CLEDDAU WATERWAY – WILDLIFE

The Waterway

The Waterway can best be described as large and spacious, likened to a great crooked and forked tree. Some 20 miles of tidal waters, tortuous at times, it extends from the upper reaches above Haverfordwest and Canaston ridge to the boisterous tide racked entrance while the tidal foreshores of the Haven cover no less than 110 miles.

Millions of year ago, with sea levels substantially lower, a river meandered along the low lying plain. The Ice Age further changed the landscape, before the climate changed and the sea level rose flooding the lower reaches of the Haven.

In Neolithic times, the builders of Stonehenge could well have used the Waterway as a major transport link in the movement by raft of the famous ‘Blue Stones’, the spotted dolomite of the Preseli Hills, to form the inner circle at Stonehenge.

Bronze Age man, 4000 years ago fished and hunted in the region, as can be evidenced from the standing stones and numerous cooking sites. They were followed by the Iron Age man, masters of great earthworks, still in evidence today. Vikings made great use of the Waterway, providing a safe haven for warring fleets. Then followed the Normans who imposed their peculiar character on the area, and so on down the centuries as countless generations lived and toiled, fished and hunted, farmed and forested, made merry and been sad around the shores of the Milford Haven Waterway.

The 20^th Century has seen parts of the Haven industrialized, but continually competing with all these changes is the wealth of wildlife that the Haven supports.

Will the beautiful purple ringed Aurelia jellyfish continue each summer to drift in with the Gulf Stream and reach the extremity of the tidal waters? Will badgers continue to live unmolested in ancestral works earths among the oak woods? Will vast flocks of wildfowl and wading birds come each winter seeking food and shelter on the waterway shores? Will scarce and not so scarce plants continue to delight us?

Western Cleddau

Rising barely one and a half miles from the sea in North West Pembrokeshire, it follows an erratic course east and south some 17 miles to reach tidal water almost at the heart of Haverfordwest. Wood Clubrush, a scarce plant in West Wales continues to thrive here, as indeed does Slender Tufted Sedge  in the marsh.

The time to visit the Old Mill grounds, now a Nature Reserve must surely be in the Spring, when the marsh is a place of yellow, with the flowers of Marsh Marigolds.

As the Marsh Marigolds begin to flower in mid March, the first Summer migrants reach our shores in the form of the Sand Martin (a small brown and white swallow). Their arrival beckons the end of Winter. They are quickly followed by Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Sedge Warbler.

For those who know the signs, footprints in the mud, and slide maybe, the characteristic sweet smelling droppings, signify the territory claimed by the Otter.  The Western Cleddau, together with other Pembrokeshire rivers and streams is the stronghold not just in Wales, but in the whole of Southern Britain for the Otter. Long may the quiet, undisturbed and unpolluted waters remain.

Wildfowl Refuge

On the 19^th January 1970, in the words of the Wild Birds (Cleddau Sanctuary) Order, the Wildlife Refuge was declared. Protection was thus afforded for birds over a key section of the waterway, extending over the Western Cleddau from Uzmaston to Sprinkle Pill, and also the lower reaches of the Eastern Cleddau. Most conspicuous of all the birds present are the Canada geese, with about 100 or so resident on the Western Cleddau at Boulston. From early September until the following March, the Refuge comes into its own, particularly during periods of hard weather. Teal,  the smallest of the British ducks rapidly build up numbers at Sprinkle Pill, with mallard congregating further upstream between Little Milford and Uzmaston. Dunlin, golden plover, lapwings and the spotted redshank all build up in numbers at this time in the Refuge .

Eastern Cleddau

There is no better way to commence exploration of the Eastern Cleddau than by standing on Barones de Rutzen’s fine arched bridge immediately upstream of Blackpool Mill. Those with patience can spot otter and mink at this spot.

Three birds of the upper waterway should be encountered here, the most striking being the kingfisher, followed by the grey wagtail, and some dippers.

Below the Mill, the south bank is mainly wooded, with conifers, oak and other broadleaved trees, with their rich ground flora. Here also stands one of the largest reed-beds in Pembrokeshire.

Picton and Slebech

In Slebech there is a heronry, where grey herons have been known to nest for at least a century. Numbers have been as high as forty six pairs, but these have declined to nine pairs in recent years. Experience these expert fishermen in the waterway shallows, together with great crested grebes, who depart in late winter for breeding grounds elsewhere.

The most northerly breeding colony of the rare greater horseshoe bat, known only from two sites in Wales, is in a loft in Slebech. Nearby, the cellars and tunnels provide secure hibernation places for this and others include the lesser horseshoe and whiskered bats.

The Daugleddau

From Picton Point, and united as the Daugleddau, the waterway sweeps south for nearly four and a half miles before turning west towards the sea. For long sections, the channel runs between steep wooded slopes of commercial conifer plantations, and stands of ancient broadleaved woodlands. The dominant tree is the sessile oak, with some ash, birch, rowan, crab apple, aspen, grey willow and sycamore. The presence of wild service trees are particularly stunning in Autumn colours of burnished red leaves and great clusters of leathery brown berries. Lichens of the haven woodlands are especially noteworthy, due to the relatively clean air, fresh from the Atlantic.

As if to equal the special features of the Daugleddau banks, the fish stocks are of the highest order. Bass move upstream during the Spring to spawn, their run being protected by special nurseries set aside, from which their taking is prohibited. Herring also spawn in the waterway between January and May. Both salmon and sea trout pass through on migration to their freshwater spawning grounds on the main tributaries of the waterway.

Carew and Creswell Rivers

Extending eastwards from the main waterway at Lawrenny are the saltings and mudflats of the Carew and Creswell Rivers. At West Williamston Point there are five channels, between which lie amaze of ridges, some wooded, others covered with scrub or grassland, all of importance for wildlife.

Over 230 different species of plants have been recorded including some scarce in West Wales, like yellow-wort(late summer flowering), and the purple flowered autumn gentian. Other specialist plants to delight the botanist include carline thistle, blue fleabane, marjoram, bee orchid, columbine and quacking grass. Sea lavender provides a lilac carpet when in full bloom whilst the salt marsh is also home to sea aster, sea milkwort, and greater sea spurry. A plant worth a special mention is the beautiful and stately marsh mallow, which grows up to four feet high and bears pink flowers. Indeed the origin of the marsh mallow sweet lies in the roots of the plant.

Westfield Pill

One of the narrowest of the waterway creeks is Westfield Pill, the eastern boundary of Neyland. Barely 100 yards wide, it extends for almost a mile to the extremity of tidal waters. The construction of Neyland Marina has substantially changed the Pill, but above high bridge level it has been transformed due to bund construction. Although great numbers of waterbirds are not present, this is compensated for by the number of species. These include green sand-pipers, common sand-pipers, redshank, dunlin, ringed plover, and a number of species of duck. Grey herons are frequent visitors, but one of the rarest visitors in recent times has been the Temmink’s stint.

The adjoining disused railway track and woodland are of equal interest, with several scarce orchids. Butterflies abound with no less than 32 species recorded.

Pembroke River

This is one of the most important parts of the whole waterway for winter wildfowl and waders. Two hundred and fifty yards wide at Pennar Point, it extends three miles to Pembroke Town. Most birds concentrate on Goldborough Pill and east to Bentlass. Numbers of shelduck in excess of 1000 birds have been recorded, with similar numbers of wigeon, easily identified by the whistling ‘whee-oo’ of the male wigeon as they dabble in the mud. Dunlin can be encountered virtually through the whole waterway, with curlew, similarly well distributed.

