Abercamlo Bog

A fascinating nature reserve made up of wet heath pasture surrounded by birch woodland, scrub and tussocky grassland with three small basin mires.

Location

On Gravel Road
Near Crossgates
Powys
LD1 6RG

OS Map Reference

SO 073 650
A static map of Abercamlo Bog

Know before you go

Size
5 hectares
P

Parking information

Extremely limited - please don't block highway.

Grazing animals

No

Walking trails

This is a boggy nature reserve so expect it to be wet underfoot all year round.  There's a way-marked trail taking you around the reserve from the entrance.

Access

From Crossgates roundabout, head for Rhayader on A44 and after half a mile, turn left signposted Llanyre.  The reserve is less than a quarter of a mile on the left hand side, through a kissing gate next to the road.

Dogs

On a lead

When to visit

Opening times

All year round

Best time to visit

June to August

About the reserve

The special interest of this reserve lies in the basin mires, which contain several species of sphagnum moss, as well as round-leaved sundew, cranberry, bogbean and marsh cinquefoil.  There has been much debate over how and when the basin mires were formed. They could have been carved by ice at the end of the last ice age or they could be the remnants of river meanders.  These intriguing geological features are preserved by regularly pulling and cutting willow and birch saplings, because if these were allowed to develop the mires would gradually dry out and the associated flora and fauna lost.  

The dry heathy pastures contain a mixture of plants including common valerian, petty whin, dyer's greenweed, devil's-bit scabious, heather, cross-leaved heath and marsh pennywort.  Scrub is an important wildlife habitat providing nectar, seeds, fruit, shelter and nest sites for insects, mammals and birds.  The long-tailed tit, blackcap and garden warbler birds depend on this habitat to survive.

Enjoy a lovely display of butterflies when the sun is shining. These include small-pearl bordered fritillary, common blue, orange-tip and meadow brown.

Contact us

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