Hendre, Llangedwyn

Also within

Powys County

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Slate

Description

Description This site is notified for its species interest, lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposideros. The site is located on the steep, north-facing side of the Tanat Valley, 0.5 kilometres south of the village of Llangedwyn, 12 kilometres west-south-west of the town of Oswestry. It is at an altitude of 170-210 metres above mean sea level, with the Afon Tanat 70-110 metres below in the valley bottom. The valley runs from west to east and is richly provided with hedges, tree-and-shrub-lined river and stream banks and extensive mixed woodlands, some of which are ancient woodland sites. There are numerous traditional farm buildings that are not intensively used and a few small disused mines. The valley thus affords excellent habitat for bats. The site comprises a small cottage (the bat roost) and, on both sides of green lanes near it, tall, overgrown species-rich hedges that provide vital access for feeding and links to adjacent mixed woodland, such as Flag Plantation. The cottage is half-timbered with cruck-frame and is believed to be medieval in origin. In the nineteenth century some stone gable-ends were added and the thatch roof replaced with slate. It shelters the tenth (1993 records) largest breeding (nursery) roost of lesser horseshoe bat in Wales, and the second largest in Clwyd, with annual counts of well in excess of 100 adults. The individuals that breed here are known to use the nearby Garth-eryr mine as a winter roost (hibernaculum). Two other species of bat also use the cottage, pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus and brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus. Small numbers of all three species hibernate in the cottage. The hedges are dominated by hazel Corylus avellana with locally abundant hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, blackthorn Prunus spinosa, ash Fraxinus excelsior, holly Ilex aquifolium, field maple Acer campestre, alder Alnus glutinosa, crab apple Malus sylvestris and oak Quercus sp. The mixed woodland is co-dominated by oak and larch Larix sp., with some ash, sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus, birch Betula sp., and wych elm Ulmus glabra along the woodland edge. These habitats provide good feeding areas and are vitally important in allowing the breeding bats access to feeding sites elsewhere. Remarks: Hendre Cottage is a Grade 2 listed building and a Vincent Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve.

Species mentioned

Insects to look out for

These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.

Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

Plant communities