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Newport Wetlands is a
Entrance is free, with car parking facilities open every day of the year from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. The visitor and education centre are open every day except Christmas Day.
The visitor centre provides a shop, refreshments, bathroom facilities, viewing facilities and guided tours. Dogs and cyclists are permitted outside the visitor centre and along a specially marked circular route around the reserve's perimeter which is accessed via a path next to the car park exit. Initially heading west, the route follows alongside the power station then turns to the east past the East Usk Lighthouse and along the Severn Estuary ( Wales Coast Path). After dropping below the sea wall the path splits, with a pedestrian and dog walking route returning to the visitor centre via a marked path to the left. A longer pedestrian and cycling route continues forwards towards Goldcliff village and the local road network.
Next to the visitor centre is a picnic and play area, which provides a children's play area, education zone, and benches for picnics.
The far end of the main trail faces south towards the Severn Estuary, along which the East Usk Lighthouse and a bird hide overlooking lagoon R9 are situated.
There is also a woodland trail, which is entered by turning left at the top of the hill. The trail travels past neighbouring farmland, through the reserve's woodlands, past a lagoon viewing platform which overlooks lagoon R8, and onto the estuary trail.
File:View of Severn Estuary Rocks From Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve.JPG, View of Severn Estuary Rocks From Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve
File:Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve Visitor Centre As Seen From Ridge and Furrow Landscape.JPG, Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve visitor centre as seen from picnic and play area
File:Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve Visitor Centre Seen From Hill.JPG, Visitor centre and picnic and play area seen from hill
File:Uskmouth Power Station from Newport Wetlands Centre.JPG, View of Uskmouth power station
File:Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve Floating Walkway Facing Northwards.JPG, Floating walkway facing northwards
File:Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve Bird Hide.JPG, Entrance to the hide
File:Bird Hide at Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve.JPG, Frontal exterior to the hide
File:Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve Westward Path Alongside Power Station.JPG, Cycle path alongside power station
File:Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve Forest Viewing Platform.JPG, Viewing platform
File:Lagoon R8 overlooked by Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve Forest Viewing Platform.JPG, Lagoon R8 overlooked by viewing platform
File:Swans at Newport Wetlands Centre.JPG,
File:East Usk Lighthouse at Newport Wetlands RSPB Nature Reserve Facing Eastwards Towards Bird Hide.JPG, East Usk Lighthouse at Newport Wetlands RSPB Nature Reserve facing east towards bird hide
RSBP trail map
Newport City Council - Newport Wetlands
BBC News - £3m visitors' centre for wetlands
BBC - Newport Wetlands
RSPB - Newport Wetlands
Caldicot & Wentlooge Level Internal Drainage Board
www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Newport Wetlands Reserve and surrounding area
eBird.org
{{Authority control , additional=Q26197294 Culture in Newport, Wales Education in Newport, Wales Tourist attractions in Newport, Wales Wetlands of Newport, Wales Nature centres in Wales Nature reserves in Wales Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserves in Wales Protected areas established in 2000 Coast of Newport, Wales Lighthouses in Wales
wildlife reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
covering parts of 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 ...
, Nash and Goldcliff, in the south-east of the city of 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 ...
, South Wales
South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
.
History
The reserve was established in 2000 to mitigate losses of wildlife habitat when the Cardiff Bay Barrage scheme was undertaken. The site is owned and managed by Natural Resources Wales, the successor body to the Countryside Council for Wales. A purpose-built visitor and education centre for the site was opened, in West Nash, in March 2008 by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) with help from Newport City Council and water level management assistance by Caldicot and Wentloog Levels Internal Drainage Board. The reserve covers of the Caldicot Level, a low-lying area of land bordering the northern shore of the Severn Estuary. Part of the site is a reclaimed fuel ash disposal site, although some farmland in Goldcliff and Nash has also had to be flooded to complete the work. The reserve was made a national nature reserve on 16 April 2008.Access and facilities
Entrance is free, with car parking facilities open every day of the year from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. The visitor and education centre are open every day except Christmas Day.
The visitor centre provides a shop, refreshments, bathroom facilities, viewing facilities and guided tours. Dogs and cyclists are permitted outside the visitor centre and along a specially marked circular route around the reserve's perimeter which is accessed via a path next to the car park exit. Initially heading west, the route follows alongside the power station then turns to the east past the East Usk Lighthouse and along the Severn Estuary ( Wales Coast Path). After dropping below the sea wall the path splits, with a pedestrian and dog walking route returning to the visitor centre via a marked path to the left. A longer pedestrian and cycling route continues forwards towards Goldcliff village and the local road network.
