Site description

The Gower peninsula is justifiably famous for its landscape and wildlife and forms a natural IPA. Some 24 kilometres of limestone cliffs, caves, dunes and beaches form its southern boundary, while the northern edge follows the estuary of the River Loughor. The western edge of the peninsula runs from the spectacular rocks of Worm’s head to the vast sand-dune system at Whiteford Point. Inland, a mixed farming landscape gives way on higher ground to open acidic commons and moorland. Near the southern coast, the steep limestone valleys are home to important ash woodlands. Gower has been protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural beauty since 1956 and today includes or is part of 4 SACs, 3 NNRs and at least 20 SSSIs. The National Trust owns 12% of the peninsula and manages this land for biodiversity.

Botanical significance

Gower qualifies as an IPA on all three criteria. For Criterion A, Liparis loeselii (Fen Orchid) is found in one of the sand-dune systems, along with Petalophyllum ralfsii (Petalwort, although not as a qualifying feature here). The exceptionally rich flora (Criterion B) is shown by hot-spots of threatened vascular species for coastal limestone cliffs and grasslands, lowland heaths and arable habitats.

Habitat/Land use

Britain’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the limestone cliffs, beaches and dunes of the Gower peninsula are incredibly diverse. Inland, acidic heaths and commons predominate, while ash woodlands and arable farms contribute further to the richness of the area.
Gower's status as an outstanding example of a habitat type of global or European plant importance comes from its designation as a SAC for Northern Atlantic wet heaths with Erica tetralix, European dry heaths, Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clayey-silt-laden soils, Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines, Fixed dunes with herbaceous vegetation, Dunes with Salix repens ssp. argentea and its Humid dune slacks.

Fauna

This IPA appears to be in a Prime Butterfly Area, probably because of the Marsh Fritillary population which is on Gower

Protected Areas

33 per cent of the Gower peninsula falls within NNRs or a SSSIs, each with their own management plans. The IPA, however, links many of these unconnected sites and includes botanically rich sites that fall outside protected areas. 12% of the land is managed by the National Trust and much unprotected land is managed under agri-environment schemes