Stanner Rocks in Powys, Wales - some of the oldest exposed rocks in Southern Britain – is, says Forestry Commission Wales, the only location in Britain where the obscure winter-flowering Radnor Lily has been found, with its very occasional small yellow blooms, along with several other rare species including mosses.
The rocks, near New Radnor, is a distinctive rounded hill clothed in part by woodland of native trees and pockets of important grassland. In providing suitable conditions for the variety of uncommon native flora and fauna to thrive, Stanner Rocks also finds it is home to the Hazel Dormouse – a European Protected Species, and the Southern Wood Ant.
Stanner Rocks has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and it is home to a National Nature Reserve (NNR) managed by the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW).
The opportunities now for some of the rare species to thrive and expand their range excites Andrew Ferguson, CCW’s Senior Reserve Manager for Stanner Rocks. He said: “Not only is this good news for many of the special wildlife features of this site, it also provides an outstanding viewpoint for the public from the top of the hill. Walkers can freely access the top via public footpaths that lead from the A44 trunk road without entering very sensitive and potentially hazardous parts of the NNR.”
