Cors y Wlad

Below the summit of Bwlch Mawr an iconic, 509m-tall mountain at the eastern end of the Llŷn Peninsula, is a patchwork of farmed and rougher-looking land that makes up our Bryn Ifan landholding – which includes a very special and interesting wetland: Cors y Wlad.

Cors y Wlad is one of Wales’s most precious peatlands: a European-designated, protected site that is home, amongst other rare plants and animals, to the marsh fritillary butterfly.  This special species was once widespread in Britain and Ireland, but declined severely over the twentieth century (mainly due to loss of suitable habitat) and is now confined to the western side of Britain. We are very lucky to have a small, but constant population.

This one iconic species is so important that it has been the focus of a lot of our activity since we acquired Cors y Wlad. Working with Natural Resources Wales and Butterfly Conservation, we have begun to make the wetland as suitable as possible – work which has involved not only a herd of cattle, who busy themselves grazing in the summer months, but some fairly chunky machinery! 

A closer look at Cors y Wlad reveals more than one type of wetland habitat – and one, in particular, is rather intriguing.  Surveyors have noted the presence of distinctive, sphagnum-dominated ‘ghost ponds’, which may, in fact, be ‘pingos’ – features well known from nearby Bwlch Derwin. Pingos were formed at the end of the last Ice Age when lumps of ice left behind by retreating glaciers initially created small hills, which then collapsed to form ponds as the ice melted! It’s wonderful to think of the slow passage of time and the story behind the bright green-and-red mossy carpets that dot the wetland.

PLAN YOUR VISIT: Know before you go

Location: near Clynnog Fawr, Gwynedd

How to get there: Cors y Wlad lies on the north-eastern slopes of Bwlch Mawr, above the village of Clynnog Fawr (SW of Caernarfon) and not far from our Caeau Tan-y-bwlch Nature Reserve.  Access requires navigating narrow country lanes, with limited nearby lay-by parking available at what3words.com/segregate.exhaled.bonnet / SH 43722 47793.

Opening times: All day, every day

Access: Cors y Wlad is a remote site without ‘official’ parking.  From the lay-by, follow the lane S on foot for about 500m: you’ll see the summit of Bwlch Mawr to your right and Cors y Wlad itself will appear on your left. The site itself is marshy and navigating even the public rights of way is challenging – be sure to bring suitable footwear, and take particular care after heavy rain.

Facilities: There are no facilities on site.