Grazing on the Rocks

The Grazing on the Rocks project will see MWT, Llanymynech Golf Club, Helen Upson of conservation grazing enterprise Pori Bach, and local butterfly expert Dr Simon Spencer working together to restore rare wildlife-rich grasslands on Llanymynech Rocks to their former glory.

One of just a handful of limestone outcrops along Wales’ eastern border, Llanymynech Rocks is a refuge for the rare plants and animals associated with its unique geology and soils. 

Home to Llanymynech Rocks Nature Reserve (which is jointly cared for by MWT and Shropshire Wildlife Trust) and Llanymynech Golf Club – both of which straddle the Wales/England border – the hill is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of its significant value to wildlife, from butterflies and rare orchids, to bees, bats and lizards. 

However, this important place is in urgent need of restoration.

Funded by the Nature Networks Programme, and delivered by the Heritage Fund, on behalf of the Welsh Government, the collaborative two-year Grazing on the Rocks project will see practical works and community engagement on the golf club’s land in Wales and on the neighbouring MWT nature reserve. 

As part of this, wildlife surveys will be carried out to find out what rare plants and animals are currently there, to measure improvements brought about as a result of the project. Works such as scrub clearance will restore the special grasslands, and fencing will allow the return of grazing animals.

Meanwhile nature walks and talks for all ages, along with new interpretation signage, will raise awareness amongst the local community of the site’s importance for wildlife, while highlighting some of the key plants and animals which call Llanymynech Rocks home.

What’s more, the project will explore the potential for a mobile livestock herd for conservation grazing. Owners of parcels of land too small to maintain livestock often struggle to maintain traditional grasslands, habitats that have suffered drastic declines in the past 75 years. Pori Bach’s herd of Ancient Cattle of Wales thrive in these habitats and can help boost biodiversity through a co-ordinated local grazing plan. The breed is one of the newest additions to the Rare Breed Survival Trust’s Priority list, so long term security of a breeding herd is critical to their future as well. This project also plans to introduce goats to the Pori Bach team, where smaller nimble livestock are a better match for habitat and historic sites.

The Nature Networks Programme aims to address the nature emergency by strengthening the resilience of protected sites and enhancing ecological connectivity to create a more sustainable nature-positive environment. Llanymynech Rocks is a vital habitat link between North and Mid Wales, Powys and Shropshire. By restoring rare grassland here, the Grazing on the Rocks project will also enhance populations of threatened and endangered species in the surrounding area.