Sea cliff, limestone, grassland, heath and cave

Location
1 km west of Overton. The reserve can be accessed from the track that leads westward from the Village of Overton.

Description
Long Hole Cliff nature reserve is named after a small cave in the centre of the reserve which during Nineteenth century archeological excavations yielded Stone Age tools and the fossil remains of Ice Age animals which are to be seen in Swansea Museum.

Part of the cliffs closest to the sea in the south east corner of the reserve have been quarried for limestone, which was burned in the adjacent lime kiln, the ruin of which is still visible, to provide lime for the spreading on the fields further inland.

The reserve displays a very clear difference in vegetation between the deeper cliff top soils which support Gorse and Scrub and the thinner soils of the slopes, cliffs and scree with limestone grassland flowers. Spring brings a flush of blue to the cliffs as Spring Squill flowers followed by a wide range of other flowers including as Bird's-foot trefoil, Horseshoe Vetch and Portland Spurge.

This reserveis also a site for plants protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981.