RSPB - giving nature a home
Search
Close
Skip to content
Shop | Community
Log in
  • About the RSPB
      About us
    • Our history
    • Our mission
    • How the RSPB is run
    • RSPB Media Centre
    • RSPB job vacancies
    • Get in touch
    • Contact us
    • RSPB offices
    • At home & abroad
    • International
    • England
    • Northern Ireland
    • Scotland
    • Wales
    • Latest press releases
    • Stress-busting forest bathing at Sandwell Valley

      Stress-busting forest bathing at Sandwell Valley

      Take a relaxing dip in Sandwell Valley with stress-busting forest bathing.

    • Mountain hare culls continue despite “voluntary restraint"

      Mountain hare culls continue despite “voluntary restraint"

      Coalition calls to introduce urgent safeguards for mountain hare populations.

    • Sunset Safari at RSPB Saltholme.

      Sunset Safari at RSPB Saltholme.

      Witness some fantastic wildlife spectacles, at their sunset safari.

  • Our work
      Conservation
    • Conservation and sustainability
    • Projects
    • Landscape scale conservation
    • Centre for Conservation Science
    • Satellite tracking birds
    • Our positions and casework
    • Our positions
    • Casework
    • RSPB News
    • RSPB News
    • 'Our work' blog
    • Latest news
    • 5 bizarre and beautiful bird courtship displays

      5 bizarre and beautiful bird courtship displays

      Bird courtship rituals can vary from the spectacular to the bizarre

    • 5 RSPB wetland reserves working wonders for people and wildlife

      5 RSPB wetland reserves working wonders for people and wildlife

      Wetland reserves are doing great things for people and wildlife

    • 11 Big Garden Birdwatch fascinating facts

      11 Big Garden Birdwatch fascinating facts

      We’ve pulled together some of the best facts about Big Garden Birdwatch!

  • Birds & wildlife
      Wildlife guides
    • Identify a bird
    • Bird A-Z
    • Other garden wildlife
    • Guide to birdwatching
    • UK conservation status explained
    • Advice
    • How you can help birds
    • Gardening for wildlife
    • Ask an expert
    • Wildlife and the law
    • How to report crimes against wild birds
    • Nature's Home magazine
    • About Nature's Home magazine
    • Birds and wildlife articles
    • RSPB Podcasts
    • Nature's Home blog
    • Most popular bird guides this month
    • Brent Goose

      Brent Goose

      A small, dark goose - the same size as a mallard. It has a black head and neck and grey-brown back.

    • Nightjar

      Nightjar

      A nocturnal bird that can be seen hawking for food at dusk and dawn.

    • Ring Ouzel

      Ring Ouzel

      male ring ouzels are particularly distinctive with their black plumage with a pale wing panel and striking white breast band.

  • Get involved
      Activities
    • Big Garden Birdwatch
    • Give nature a home in your garden
    • RSPB Competitions
    • Community & advice
    • RSPB local groups
    • Green living
    • RSPB Community
    • Get involved blog
    • Volunteering & fundraising
    • Volunteer
    • Fundraise
    • Campaigning
    • Climate change effects on nature and wildlife
    • Protecting wildlife sites
    • Become a Campaign Champion
    • Defend nature
    • #LeafNatureBetter
    • The 25 Year Environment Plan
    • Top activities to do
    • Food, farming and nature

      Food, farming and nature

      Have your say on the future of our countryside

    • Volunteer

      Volunteer

      Explore these pages to find an opportunity that suits you.

    • Waterwise gardening

      Waterwise gardening

      Use less water in the garden by installing a waterbutt.

  • Reserves & events
      Reserves A-Z Events, dates & inspiration
    • Events
    • Dates with nature
    • Places to visit blog
    • Find a reserve
      Top reserve this month
    • Minsmere

      Minsmere

      There's so much to see and hear at Minsmere, from rare birds and otters to stunning woodland and coastal scenery.

    • Coombes Valley

      Coombes Valley

      This is a delightful oak woodland to walk through – especially in spring and early summer.

    • Arne

      Arne

      Heathland home to more than 2565 species.