Next to the visitor centre is a picnic and play area, which provides a children's play area, education zone, and benches for picnics.
The far end of the main trail faces south towards the Severn Estuary, along which the East Usk Lighthouse and a bird hide overlooking lagoon R9 are situated.
There is also a woodland trail, which is entered by turning left at the top of the hill. The trail travels past neighbouring farmland, through the reserve's woodlands, past a lagoon viewing platform which overlooks lagoon R8, and onto the estuary trail.
Flora and fauna
The reserve includes a wide variety of habitats which include grazed pasture with hedgerows, ditches, reens,reed bed
A reedbed or reed bed is a natural habitat found in floodplains, waterlogged depressions and
estuaries. Reedbeds are part of a succession from young reeds colonising open water or wet ground through a gradation of increasingly dry ground. As ...
s and grasslands. These help to attract breeding birds such as lapwing, redshank, oystercatcher, little ringed plover
The little ringed plover (''Charadrius dubius'') is a small plover. The genus name ''Charadrius'' is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from Ancient Greek ''kharadrios'' a bird found in river ...
and ringed plover
The common ringed plover or ringed plover (''Charadrius hiaticula'') is a small plover that breeds in Arctic Eurasia. The genus name ''Charadrius'' is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from ...
, as well as visitors such as wigeon, northern shoveler, teal, shelduck and pintail, hen harrier and short-eared owl
The short-eared owl (''Asio flammeus'') is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. Owls belonging to genus ''Asio'' are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or ...
.
In 2020, two pairs of bittern successfully bred at the site, for the first time in south Wales for over 200 years. The Goldcliff Lagoons, which form the eastern end of the reserve, is the only site in south Wales where avocet breed.
Mute swan
The mute swan (''Cygnus olor'') is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Eurosiberia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home ...
s with male and female tufted ducks in the background
File:Tufted Duck at Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve Visitor Centre.PNG, Tufted duck near Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve visitor centre/picnic and play area
File:Great Crested Grebe Calling on Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve Fenced Pond.PNG, Great crested grebe calling on Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve fenced lagoon
File:Grey Heron Fishing on Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve Fenced Pond.JPG, Grey heron fishing on Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve fenced lagoon
File:Tufted Ducks at Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve Floating Walkway.PNG, Tufted ducks at Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve floating walkway
File:Little Egret and Teal Ducks on Pond near The Hide at Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve.JPG, Little egret and teal ducks on Lagoon near the hide at Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve
Floating walkway
The reserve contains an artificial floating walkway, which provides a direct route to the lighthouse over lagoon R7. This lagoon is part of a series of a total of three lagoons spanning the coastal path (east to west). The most eastward lagoon (R9) is overlooked by a bird hide in addition to being viewable from a fenced overpass, and the most westwardly lagoon (R4) is viewable from a fenced overpass.East Usk Lighthouse
The East Usk Lighthouse is within the reserve on the estuary trail facing towards the Severn Estuary. It is a basic lamphousing with no accommodation. The more substantial decommissionedWest Usk Lighthouse
West Usk Lighthouse is a Grade II-listed building on the Severn Estuary at the mouth of the River Usk south of the city of Newport, South Wales.
History
The lighthouse was the first to be built by renowned Scottish civil engineer James Wa ...
, currently operating as a hotel, is on the opposite (west) bank 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 ...
and can be viewed from the reserve. It was constructed in 1893 by Trinity House and entered service on or about 22 June that year.
References
External links
RSBP trail map
Newport City Council - Newport Wetlands
BBC News - £3m visitors' centre for wetlands
BBC - Newport Wetlands
RSPB - Newport Wetlands
Caldicot & Wentlooge Level Internal Drainage Board
www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Newport Wetlands Reserve and surrounding area
eBird.org
{{Authority control , additional=Q26197294 Culture in Newport, Wales Education in Newport, Wales Tourist attractions in Newport, Wales Wetlands of Newport, Wales Nature centres in Wales Nature reserves in Wales Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserves in Wales Protected areas established in 2000 Coast of Newport, Wales Lighthouses in Wales