Backstone Bank and Baal Hill Woods one side valley, there is a small population of small-leaved lime, "Tilia cordata", which occurs here close to its northern limit and at an unusually high altitude. On base-rich soils, the woodland typically consists of ash, "Fraxinus excelsior", and wych elm, "Ulmus glabra", over an understorey of hazel, "Corylus avellana", and bird cherry, "Prunus padus", and a rich ground flora that includes lady-fern, "Athyrium filix-femina", male fern, "Dryopteris filix-mas", and hard shield-fern, "Polystichum aculeatum". On more acid soils, sessile oak, "Quercus petraea", and birch, "Betula sp.", are dominant. The under-storey, of hazel, holly, "Ilex aquifolium", rowan, "Sorbus aucuparia", and hawthorn,
Bethania, Mountain Ash built alongside. Thomas Llewellyn was minister from 1854 until 1888. He was succeeded by Owen Jones who remained until 1909. John Phillips was minister from 1911 until 1945 and Haydn Davies from 1950 until 1960. The chapel remains beautifully preserved and maintained. There were 20 members in 2004. Mountain Ash and District Choral Society hold their practices and rehearsals at the vestry. Bethania, Mountain Ash Bethania, Mountain Ash is an Independent chapel in Phillip Street, Mountain Ash, Glamorgan, Wales. Services at Bethania are conducted in the Welsh language. The church began in the form of a Sunday School built in