Rhos Llawr Cwrt, midway between Cardigan and
Aberystwyth, contains a large area of sedge rich grassland, some
peatland and bog, a small area of oak woodland and agriculturally
improved grassland.
But it is the rhos pasture which has the greatest value here in
terms of wildlife.
The word rhos has slightly different meanings in different parts of
Wales – in Ceredigion, it is used to describe wet grassland or
pasture. The reserve’s rhos is managed by the traditional practice
of grazing with ponies and cattle.
You are welcome to visit this reserve but please contact the
site staff before your visit.
Staff will advise you of various site hazards which include some
very boggy areas which are best avoided.
From the parking area there is a wide, gently sloping
stone-surfaced track, approx. 300 metres in length, that leads to
the main part of the reserve.
Photo ©CCW
Other than this track there are no
footpaths here and the ground is usually wet underfoot.
CCW owns and manages this reserve.
You can contact CCW’s Western Team via our enquiries helpline,
0845 1306229, e-mail, enquiries@ccw.gov.uk or write to us under the
‘Contact the team’ section on this website.
Wildlife
Spring and summer are the seasons to visit in order to see the
rhos pasture at its best. The marsh fritillary is on the wing
during late May to the end of June. In some years during this
period, it will be possible to see literally hundreds of fritillary
butterflies – but make sure you visit on a sunny day. August is the
best time to see caterpillars when they will be feeding communally
in silken webs on the foodplant, devil’s bit scabious.
Photo ©CCW
The population of marsh fritillary butterfly is one of the
largest you will find in Britain with about 10,000 adults emerging
in peak years. Other butterflies such as the small pearl bordered
fritillary and green hairstreak are also on the wing during the
summer. Large numbers of dragonflies breed in the basin mire, the
ditches and the river Bwdram. Small red damselfly breed in the
muddy margins of the mire.
Signs of otter are frequently seen on the banks of the Bwdram,
and the tiny harvest mouse lives amongst the moor grass tussocks.
Barn owls and red kite hunt over the rhos and, on a summer’s day,
the air is filled with the song of skylarks and meadow pipits.
Rare plants in the rhos include the slender green feather moss,
an internationally threatened species.
Other notable vegetation and flowering plants include:
- Soft rush
- Sharp-flowered rush
- Whorled caraway
- Greater bird’s-foot trefoil
- Marsh bedstraw
- Northern marsh orchid
- Heath spotted orchid
- Sneezewort
- Heath milkwort
- Bitter vetch
Elsewhere, the sward is dominated by purple moor-grass and
contains a variety of sedges, tormentil, sweet vernal grass,
cross-leaved heath, heath-spotted orchid and in the wetter parts,
tall plants of angelica.
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.