About 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.

20 Luing cattle call Gilfach home all year round. These hardy cows—a cross between Shorthorns and Highlands—are built for upland life, thriving in all seasons while roaming across 130 hectares (321 acres) of land. Owned and cared for by a local farming family, they play a crucial role in habitat management—naturally controlling bracken, bramble, and rank grasses, whilst providing the ground conditions to allow wildflower to flourish

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.