Gors Maen Llwyd Nature Reserve

Gors Maen llwyd

© David Whittrick

Llyn Brenig

Copyright Dave Whittick

Osprey (c) Peter Cairns/2020Vision

Osprey (c) Peter Cairns/2020Vision

A pair of black grouse, large black birds with white feathers on the underwing and tail feathers, and a red comb on their heads. The birds are facing each other, the one on the left has it's wings and one leg raised in display. The moor they are on is very brown and dull in colour, but lit with the earliest dawn sunlight adding a touch of yellow to everything and making the grouse almost glow with an outline of sunlight.

Black grouse © Mark Hamblin2020Vision

Heather

Heather - Ross Hoddinott 2020Vision

Goosander

Goosander © Adam Jones

Gors Maen Llwyd Nature Reserve

Bursting with wildlife, this spectacular upland heather moorland feels truly wild.

Location

Nantglyn
Denbighshire
LL16 5RN

OS Map Reference

SH 975 580
OS Explorer Map OL18
A static map of Gors Maen Llwyd Nature Reserve

Know before you go

Size
280 hectares
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Entry fee

No
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Parking information

Park at the top car park (SH 970 580) or near the bird hide (SH 983 574)
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Grazing animals

Sheep, February to October.
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Walking trails

Although the site consists of open-access land, please keep to the paths to avoid disturbance to wildlife, particularly ground-nesting birds. The Brenig Trail cycling route passes through northern parts of the reserve.

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Access

The site is exposed and isolated, and mobile phone signal is patchy. Paths are uneven in places and suitable footwear is recommended.

Dogs

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Facilities

Bird hides

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times

Best time to visit

spring and summer

About the reserve

In spring, head out through the heather and onto the moor at dawn and you could experience a natural wonder that has been taking place here for millennia: the bubbling call of male black grouse lekking. Then, as the sun rises over the Clwydian Range to the east, the distinctive, peaty moorland aroma fills the air along with the calls of curlew, skylark and cuckoo heralding the new day. Gradually, as the panoramic views are revealed from the dark of night, the serene sensation of being alone in a huge, wild landscape unfolds.

Gors Maen Llwyd, bordering Llyn Brenig, is one of the Wildlife Trust’s largest nature reserves and comprises upland heath, blanket bog and wetland filled with sphagnum moss, bogbean and cranberry. In summer, sand martins nest in large colonies along the edge of the reservoir, their constant coming and going providing the backdrop to any summertime stroll. ‘Gors Maen Llwyd’ means ‘bog of grey stone’ – a stone brought here and deposited by the retreating ice sheets of the last ice age – but there’s nothing at all grey about this reserve!

 

Heather cuts

This area of upland has been ‘managed’ by people for thousands of years. Ancient Britons removed forest to provide more grazing whilst, in the early 1900s, the moor was maintained for grouse shooting. (Now protected from shooting, both black and red grouse breed at the site.) The Wildlife Trust is trying to manage the landscape in a more natural way by keeping areas of varying habitats. Small areas of heather are cut on rotation – in wavy shapes to better blend into the landscape – to keep the age structure diverse, whilst sheep graze the site during spring and summer to keep the heather in good condition. Conifer encroachment from surrounding plantations is kept in check.

Directions

Gors Maen Llwyd lies at the northern end of Llyn Brenig, 7 miles South West of Denbigh and 4 miles North of Cerrigydrudion.  Both car parks are accessible from the B4501: one immediately from the road (SH 970 580) and one down a short track, near the bird hide (SH 983 574). You can also access the reserve by parking at Dŵr Cymru’s Llyn Brenig Visitor Centre and walking around the lake shore in either direction – this will take about an hour, depending on your pace.   

Contact us

Paul Furnborough
Contact number: 01248 351541
A male black Grouse mid air as it jumps while displaying for females, wings spread with early dawn light catching it's feathers.

Black grouse displaying at dawn © Mark Hamblin- 2020vision.

Reserve map and guide

Download
ospreygaryjones

©Garyjones

Ospreys at Llyn Brenig

North Wales Wildlife Trust’s main role in the Brenig Osprey Project is to help visitors understand the local wildlife, including these magnificent birds. Why not come and see them up close for yourself? There is a live feed to the nest in the Dwr Cymru visitor centre and with a telescope, you can see the pair from a safe distance from April to the end of August at our Osprey Lookout – just ask at the visitor centre for directions to our setup (an easy 5-minute walk away). There is also a pre-bookable photography hide, more details on when this will open will be available soon.

Find out more