Forest Farm – Our Local Nature Reserve / Fferm y Fforest – Ein Gwarchodfa Natur Leol

Speaker: Albyn Austin

Albyn began with an outline of background and history of the Forest Farm Nature Reserve. It was originally a mixed farm and didn't become part of Cardiff until 1967. In 1982 the canal and long wood were declared an SSSI. In the 1980s the farm had become derelict and some of the land was lost when the M4 was built, and then by the creation of the industrial estate. In 1992 it formally became Forest Farm Country Park and Local Nature Reserve.

 

Dechreuodd Albyn gydag amlinelliad o gefndir a hanes Gwarchodfa Natur Fferm y Fforest. Fferm gymysg ydoedd yn wreiddiol ac ni ddaeth yn rhan o Gaerdydd tan 1967. Ym 1982 cyhoeddwyd y gamlas a'r pren hir yn SoDdGA. Yn y 1980au roedd y fferm wedi mynd yn adfail a chollwyd peth o'r tir pan adeiladwyd yr M4, ac yna trwy greu'r stad ddiwydiannol. Ym 1992 daeth yn Barc Gwledig Fferm y Fforest ac yn Warchodfa Natur Leol yn ffurfiol.

 

The canal was an important means of transport for local industry. It was used by the ironworks, and later by the coal industry. The development of the railway in the 1940s gradually took away its traffic until it was no longer being used by industry by 1944. In 1965 Forest Hall was demolished and is now the location of the car park. The Friends Group created disabled access and planted the orchard in the 1990s. The pond and its sculptures were created in 2017, and the Redwood Giant in 2018.

Roedd y gamlas yn ffordd bwysig o deithio i ddiwydiant lleol. Fe'i defnyddiwyd gan y gweithfeydd haearn, ac yn ddiweddarach gan y diwydiant glo. Symudodd datblygiad y rheilffordd yn y 1940au â'i thraffig yn raddol nes nad oedd bellach yn cael ei defnyddio gan ddiwydiant erbyn 1944. Ym 1965 dymchwelwyd Neuadd y Goedwig a dyma leoliad y maes parcio erbyn hyn. Creodd y Grŵp Cyfeillion fynediad i’r anabl a phlannu’r berllan yn y 1990au. Crëwyd y pwll a'i gerfluniau yn 2017, a'r Redwood Giant yn 2018.

The canal is fed from limestone hills in the Castell Coch area, which is the reason for the existence of some unusual plants along the canal, including toothwort and elf cap fungus can be seen. The top end of the canal has tended to be short of water, but it is 5ft deep the Melingriffiths end. There has been an ongoing problem of erosion of the towpath. A large variety of wildlife can be seen in the Nature Reserve, including owls, woodpeckers, nuthatch, herons, snipe, egrets, buzzards, foxes, rabbits, voles, shrews, stoats, weasels, grass snakes, slow worms, otters, mink, salmon, dragon flies and damsels flies – and of course kingfishers for which the canal is famous. 

Mae’r gamlas yn cael ei bwydo o fryniau calchfaen yn ardal Castell Coch, a dyna’r rheswm dros fodolaeth rhai planhigion anarferol ar hyd y gamlas, gan gynnwys llysiau’r dannedd a ffwng capan y gors. Mae pen uchaf y gamlas wedi tueddu i fod yn brin o ddŵr, ond mae'n 5 troedfedd o ddyfnder ym mhen Melin Gruffydd. Bu problem barhaus o erydu'r llwybr tynnu. Mae amrywiaeth eang o fywyd gwyllt i’w weld yn y Warchodfa Natur, gan gynnwys tylluanod, cnocell y coed, delor y cnau, crehyrod, gïachod, crëyr glas, bwncathod, llwynogod, cwningod, llygod pengrwn, chwistlod, carlymod, gwencïod, nadroedd y gwair, nadroedd defaid, dyfrgwn, mincod, eog, pryfed neidr a phryfed mursennod – ac wrth gwrs glas y dorlan y mae'r gamlas yn enwog amdanynt.  

For more information visit their website: www.forestfarm.org.uk, and follow them on Facebook: #forestfarmphotography #forestfarmwildlife

I gael rhagor o wybodaeth ewch i’w gwefan: www.forestfarm.org.uk, a dilynwch nhw ar Facebook: #forestfarmphotography #forestfarmwildlife