Coed Crafnant Nature Reserve

Epiphytic Polypody Fern growing on moss covered oak branch

@Ben Porter

Pied flycatcher

Pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) male perched, Wales, UK - Mark Hamblin/2020VISION

Coed Crafnant Nature Reserve

Coed Crafnant Nature Reserve

Lichen covered branches in canopy of oak woodland_Guy Edwardes 2020Vision

Lichen covered branches in canopy of oak woodland © Guy Edwardes 2020Vision

Wood warbler (c) Andy Rouse2020VISION

Wood warbler (c) Andy Rouse 2020VISION

A hidden treasure that feels like stepping back in time to the ancient wildwoods of Wales.

Location

Llanbedr
Gwynedd
LL45 2PF

OS Map Reference

SH619289
OS Explorer Map OL18
A static map of Coed Crafnant Nature Reserve

Know before you go

Size
49 hectares
z

Entry fee

No
P

Parking information

Coed Crafnant entrance: parking for two cars on the roadside at SH617290 (nearest postcode LL45 2PF) and small car park further along road at SH619295.

Grazing animals

Carneddau ponies and feral goats, all year round.

Walking trails

Steep woodland on north-facing hillside with uneven, steep and rocky paths

Access

The site is very steep in places and the path is rough. The rocky surface is covered in moss and can be wet and slippery – walking boots are essential. The remote location also means that mobile phone signal is practically non-existent.

Dogs

On a lead

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times

Best time to visit

Year round

About the reserve

Filled with primitive plants and veteran oak trees, Coed Crafnant connects you to Britain’s forested past. Centuries of continual shelter from these trees has created the perfect conditions for mosses, lichens and ferns to flourish – indeed, species have been recorded here that were once thought to be nationally extinct. This wild, ancient Atlantic oak woodland is steeply sloped and roughly divided into terraces, each with its own microclimate and inhabitants. A visit in spring and summer will reward you with a wealth of wildflowers and nesting birds, but the wild tranquillity of this remote valley will hold your attention at any time of the year.

 

Natural regeneration

The main focus of work on this site is to maintain the reserve boundaries to keep out grazing animals such as feral goats and sheep. The exclusion of these grazers allows the natural processes of woodland regeneration to take place. Selective clearing helps to create a shifting pattern of glades and a healthy woodland with a diverse age structure, leading to a highly biodiverse habitat. To help the falling UK populations of pied flycatcher, 95 nest boxes have been put up around the woodland.
 

Did you know?

Plants first evolved in water and many of our most primitive plants – like mosses and liverworts – still require a very wet environment in order to reproduce. Their leaf structures trap liquid, creating their own watery microclimate.

Directions
Turn off the A496 at the pub in Llanbedr. Continue towards Cwm Bychan for 2.75km until Pen-y-Bont (SH 607 280). For the reserve’s southern entrance (no cars, only accessible on foot), turn sharp Right over a bridge and through a gate, following the rough track. Turn Right to Y Fron. Continue uphill through the second gate and bear Left, continuing for 200m. Entrance to the reserve through gate next to reserve sign (SH 611 276). For the northern entrance, continue past Pen-y-Bont for another 1.5km. Park at the side of the road by a gate at SH 616 289. Go through the gate on foot, follow the track over the bridge and past an old barn on your Right, then passing through a gate. Bear Right on the track until you reach the reserve entrance and sign.

Contact us

Luke Jones
Contact number: 01248 351541

Environmental designation

National Park
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)