Coedmor National Nature Reserve was
established to protect the ancient oak woodland on the northern and
southern slopes of the Teifi gorge, just south of Cardigan in
Ceredigion.
The area is adjacent to a number of areas of wildlife interest,
including the river Teifi and marshes.
Much of the gorge woodland may be seen from the footpath on the
southern banks of the river, between the village of Cilgerran and
Llechryd Bridge.
The car park below Cilgerran Castle is a good location to begin
this walk, while there is also access to the woodland on the
southern slopes of the gorge from the Welsh Wildlife Centre at
Teifi Marshes.The Centre is signposted from Cilgerran village.
Please note, access to the woodland on the northern slopes of
the gorge is more difficult, mainly because of the dangerous nature
of the steep slopes.
Photo by Mike
Alexander,©CCW
An exception is the footpath at Cwm
Du which takes you down through the woodland to the river.
The Countryside Council for Wales manages this woodland reserve
in partnership with the Wildlife Trust for South and West Wales
(WTSWW).
On a day to day basis, the CCW manage that part of the reserve
on the north side of the Cilgerran Gorge and WTSWW manage the
reserve on the south side of the gorge.
You can contact the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales on
01656 724100or by emailing info@welshwildlife.org
You can contact the CCW western region reserves team via the
enquiries help line on 0845 1306229 or by email at
enquires@ccw.gov.uk. You can also write to us at the address under
‘Contact the team’.
Wildlife
The woodland which clings to the steep sides of the gorge is
dominated by oak, but you will also see:
Below the woodland canopy there’s also a shrub layer of:
In the autumn, the yellow and crimson leaves of wild service
trees are beautifully apparent. Historically, large areas of trees
were cut down to provide timber for ship building in Cardigan, and
for charcoal in the production of tin. The woodland is now managed
to maintain the native tree species and encourage a return to a
more natural mixture of trees of different ages.
Rhododendron and cherry laurel have 'escaped' from gardens at
the top of the gorge. Although these are spectacular plants when in
bloom, they are also both very invasive and must be controlled
carefully in the woodland.
However, one of the wildlife highlights of the area is the otter
population which thrives in the Teifi and adjacent marshes.
Nearly 200 species of lichens have been recorded from the
woodland and 31 species of butterflies are known from the reserve
or immediate area.
RELATED ARTICLES...
SEE ALSO...
Countryside Access Map
for a
more detailed map of the area showing access information
including:
Promoted routes, national trails, and CROW access land.
Protected Sites Map
for a more
detailed map of the area, also showing special sites
including:
national parks, reserves and Areas of outstanding natural beauty
(AONB).
OTHER WEBSITES...
Traveline
Cymru
Traveline Cymru, your one-stop shop, in Wales, for bus, coach and
rail journey planning and timetable information.
Wildlife Trust of South
and West Wales
Contact the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales by emailing
info@welshwildlife.org