Woodlands, hedges, lakes and meadows
Particularly as Bluestone is sited largely within Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, one of the most pleasing, and perhaps surprising, aspects of its development has been the opportunity to enhance biodiversity in the area.
Intensively farmed for decades, the Bluestone site had been regularly treated with pesticides and fertilisers, and subjected to the various land and animal husbandry practices that are part and parcel of modern farming.
Indeed, having found no animals or eco-systems of special interest in the development area, a team of botanists from Cardiff University described the site as an ‘ecological desert’.
This meant there was an opportunity to develop something new and exciting on the land, and in the process, encourage and attract a much wider variety of wildlife and wildflower flora and fauna to the site.
The planting scheme represents considerable investment in the creation and enhancement of habitats, which is already paying dividends, as you are now likely to see a variety of animals and certainly plants during your stay at Bluestone.
If you stroll along our woodland nature trail in the late afternoon, you are quite likely to see a squirrel, fox or badger, while the hedges provide a perfect habitat for many birds, mammals and flora.
Bluestone has its own Planted Ancient Woodland and is also bordered by both Minwear and Canaston woods. We have protected all of the original hedges and trees on site as many of the hedges date back to old Tythe maps of the area, and we hope to improve the habitat with plants such as hazel which encourage the timid dormouse.
We have put up nesting boxes and have plenty of open meadow which is encouraging high numbers of birds and a broad diversity of species. We have already spotted numerous species of birds around site including the elusive Redwing and Siskin, and we continue adding to our wildlife spotting lists!
Our lake is exclusively for colonisation by indigenous plants and animals. Aquatic oxygenating plants have been put in to encourage wildlife and we will continue a programme of improvements to attract a wide variety of wildlife, flora and fauna to the lake ecosystem.
We have been working with The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales who helped us prepare information boards for our nature trail and will continue to help us manage and improve the diversity of wildlife and flora around the site.
Remember to book early to get the best accommodation prices - Click here to book.