The future of Living Levels
The Gwent Levels represent the finest example in Wales of a reclaimed coastal landscape exploited, modified, and transformed by the communities that have lived and worked here for the past two thousand years.
Today, the Levels – much of which lies below sea level and is only viable due to the sea wall – is a predominantly pastoral landscape drained and irrigated by an extensive system of ditches known locally as reens. Productive farming exists alongside a diverse range of semi-natural habitats for rare species. Vibrant cities and towns around the edge of the Levels contrast the landscape’s strong sense of tranquillity, remoteness, and wildness away from human occupation.
The story of how the Levels were created and managed is one of engineering, ingenuity, creativity, and coexistence with nature and natural forces. Over 2000 years, the combination of local people managing a dynamic landscape, along with its associated history, vocabulary, and wildlife, makes the Gwent Levels rare, special, and a rich resource to be protected and preserved for future generations.
Over the last century, intensification of agricultural land use, and industrial, commercial, residential, and infrastructure developments have had a profound impact on the character and extent of the Levels., creating a fear that further unchecked development would irrevocably fracture the coherence of the historic landscape.
In addition, there was a growing perception that communities living on and around the Levels were becoming increasingly disconnected from the landscape as physical and intellectual access declined, leading to a lack of understanding and appreciation.
Living Levels Landscape Partnership
In 2014, the Living Levels Landscape Partnership was formed to address these concerns. The Partnership includes RSPB Cymru (host), Gwent Wildlife Trust (GWT), Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Newport City Council (NCC), Monmouthshire County Council (MCC), City of Cardiff Council (CCC), Gwent Archives (GA), Cardiff Story Museum, Sustrans, National Trust, Bumblebee Conservation Trust and BugLife Cymru.
In 2018, the partnership was awarded a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the delivery of the Living Levels programme.
Our Living Levels
Our Living Levels is the successor programme to Living Levels and was awarded a development grant of £451,000 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2024.
The programme aims to build on the successes of the original Living Levels to deliver lasting benefits for the landscape and the people who live on and around the Gwent Levels.
The new programme will focus on reaching new audiences through citizen science, developing links with landowners and farmers to promote productive, sustainable, nature-friendly farming, building healthy, resilient ecosystems, helping local people to better understand and appreciate the landscape, and to value its benefits for health and wellbeing.
Over the next 12 months we will be consulting with partners, stakeholders, communities, and landowners to shape our vision for the Levels, and prepare an application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a 5-year delivery programme.
Restoring nature and mitigating the impact of climate change are top priorities for this government. We demonstrated this by our decision on the M4 Relief Road and will continue to do so through our work on the Gwent Levels and across Wales. Every area of government, every sector of our economy and every community in Wales has a role to play in responding to the climate and nature emergency.
Julie James MS,
Minister for Climate Change