Upper Talley Lake () and Lower Talley Lake ()
are two small lakes immediately north of the village of
Talley
Talley (, historically ) is a village and Community (Wales), community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The population taken at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 494.
The community is bordered by the communities of: Llansawel; Cynwyl ...
, north of
Llandeilo
Llandeilo () is a town and Community (Wales), community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated where the River Towy is crossed by the A483 road, A483 on a 19th-century stone bridge. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census the community had ...
in
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire (; or informally ') is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. ...
,
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
. They are protected as a
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
(SSSI).
Morphology
The lakes occupy a glacial hollow that formed during the
last ice age, the intervening ground being formed from
hummocky glacial deposits. Lower Talley Lake to the north is almost and Upper Talley Lake to the south is . The SSSI has an area of .
History
The earthworks of a
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norma ...
motte-and-bailey castle
A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy ...
occupy the neck of land between the two lakes. The remains of the castle motte (mound) are in diameter and high and would have originally have been topped by a timber framed defensive tower. The surrounding bailey would have enclosed the lord's hall and related buildings. The castle probably fell out of use when
Talley Abbey
Talley Abbey () is a ruined former monastery of the Premonstratensians ("White Canons") in the village of Talley in Carmarthenshire, Wales, six miles (10 km) north of the market town of Llandeilo. It lies in the River Cothi valley. Access ...
was established.
Talley Abbey is immediately to the south of the upper lake, and was founded between 1184 and 1189.
The monks used the lakes for farming fish. The abbey was
dissolved in the sixteenth century and is now a ruin.
Mythology
There is a tradition that a drowned town lies under the lakes.
Natural history
The lower lake is surrounded by
alder
Alders are trees of the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus includes about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few species ex ...
and
willow
Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions.
Most species are known ...
woods and is not easily accessible. It is used by overwintering wildfowl. The upper lake is more open
and can be seen from the B4302 road.
Great crested grebe
The great crested grebe (''Podiceps cristatus'') is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The bird is characterised by its distinctive appearance, featuring striking black, orange-brown, and white plumage, and elaborate courtship displa ...
s and
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 Eurasia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home to ...
s regularly breed on the reserve. Regular visiting birds include
tufted duck
The tufted duck (or tufted pochard) (''Aythya fuligula'') is a small diving duck with a population of nearly one million birds, found in northern Eurasia. They are partially migratory. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek , an unide ...
s,
pochards,
goldeneye ducks and
goosander
The common merganser (North American) or goosander (Eurasian) (''Mergus merganser'') is a large sea duck of rivers and lakes in forested areas of Europe, Asia, and North America. The common merganser eats mainly fish. It nests in holes in trees. ...
s.
Water plants in the lower lake include yellow and white
water lilies
''Water Lilies'' ( ) is a series of approximately 250 oil paintings by French Impressionist Claude Monet (1840–1926). The paintings depict his flower garden at his home in Giverny, and were the main focus of his artistic production during ...
and
water crowfoot. This is the most southerly British location of the
water sedge.
Invertebrates in the reserve include
water beetle
A water beetle is a generalized name for any beetle that is adapted to living in water at any point in its life cycle. Most water beetles can only live in fresh water, with a few marine species that live in the intertidal zone or littoral zone. T ...
s and the leaf beetle ''
Donacia obscura''.
Dragonflies
A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...
are commonly seen including the
emperor dragonfly.
See also
*
References
{{authority control
Lakes of Carmarthenshire
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Carmarthen & Dinefwr