  • Fun & Learning
      For teachers
    • Supporting resources
    • Wild Challenge
    • Free school outreach visits
    • School trip ideas
    • Big Schools Birdwatch
    • Sign up for the newsletter
    • For families
    • Big Wild Sleepout
    • Wild Challenge
    • Nature reserves for families
    • For kids
    • Facts about nature
    • Games and activities
    • Kids stories
    • RSPB kids competitions
    • Latest kids' activities
    • Fabulous fungi

      Fabulous fungi

      Go on the hunt for fabulous fungi! How many different shapes, colours and sizes can you spot?

    • Wild Weather

      Wild Weather

      Rain or shine - can you help us measure the weather?

    • Nature WOW!

      Nature WOW!

      Take a Wild Challenge and look out for something with the WOW factor!

  • Join & Donate
      Become a member
    • Individual membership
    • Joint membership
    • Family membership
    • Youth membership
    • Gift membership for nature lovers
    • RSPB Life Fellow Membership
    • Renew your membership
    • Corporate supporters
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Donate
    • Our appeals
    • Make a one-off donation
    • Make a regular donation
    • Memorial donations
    • Plant a memorial tree
    • Leave a gift in your Will
    • Other people's gifts
    • Legacy donation FAQs
    • Legacy administration
    • Other ways to help
    • Gift Aid
    • Support us when you shop
    • RSPB Images
    • RSPB second-hand binocular scheme
    • Win with the RSPB
    • Payroll Giving
    • Save your stamps
    • Sign up to Gift Aid Form
  • Login to your account
  • Shop
  • Community
  • Home
  • Reserves & events
  • Reserves A-Z
  • Mawddach Valley - Coed Garth Gell

Mawddach Valley - Coed Garth Gell

gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
Address
Can be accessed via public footpaths. No car park, but take the A496 from Llanelltyd (near Dolgellau) to Barmouth. Between the villages of Taicynhaeaf and Bontddu there are several lay-bys and parking places.
Grid ref
SH683192

Nestled in the spectacular Mawddach Valley, Coed Garth Gell is a woodland and heathland nature reserve which is internationally important for the rare mosses, liverworts and lichens which grow amongst the ancient oaks. Pied flycatchers, redstarts, wood warblers and lesser horseshoe bats all call this wonderful place home.

Plan your visit

Opening times

Open at all times.

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free, but you can help us continue our work here by becoming a member.
Children
Free, but you can help us continue our work here by becoming a member.

Facilities

  • No visitor centre
  • Car park off-site
  • Toilets off-site
  • Accessible toilets off-site
  • No Refreshments
  • Viewing point
  • Nature trails
  • Shop off-site

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

The nearest station is at Barmouth. From Barmouth the reserve is 5.5 miles (8 km) to the east between the villages of Bontddu and Taicynhaeaf on the A496.

By bus

The nearest stop is at Taicynhaeaf on the Dolgellau to Barmouth (X94) route. The stop is 0.5 miles (0.75 km) from the reserve.

 

By bike

The Mawddach Trail runs nearby.

 

By road

From the A470 heading north from Dolgellau, turn left onto the A496 at the roundabout at Llanelltyd heading for Barmouth. After passing the village of Taicynhaeaf and before you reach the village of Bontddu, almost exactly 4km from the roundabout, there is a right hand turn into a horseshoe shaped layby with a small picnic area, managed by Snowdonia National Park, known locally as Fiddlers Elbow.

There are places for a small number of vehicles to park. The reserve can be accessed by walking from the layby up the public footpath along the private access road going immediately up the hill. As you walk up the access road, look for the RSPB sign on the gate on the left which takes you along the public footpath into the reserve.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Get directions from Google Maps
RSPB reserves on Google Earth

What will the weather be like?

11 degrees, Light rain

Contact Mawddach Valley - Coed Garth Gell

  • Can be accessed via public footpaths. No car park, but take the A496 from Llanelltyd (near Dolgellau) to Barmouth. Between the villages of Taicynhaeaf and Bontddu there are several lay-bys and parking places.
  • mawddach@rspb.org.uk
  • 01654 700222

What will you see?

Our star species

    Dipper

    Dipper

    Look for cheeky dippers feeding around the edges of the river.

