stone marking the building of 33 paces of embankment by Roman soldiers was discovered at Goldcliff. Research suggests that, initially, reclamation of the natural

salt marsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominated ...

for farmland began at a few "island" sites within the marshes, such as at Nash and Redwick, before a sea wall was built along the whole coast.Stephen Rippon
''The Historic Landscapes of the Severn Estuary''
''Archaeology in the Severn Estuary'', 11 (2000), 1, pp 9–35.

Goldcliff Priory Goldcliff Priory was a Benedictine monastery in Goldcliff, Newport, South Wales, founded in 1113 by Robert de Chandos and subject to the Abbey of Bec in Normandy.Williams, D. H., (1970) "Goldcliff Priory", The Monmouthshire Antiquary, 3:1 (1970- ...

was established in 1113 and together with other major landowners took responsibility for further drainage work in the area. Settlements became established, linked by droveways such as the Whitewall at Magor, and land was gradually reclaimed for pasture and arable use. A large number of

Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 *Anglo-Norman language **Anglo-Norman literature *Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 1066 ...

sites including

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

s, churches, court houses,

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

s, moated sites and

watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...

s show near-continuous occupation throughout the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. The Bristol Channel floods of 30 January 1607 ( New style), caused by either a

storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...

or a

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explo ...

, resulted in the drowning of an estimated 2,000 people, with houses and villages swept away, an estimated of farmland inundated and livestock destroyed. This was one of the worst natural disasters recorded in Britain.

Drainage and management

Most of the levels has been the subject of artificial drainage schemes, and the area is criss-crossed by drainage channels, known locally as ' reens'. Many of these are now managed by the Caldicot and Wentlooge Levels Internal Drainage Board. In 1531,

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

set up Courts of Sewers to improve drainage, but without any powers to oblige landowners to carry out work. In 1884, the Caldicot and Wentlooge Level Act established a new body, the Monmouthshire Commissioners of Sewers, with responsibility for maintaining sea walls and roads in the Levels. The long title of the Act is ''"An Act to provide for the commutation of the liability of Landowners in the Levels of the hundreds of Caldicot and Wentlooge in the County of Monmouth to maintain sea walls and other works to provide for the making and maintaining of roads in the said Levels and for other purposes."'' This was superseded in 1942 by the Caldicot and Wentlooge Levels Drainage Board, now the Internal Drainage Board or IDB. In 2012, the IDB was criticised in a report by the

Wales Audit Office Audit Wales (), formally the Wales Audit Office (WAO, ), is an independent public body which was established by the Senedd (Welsh Parliament; , formerly the National Assembly for Wales) on 1 April 2005. It has overall responsibility for auditing on ...

for overpaying staff, paying for trips abroad for its members, and acting unlawfully on other occasions. The IDB accepted the report and stated that the organisation's management had changed substantially since the time of the offences. Newport West MP Paul Flynn called for further police investigation into what had happened. The pattern of ditches now found on the Caldicot Level has been complicated by the construction of the Newport Wetlands Reserve. Whereas the ''raison d'etre'' of all previous reens and ditches had been to drain the land, the aim of the network of new waterways constructed as part of the reserve has been to keep the land flooded, albeit with fresh water.

Ecology

The levels support the following rare species: * Variable damselfly (''

Coenagrion pulchellum ''Coenagrion'' is a genus of damselfly, damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae, commonly called the Eurasian Bluets (although three species are found in North America: ''Coenagrion angulatum'', ''Coenagrion interrogatum'', and ''Coenagrion reso ...

'') * Flowering rush (''

Butomus ''Butomus'' is the only known genus in the plant family Butomaceae, native to Europe and Asia. It is considered invasive in some parts of the United States. Taxonomy The Butomaceae family has been recognized by most taxonomists as a plant ...

umbellatus'') – an unusual water-edge plant with sprays of pink flowers in May and June * Lapwing (''

Vanellus vanellus The northern lapwing (''Vanellus vanellus''), also known as the peewit or pewit, tuit or tew-it, green plover, or (in Ireland and Britain) pyewipe or just lapwing, is a bird in the lapwing subfamily. It is common through temperate Eurosiberia. ...

'') * Musk beetle (''

Aromia moschata The musk beetle (''Aromia moschata'') is a Eurasian species of longhorn beetle belonging to the subfamily Cerambycinae, tribe Callichromatini. Its name comes from the delicate musky smell it emits when menaced. The beetle has a shell with an ...

'') – a smelly longhorn beetle with shiny metallic green armour, that lives in

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

s along the

reen A rhyne (Somerset), rhine/rhyne (Gloucestershire), or reen ( South Wales) (all pronounced "reen"; from Old English ''ryne'' or Welsh ''rhewyn'' or ''rhewin'' "ditch") is a term used in parts of England and Wales for a drainage ditch, or can ...

s * Great silver water beetle (''Hydrophilus piceus'') – Britain's biggest beetle ignoring the

Stag beetle Stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies.Smith, A.B.T. (2006). A review of the family-group names for the superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera) with corrections ...

's extra length due to antlers * Water vole (''

Arvicola terrestris The European water vole or northern water vole (''Arvicola amphibius''), is a semi-aquatic rodent. It is often informally called the water rat, though it only superficially resembles a true rat. Water voles have rounder noses than rats, deep brow ...

'')Natural World Magazine, Spring 2009, The Wildlife Trust, published by Think publishing

References

External links

Caldicot and Wentlooge Levels Internal Drainage Board

* ttp://www.gtj.org.uk/en/small/item/GTJ27317/ Mattock made of antler used by hunter gatherers at Uskmouth
Hunter gatherer footprints in the tidal mudflatsLife on the Levels
at livinglevels.org.uk {{City of Newport Wetlands of Cardiff Archaeological sites in Monmouthshire History of Monmouthshire Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Monmouthshire Wetlands of Monmouthshire Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Newport Tourist attractions in Newport, Wales Wetlands of Newport, Wales Levels in the United Kingdom Coast of Newport, Wales Caldicot, Monmouthshire