Alyn Valley Woods and Alyn Gorge Caves facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Devil's Gorge
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| Area of Search | Clwyd |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°10′28″N 3°13′41″W / 53.174561°N 3.2281478°W |
| Interest | Biological and Geology |
| Area | 191.1 ha |
| Notification | 1 January 1957 |
The Alyn Valley Woods and Alyn Gorge Caves is a really special place in north Wales. It's located right on the border between Flintshire and Denbighshire. This area is so important for nature that it has two special protections.
It's known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it's a protected area because of its unique plants, animals, or geology. Most of this site is also a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). This is an even higher level of protection across Europe. Part of the southern area is also home to the popular Loggerheads Country Park.
Contents
Discovering Alyn Valley Woods
This amazing natural spot covers a large area. The SSSI part is about 190.3 hectares, which is like 266 football fields! The SAC part is a bit smaller, at 168.3 hectares.
A Special Place for Nature
A big part of Alyn Valley Woods is covered by beautiful broadleaved woodland. These are forests filled with trees that lose their leaves in autumn. You'll find many different kinds of trees here.
The most common trees include the tough sessile oak and tall ash trees. You might also spot sycamore trees. These woods are home to some rare and interesting plants too. Look out for the unusual stinking hellebore. You might also see the green-flowered helleborine, which is a type of orchid. The wayfaring tree is another special plant found here.
Grasslands and Flowers
Beyond the trees, there are also areas of special grassland. These are called calcareous grasslands. They grow on soil that has a lot of lime, which comes from limestone. This type of soil helps unique plants to grow.
In these grasslands, you can find colorful flowers. One example is the bloody cranesbill, which has bright pink or purple flowers. Another interesting plant is the lesser meadow-rue. These plants add to the beauty and biodiversity of the area.
Caves and Limestone Secrets
Much of the Alyn Valley Woods sits on a steep slope called an escarpment. This slope is made of a type of rock called Carboniferous limestone. This rock formed millions of years ago. Because of this limestone, there are three cool cave systems hidden here.
These caves are called Ogof Hesp Alyn, Ogof Hen Ffynhonnau, and Ogof Nadolig. In the past, people used to mine in this area. They dug for different minerals like lead ore and zinc ore. They also mined limestone itself and calcite, which is another mineral.
Images for kids
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The River Alyn flows through the valley.