    Male pied flycatcher

    Pied flycatcher

    It is easy to see how this bird gets its name on a spring walk around the woodland here.

    Male redstart

    Redstart

    Redstarts are typical birds of Welsh woodlands. Watch out for them in spring and summer shivering their reddish tails.

    Wood warbler

    Wood warbler

    Listen for the song of the wood warbler coming from the oak canopy from late April into June.

    Woodcock

    Woodcock

    From September onwards, they start arriving in the UK from across the North Sea to escape cold Scandinavia winters.

Nature spectacles

Carpets of lichens cover the trunks and branches of all the trees. Look out for witch's beard or Usnea florida, with its tangled tresses and ‘eyes’.

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter

Try to catch a glimpse of the secretive lesser-spotted woodpecker and the hawfinch - look up to the tree-tops or listen for the ringing call of the woodpecker or the loud robin-like 'tick' of the hawfinch. Late April and May are the most rewarding times for classic oak woodland summer migrants as they are all in full song. On the river, dippers and grey wagtails breed.

The heathland has breeding nightjars, which can be heard 'churring' on clear still evenings from as far away as the other side of the estuary. Open glades are very good for butterflies, including rarer species like the small pearl-bordered and dark-green fritillaries.

Redwings and fieldfares appear on the reserve as they travel westward to winter from their Scandinavian breeding grounds. Large flocks can be seen eating rowan berries at the top of the reserve. Woodcocks are also regularly seen in the wood and you may be lucky enough to see one as it flies quickly through the trees.

An excellent time to see ravens and their dramatic tumbling aerial displays. Great spotted woodpeckers are often heard but not seen, their sharp 'pic, pic' calls are the loudest calls in the wood.

About Mawddach Valley - Coed Garth Gell

Habitat

Coed Garth Gell is a woodland and heathland nature reserve. The oak woods, or Celtic rainforest are internationally important for their rare mosses, liverworts and lichens as the high light levels and humid conditions in the wood are ideal for them. The heathland at the top of the reserve supports migrant tree pipits and nightjars in the summer.

Conservation

The woodland has many ancient and veteran trees, especially oaks that were once more open grown. These trees and the wildlife which thrives on and around them, particularly the lichens and the woodland birds, prefer more open light conditions, and young crowding thickets of dense regeneration and holly threaten to reduce visibility and light levels.

In addition, rhododendron is a constant threat. We are working hard through mechanical interventions and trying to restore appropriate grazing to try and restore the right conditions across the site. An important part of this is ongoing work on the rhododendron to prevent it from recolonising the site.

Site information

Mawddach Valley - Coed Garth Gell is one of the best places for wildlife in the UK, and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Activities and events

Leisure activities

The visitor trails weave through beautiful oak woodland with a fast-flowing river in the valley bottom. Part of the reserve's nature trail follows the route of an old gold mining track, and the remains of buildings and other structures associated with the abandoned gold mines can still be seen around the reserve. The views at the top of the reserve along the Mawddach Valley and up to Cadair Idris are some of the most admired in Britain. The nature trail is rugged and steep in places, so sturdy footwear is essential.

Share this

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google+

You might also be interested in

RSPB Mawddach Valley Nature Reserve, Wales.

Mawddach Valley - Arthog Bog

A wonderful place to see beautiful and rare flowers, grass snakes, butterflies, dragonflies and all manner of birds.
RSPB Giving Nature a Home Campaign

Become a Habitats Pioneer

Become a recovering lost habitats pioneer in order to help find new methods to bring life back to the UK’s farmland.
RSPB Giving Nature a Home Campaign

Join us

Become an RSPB member by signing up here.

We spend 90% of net income on conservation, public education and advocacy

Quick links

  • Contact us
  • Online Community
  • Vacancies
  • Media centre

Information for

  • Teachers
  • Policy makers
  • Farmers & landowners
  • Scientists

Our work in

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Northern Ireland
  • International

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Partnering with

Bird life logo

The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International. Find out more about the partnership

Fundraising Regulator logo OSCR logo

© The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

  • Terms & conditions
  • Cookie and privacy policy
  • Charter and statutes
  • About our site

We use cookies on our website to help give you the best online experience. Tell me more

Ok, got it