Basic Habitat Survey Tabernacle Gardens, Pembroke

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1 Basic Habitat Survey Tabernacle Gardens, Pembroke Produced by The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales Contact Ecologist: Position: Nathan Walton Wildlife Trust Officer Registered Office: Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales The Nature Centre Fountain Road Tondu Bridgend CF32 0EH Tel: Mobile: Fax: Charity No: Company No: Gwarchod Natur ar gyfer y Dyfodol Protecting Wildlife for the Future

2 History of involvement with the site Initial contact was made by Elizabeth Gossage of Pembroke 21C at the end of May 2013 with reference to giving advice on undertaking an ecological survey of the Tabernacle burgage garden in Pembroke. The plan for the site is to clear scrub and woody tree species to create a medieval planting garden for the church linking with the Pembroke Story Project with a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund. The garden is very overgrown and an ecological survey was required before any clearance work is undertaken so as to ascertain any important flora and fauna species present. It was agreed that an experienced ecologist from the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) would make a site visit to undertake a basic habitat survey before any work occurs. Site Assessment Nathan Walton (WTSWW) met with Elizabeth Gossage and Nikki Anderson of Pembroke 21C to take an initial look at the site on the 19 th of July. Nathan Walton then revisited the site on the 9 th of September to undertake the habitat survey. The garden is roughly 539 metres squared in size and consists of two levels with undulating terrain. The main, larger part of the plot is comprised of a large open area dug into the bedrock with a cave located to the north eastern corner. This cave has a large mouth and extends to a good 10 metres into the cliff. Part of the western wall has collapsed into this area and is now a considerable pile of rubble covered in nettles, bramble and ground ivy with a few tree saplings coming through. There is an impressive old English elm located just outside the north western edge of the site with its limbs hanging heavily into the site. There are at least another 6 instances of this mature species within the site, with some younger than others. Thick swathes of ivy coat the cliff walls between the two levels and this, along with the cave could provide ideal roosting opportunities for bats. Towards the southern edge of the site there are the remains of an old limekiln on top of which are dense stands of buddleia, elder and young sycamore. Along the eastern edge of the site the ground rises to connect the lower and upper levels. Here vegetation is dominated by young ash, sycamore and hawthorn with a few larger standards of ash, sycamore and elm also present. These larger specimens are quite substantial in size and tend to be mostly located towards the edge of the cliff top. On the upper level of the site which is narrow strip of land no more than 5 metres across, vegetation here is much more sparse due to heavy shading and another cliff wall makes up the northern boundary to this level. Again there is much ivy on this cliff surface, with a few ferns

3 including hart s tongue fern and male fern along with wall pennywort. No fungi species were recorded. Ground flora is mainly dominated by nettles, bramble and ground ivy with a few instances of lordsand-ladies and male fern in shadier areas. If this survey were undertaken earlier in the year other species may be recorded such as bluebell, wild garlic, violet and red campion. These species provide a suitable food source for a number of insects and invertebrates although only a few large white butterflies and painted ladies were seen on the day, mainly feeding on buddleia. There is a large badger sett located at the base of the cliff on the eastern edge of the open area on the lower level, just to the right hand side of the cave. When undertaking the survey, extensive evidence of the sett being active was recorded including smooth rubbings of the ground entering the sett, claw marks on tracks leaving the sett and badger faeces in the south eastern part of the site. As for other mammals, bats could be using the cave and ivy and so a bat survey should be undertaken to confirm their presence. Some of the habitat would be suitable for small rodents such as bank and wood voles and small animal trapping would be a method to further establish presence of such species. The current composition of the site provides ideal habitat for common toads or foraging newts and in areas exposed to sunlight with little vegetation, slowworms and lizards. All of the above are listed under Section 42 as species of Principal Conservation Concern in Wales under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 which places legal duty on all public bodies to have regard for biodiversity while carrying out their functions. During the visit, one robin was seen flitting between trees and no other bird species were spotted. Any work that is to be done on this site should occur well outside bird breeding season (March August). Site Conservation The habitat assessment indicates that this site is relatively poor in conservation value with no real species of importance recorded with exception to an active badger sett and the potential for bat roosts. These need to be carefully considered as both are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1992) the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, 2000; the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (NERC); and by the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations (2010).

4 The site does not provide a diverse assemblage of semi-natural habitats, which in turn limits provision for a number of locally important wildlife species. None-the-less, any wild area does provide some value to wildlife yet in this instance, there is potential to enhance the site and provide a better range of habitats for a number of different species provided current species of importance are mitigated for.

5 Appendix 1 - Photographs English elm Cave

6 Bramble & nettle ground cover

7 Young sycamore and elm Ivy and bramble Ivy and male ferns Looking down from top level through mature sycamore and young ash

8 Hart s tongue and male fern Young sycamore Collapsed wall

9 Hart s tongue fern