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Special Areas of Conservation

St David's / Ty Ddewi

Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Country Wales
Unitary Authority West Wales and The Valleys
Centroid* SM728285
Latitude 51.90833333
Longitude -5.303055556
SAC EU Code UK0013045
Status Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Area (ha) 934.3
* This is the approximate central point of the SAC. In the case of large, linear or composite sites, this may not represent the location where a feature occurs within the SAC.
Location of St David's / Ty Ddewi SAC

General site character

  • Marine areas, Sea inlets (12%)
  • Coastal sand dunes, Sand beaches, Machair (1%)
  • Shingle, Sea cliffs, Islets (86%)
  • Bogs, Marshes, Water fringed vegetation, Fens (1%)

Download the Standard Data Form for this site (PDF <100kb)

Note When undertaking an appropriate assessment of impacts at a site, all features of European importance (both primary and non-primary) need to be considered.

Annex I habitats that are a primary reason for selection of this site

  • 1230 Vegetated sea cliffs of the Atlantic and Baltic Coasts

    This south Wales site represents hard acidic cliffs on the west coast of the UK. It is provides the most extensive examples of the typical west coast transition on acidic rocks from maritime crevice vegetation through maritime grassland into maritime heathland with heather Calluna vulgaris and western gorse Ulex gallii. Out of reach of both salt spray and grazing animals, heavily wind-pruned wild privet Ligustrum vulgare and blackthorn Prunus spinosa scrub have developed. This site is also important for a number of rare and local species, such as hairy greenweed Genista pilosa and an endemic sea-lavender Limonium paradoxum. There are good populations of the lichen Teloschistes flavians.

  • 4030 European dry heaths

    The European dry heaths of St David’s are represented by NVC type H7 Calluna vulgaris – Scilla verna maritime heath and further inland by H8 Calluna vulgaris – Ulex gallii heath. The heathland occurs as part of a mosaic of maritime grassland, wind-pruned blackthorn Prunus spinosa scrub, and gorse Ulex europaeus scrub. The heathland supports populations of the nationally scarce chives Allium schoenoprasum and pale dog-violet Viola lactea, and also the Red Data Book species hairy greenweed Genista pilosa.

Annex I habitats present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for selection of this site

  • Not Applicable

Annex II species that are a primary reason for selection of this site

  • 1831 Floating water-plantain Luronium natans

    The two larger pools – and one tiny satellite – on Ramsey Island are an internationally significant site for floating water-plantain Luronium natans, providing ideal habitat for the species in its flowering, near-annual form. Rain-fed lowland pools, usually in heaths, are now an exceptionally rare habitat, and the population here is maintained by a combination of excellent management, favourable topography and clean rain.

Annex II species present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for site selection

  • Not Applicable

Many designated sites are on private land: the listing of a site in these pages does not imply any right of public access.