Gilfach Nature Reserve by Daniel Oates
Tony Coombs
Julian Ravest
Location
St. Harmon
OS Map Reference
SN 962 718
Know before you go
Entry fee
Donations pleaseParking information
Car park at Welcome Gateway entrance off A470Bicycle parking
YesGrazing animals
Cattle and sheep April to NovemberWalking trails
Several waymarked trails including a short Easy Access Trail for the less mobile from the Old Farmyard.
Access
Once parked at the Welcome Gateway, there's a large map just beyond the Caban showing all the walks that take you around this old hill farm reserve with information both at the Caban and up at the Old Farmyard about what wildlife to look out for.
Dogs
Facilities
When to visit
Opening times
The reserve is open all year round but the Longhouse is closed to the public as it is privately rented.In the Old Farmyard, the Byre is open with an honesty box for refreshments, disabled toilet and lots of information on the reserve.
Best time to visit
April to NovemberAbout the reserve
For centuries Gilfach was a working hill farm, now it's a spectacular nature reserve tucked away in the Marteg Valley in the heart of rural Mid Wales. Still grazed at certain times of the year by livestock to conserve its wildlife richness.
With an excellent array of wildlife, way-marked trails have been designed for you to enjoy the reserve whilst minimising your impact. Dogs are permitted but must be kept on a lead for everyone's enjoyment and dog poo must be picked up and removed from the reserve. For more information on why please click here.
Gilfach is a special place, well known for its pied flycatchers, dippers, redstarts and leaping salmon with the River Marteg running through. The variety of wildlife to be found here is what makes Gilfach different. Over a quarter of the total number of lichens in Wales can be found growing here!
Bell heather, common heather and gorse bring a blaze of colour to the hillside in late summer. Their nectar-rich flowers attract insects like the mountain bumble bee (Bombus monticola) and fox moth.
Butterflies love the wildflowers and grasses with the small pearl-bordered fritillary, common blue and green hairstreak to name but a few found here. Over seventy different types of bird have been recorded with over two thirds choosing to breed here. Redpoll, yellowhammer, whinchat, linnet, red kite, spotted flycatcher and cuckoo all spend time at Gilfach.