Uskmouth facts for kids
Uskmouth (which is Aberwysg in Welsh) is an area located south of the city of Newport in South Wales. It's a place where a big river meets the sea.
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Where is Uskmouth?
Uskmouth is found on the western side of a village called Nash. This is the special spot where the River Usk flows into the Severn Estuary, which is a large mouth of the River Severn leading to the sea.
Amazing Wildlife at Newport Wetlands
A big part of Uskmouth is home to the Newport Wetlands Reserve, a very important wildlife reserve. It has lots of reed beds and grasslands. These different areas are perfect for many kinds of birds.
Birds That Live Here
Many birds come here to build their nests and raise their young. These include:
- Lapwings
- Redshanks
- Oystercatchers
- Little ringed plovers
- Ringed plovers
Visiting Birds
Other birds visit Uskmouth during different times of the year, like in winter. Some of these visitors are:
- Wigeons
- Shovelers
- Teals
- Shelducks
- Pintails
- Bitterns
- Hen harriers
- Short-eared owls
This area is also part of the wider Caldicot Levels, which is a large flat area of land.
Ancient Footprints Found
Something really cool was discovered in Uskmouth! After some big storms in 1986, a set of human footprints appeared from the clay near the Uskmouth Power Station. These footprints were found in the mud where the tide goes in and out.
How Old Are the Footprints?
Scientists studied the footprints and found tiny bits of peat (a type of soil made from old plants) inside them. They used a special method called carbon dating to figure out how old the peat was. They learned the footprints were made about 4,200 BC (which is over 6,200 years ago!).
At the time, these were the oldest known human footprints ever found in Britain. However, in 2013, even older footprints were discovered in Happisburgh, Norfolk. Those footprints were made about 800,000 years ago!