The Inner Haven

From the high level bridge westwards to South Hook and Angle Point is a distance of 7 miles. This is the most developed section of the waterway, with great oil refineries, ocean terminals with huge tankers. Despite such changes, there are still opportunities for wildlife along the shore. A pleasant walk along the Promenade at brings the visitor to mute swans at Llanstadwell, part of the flock that graces the Middle Mill Pond in the heart of Pembroke. Llanstadwell is also home to a small number of waders, including turnstone, oystercatchers, dunlins, redshanks and curlews. The cormorant, one of our largest sea birds, is much in evidence throughout the waterway, perching on navigation buoys, lights, and at times moored yachts – much to the distaste of their owners.

The refineries provide, somewhat surprisingly, sound and safe refuges for a variety of wildlife. Badgers, foxes and rabbits are in abundance, together with adders, buzzards and kestrels. Pheasants nest in the undeveloped areas of scrubland, and excellent viewing opportunities are provided to view at first hand the side by side co-existence of wildlife and industry.

Milford Haven

The shoreline of Milford Haven and its suburbs extends from Gelliswick Bay east to Castle Pill, a largely urban shoreline with the greatest wildlife interest where narrow tree-lined valleys reach, or come close, to the waterway. Chiffchaffs and rooks are present on shore, whilst oystercatchers forage on the beach. Gulls are present in abundance, with a number of different species. Smallest is the black-headed gull, followed by the common gull, herring gull, lesser black-headed gull, culminating in the great black-head gull, foraging at the fish docks.

Angle Bay

Shaped like a squashed horseshoe, the Bay is a little over half a mile broad at the mouth, widening to one and three quarter miles close to the southern shore. Students of the nearby Orielton Field Centre share their interest in the rich world of periwinkles, top shells, shore crabs, worms and sea weeds, with waders and wildfowl. Over one hundred and fifty ringed plovers are in residence, together with a limited number of grey plovers, visitors from the high Artic. Visitors in late summer include black-tailed godwits, with wandering parties of brent geese being occasional visitors

Outer Haven

Extending westwards for some four miles south from South Hook and Angle Point to Thorne Island and Dale Point is the Outer Haven, with its primarily rocky shore line and steep cliff slopes of Old Red Sandstone. Grey seals often rest on the rocky shelves around Stack Rock, wanderers from the colony at Skomer Island, some ten swimming milers away. Grey seals do wander almost to the upper reaches of the tidal limits, and on occasions have been known to enter Milford Docks. Their main prey in these waters is probably conger eel, pollack, wrasse, herring and mullet.

The Gann Estuary

Visitors to Dale can hardly fail to observe as they approach the village outskirts, the lagoons known as Pickleridge Pools. Man-made in the 1940’s, when gravel was required to construct local airfields, much has been gained by birdwatcher, botanist and marine biologist alike. The Pools are separated from the Gann estuary by a shingle ridge, on which grows the yellow-horned poppy, at one of its few locations in West Wales. The Pools come into their own in early autumn until the following spring, with little grebes, greenshank, and the noisy redshank.

In autumn 1976, an osprey roosted in the small woodland nature reserve, en route from Scottish breeding grounds to winter quarters in Central Africa.

The Heads

On the Head, a party of choughs, some 25 strong, sweeps by with their screaming ‘chow” call drawing watchers attention to their pirouettes before entering their cliff roost. Choughs forage for beetles, ants and spiders. In Spring, a late wheater pauses en route for breeding grounds within the Artic Circle on Baffin Island.

Spring flowers are in profusion on the Heads, with spring squill, a maritime member of the bluebell family being abundant. Sea-spurrey hang in mauve clusters to cliff faces, with sea campion cascading along the ground. Samphire, with its many branched stems grows almost to the water’s edge.

If you are really lucky, a family party of porpoises will sport through the tide race, before passing on some secret journey along the west coast.

The Cleddau Waterway is a marvellous scenic vista, a waterway for wildlife, our pleasure, our enjoyment, but very much our responsibility to protect for future generations.