Llyn Heaths and houses Posted Tuesday, June 6, 2006 by penllyn
The heaths under National Trust ownershipon the Llyn peninsula are internationallyimportant for wildlife, and include severalSSSIs. The Cadw’r Lliw yn Llyn project -apartnership with CCW- aims to improveheath management whilst increasing publicawareness of them. Work has begun onrestoration of the heaths, with newinterpretative elements provided andeducational activities enhancing publicaccess.The area is home toabout 40% of Wales’breeding population ofthe rare chough.Heavy sheep grazingwhich is otherwisevery damaging to theheaths benefits thechough. Restoring theheaths could decreasenumbers of chough,making it essential thatthere are sufficientalternative feeding sites around the heaths.Possible impacts on the spotted rockrosewhich has its only mainland UK site atUwchmynydd must also be monitored.The very beauty of a place can beproblematic. The popular sand dunes atTywyn y Fach are the home to theHutchensia, a tiny annual found on opensand. It cannot withstand erosion, and oftensuccumbs to the flip-flops of beach goers.Facilities required by these tourists areprovided seek harmony with the area, withevery effort made to avoid detracting fromthe Llyn’s beauty.Other buildings like the tyddyn –simplecrog-loft cottages- have long been part ofthe Llyn’s landscape with their appearancealong roads and hillsides typical for the area.These vernacular buildings are unsuited tomodern family life which has led to manybeing improved beyond recognition. TheTrust aims to maintain the historicappearance of the tyddyn by restoring themfor use as holiday accommodation.