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AN ECOLOGICAL APPRAISAL OF TROSERCH WOOD, LLANGENNECH, WITH SUGGESTIONS FOR MANAGEMENTIntroduction and GeologyTroserch Wood is located some 3 kms to the approximate north of the village of Llangennech, occupying the steep-sided `cwm` of the Afon Morlais. Woodland extends along this river from the A476, south of Llannon to SW of Ty`r eglwys Farm, but only the section from below Craig Fach (SN 547043) to just past the ruined Troserch Mill (SN 553033) is subject to this account. The northern section of this woodland seems to have been known as Coed Allt y Fran [`the wooded hillside of the crow`, perhaps referring to a ravens` nest] in the past. The alignment of the cwm itself may be associated with faulting in the underlying Coal Measure sandstones and flags. The coal-bearing `Cille Veins` outcrop on the right (ie western bank) and a group of adits or levels demonstrate that this resource was once exploited. Early Maps and RoutewaysThe c 1812 `Surveyors Map` of the area, which was subsequently used (to a smaller scale) for the first edition of the Ordnance Survey, shows the section from Blaenhiraeth Wood down to `Melin Trosarch` as wooded on its western side only. The eastern side of the valley was un-wooded. Also, there is a small, un-wooded section south-east of Craig Fach, on the eastern side of the right-of-way/bridleway along the ridge within the current wooded area; this is still demarcated on the present-day 1:25,000 OS map. As is known to many local residents, the bridleway was the original access route N-S along the western side of the cwm, the current lane not being in existence. This bridleway descended `off the ridge` immediately south of Craig Fach before going upwards again just after that dwelling. This `dip` in the track accounts partially for the old name for a cottage that once existed on the other side of the road from the present-day Craig Fach: `Pantyddauplwyf` or, `Dip/hollow of the Two Parishes`, perhaps representing a parochial boundary? The Llangennech EstateWhen the surveyors` work was undertaken at the beginning of the 19th Century, the woodland resource of the British Isles was at a low ebb, and examination of the map shows this to be the case in the Llanelli-Llangennech area. The wealthy owners of Llangennech House had, like so many other important landowners, already embarked on substantial treeplanting efforts, both beautifying the immediate vicinity of their residence, but also the incorporation of trees in hedgerows and shelter-belts to provide future timber. It is on record (Linnard, 1982), that the owner, Mr Vancouver, planted no less than 460,000 trees on his estate in 1804. Many of the older trees on farmland around Llangennech must represent these selfsame plantings. Surviving Old WoodlandGenerally speaking, old native woodland is now confined to the steepest edges of `cymmoedd` [`cwms`], where it was impractical to farm in a serious fashion. Even here, wood may have been cut periodically for fuel, fencing or other uses, but the integrity of the woodland ground-flora would remain and, as long as it was not overgrazed, the tree growth would regenerate. In c 1812, Troserch Wood was one of the more extensive in the Llanelli area, albeit still small. For example – and giving other local examples- most of Stradey Woods did not exist at this time, being confined to a rather small area above the eastern end of Pwll, above Stradey Home Farm (then known, appropriately, as `Danycoed`); the crest of the hill was unwooded as were the flatter areas around the current mansion at Stradey and to the NW along the present-day Trimsaran Road. These latter areas were subsequently planted or naturally regenerated ie `secondary` woodland. The deep Cwm Lliedi valley was similarly almost un-wooded. It was prrobably the steepness of the Troserch Wood`s, western bank, coupled with its infertility, that saved it as woodland. |
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