Rhos Llawr Cwrt National Nature Reserve

Recommended by

Overview

The small Rhos Llawr Cwrt NNR near Aberaeron is home to possibly the largest colony of marsh fritillary butterflies in Britain. It is estimated that between 10 and 20,000 are present in a good year. Other butterflies that thrive here include the green hairstreak and the small pearl-bordered fritillary, along with numerous dragonflies and damselflies. Rhos Llawr Cwrt is also home to some special plants including the internationally threatened slender green feather moss. Purple moor grass is the dominant feature of the reserve, and its tussocks provide a home for the diminutive harvest mouse, which is one of the reasons why barn owls are frequently seen. There is a small area of oak woodland within the NNR, and other habitats include peatland, bog and sedge-rich grassland. The wet areas are home to wild angelica, and in the slightly drier areas there are heath spotted and northern marsh orchids, flowering in late May and June.

Location

Talgarreg

About the area

The name ‘Ceredigion’ takes a bit of explanation. The town of Cardigan gives its name to the surrounding bay, but the county now uses the Welsh word for Cardiganshire – Ceredigion, pronounced with a ‘dig’.