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Special Areas of Conservation

Coedwigoedd Dyffryn Elwy/ Elwy Valley Woods

Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Country Wales
Unitary Authority West Wales and The Valleys
Centroid* SJ020691
Latitude 53.20972222
Longitude -3.466388889
SAC EU Code UK0030146
Status Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Area (ha) 81.44
* 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 Coedwigoedd Dyffryn Elwy/ Elwy Valley Woods SAC

General site character

  • Coastal sand dunes, Sand beaches, Machair (NaN%)
  • Inland water bodies (Standing water, Running water) (3.3%)
  • Dry grassland, Steppes (1.1%)
  • Broad-leaved deciduous woodland (92.7%)
  • Coniferous woodland (2.3%)
  • Inland rocks, Screes, Sands, Permanent Snow and ice (0.6%)

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

  • 9180 Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines  * Priority feature

    Elwy Valley Woods is one of three sites selected to represent Tilio-Acerion forest across its geographic range on the Carboniferous limestone of north Wales, and is an example of the habitat with an outstanding lower-plant flora. The canopy is quite varied: ash Fraxinus excelsior is the commonest tree, but there is also occasional small-leaved lime Tilia cordata and wild service-tree Sorbus torminalis. There is a rich, calcicolous understorey and ground flora, and rare bryophytes include Bryum canariense, Cololejeunea rossettiana, Plagiochila britannica, Platydictya confervoides and Isothecium striatulum. The woods have developed along steep valley-sides and ravines that are also important for their cave systems and Pleistocene fossil mammal assemblages.

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

  • Not Applicable

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.