Cefn Cenarth

A sessile oak woodland brimming with lichens and mosses.

Location

Off B4518 in Pant y Dŵr
St.Harmon
Rhayader
Powys
LD6 5LR

OS Map Reference

SN 964 759
A static map of Cefn Cenarth

Know before you go

Size
18 hectares
P

Parking information

Car park at entrance

Grazing animals

No

Walking trails

A way-marked trail takes you up into the woodland to enjoy the stunning views.  It is steep in places but a bench provides a rest. Total distance 2.4km / 1.5 miles.

Access

Take the B4518 from Rhayader to St. Harmon. Take the first left after the Mid Wales Inn (just before the bus shelter). Follow this road for 1.3 miles and go straight ahead onto a forestry track.  Don't follow road to left.

Drive past the property (not part of nature reserve) and the car park is on your right where the interpretation board is.

Dogs

On a lead

When to visit

Opening times

All year round.

Best time to visit

May to July

About the reserve

The name itself - Cefn Cenarth means "Ridge of Lichens" in Welsh.   With over one hundred species of lichen and around forty species of moss, this is undoubtedly the place to visit!

Large cushion mosses carpet the woodland floor and the lichen known locally as 'witches whiskers' (Usnea florida) hangs from many branches. Common heather and bell heather thrive throughout especially in the sunny glades.

There's a lovely mix of birds including the chiffchaff, treecreeper, mistle thrush, pied flycatcher, blackbird, jay and redstart. 

Contact us

Radnorshire Wildlife Trust
Contact number: 01597 823298
Contact email: info@rwtwales.org

Environmental designation

Ancient Woodland

Cefn Cenarth Woodland for a Biodiverse Future

This year long project is based here at our Cefn Cenarth nature reserve and aims to create and encourage the development of a more biodiverse woodland habitat with increased resilience to the future impacts of climate change.

Find out more about the project