The diverse and colourful wildlife of the western shores of Llangors Lake have been brought to life through the installation of a unique 6ft audio sculpture – the first of its kind in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.
Visitors venturing on the tranquil walking trail through Caeau Ty Mawr fields, Llangasty on the western shores of Llangors Lake can now enjoy a new feature in the landscape as they encounter Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority’s first audio sculpture. The new sculpture is designed to enhance visitors’ awareness and understanding of the fields at Caeau Ty Mawr, their diverse fauna and flora and the importance of the seasonal flooding to sustaining the wildlife interest along this much loved walk.
To celebrate the diverse wildlife living in these fields and the lake nearby, the beautiful 6ft wooden sculpture carved by South Wales artist Dai Edwards, features the rare Two-Tone Reed Beetle, Tormentil, Common Birds Foot Trefoil, Damselfly and the crowning glory is the flowering head of the Devil’s Bit Scabious.
Within the sculpture is an audio player, provided by Black Box AV with scripts written by freelance heritage consultant, Dr Sarah McCarthy which features the voice of Pobol y cwm actress Tonya Smith. There is a choice of four audio clips explaining why the site is of national importance, discussing how the National Park and the tenant farmer sensitively manage the meadows to enable their rich diversity of wildflowers to thrive, with stories and folklore about the species that live there and an explanation of why the seasonal flooding is so critical to their survival. These audio tracks, along with directions to find the sculpture, are available from: www.breconbeacons.org/caeautymawr
The project was jointly funded by Natural Resources Wales and Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority, and was designed to support the Llangasty – Caeau Ty Mawr management plan which balances the conservation of the site’s fragile wildlife with its enjoyment by visitors.
The installation aims to improve the understanding of why the wildflower meadows look different to other fields along the footpath and how they are managed as well as why the footpath floods during the winter months explaining the importance of flooding for the wildlife in Caeau Ty Mawr.
Suzanna Jones, Interpretation Officer for Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority said: “This is the first audio installation sculpture of its kind in the Bannau Brycheiniog and we are delighted that it is sited at Caeau Ty Mawr. This is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is incredibly important to the National Park. It’s very easy to walk through these wildflower meadows without realising how unique and important they are for some rare species of wildlife. This beautiful artwork has enabled us to celebrate the plants and animals that live here, and together with the engaging audio has created an inspiring, informative and we hope memorable experience for visitors which we will be enjoyed for years to come.”
Graham Motley, Senior Conservations Officer for Natural Resources Wales said: “The audio trail should help visitors appreciate that these are some of the few remaining flower-rich lowland meadows in Breconshire and that Llangors is not only an important lake in Wales, but is also of European significance.”
Mrs Margaret Underwood, Biodiversity Champion and Member for Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority said: “As an Authority, we are committed to enhancing the natural environment and this fascinating public installation project, created thanks to funding help from Natural Resources Wales, brings to life the special qualities of the National Park. Although popular with those in the know, this particular walking route is something of a hidden treasure, rich in wildlife but whose ecological significance and the specific techniques required to manage it are unknown to most people. The audio sculpture really helps to explain why the area is so outstanding and why is has to be managed so carefully. I would like to thank everyone responsible for its fruition – it’s a wonderful asset for the Llangasty and Llangors communities and the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.”
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Photo credit ©Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority