National nature reserves in Wales are selected and designated by

Natural Resources Wales Natural Resources Wales ( cy, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru) is a Welsh Government sponsored body, which became operational from 1 April 2013, when it took over the management of the natural resources of Wales. It was formed from a merger of the Count ...

(NRW) (formerly the

Countryside Council for Wales The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW; cy, Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru (CCGC)) was a Welsh Assembly sponsored body responsible for wildlife conservation, landscape and countryside access authority for Wales. It was merged with Forestry Commissi ...

). There are 76 reserves all of which are also

SSSIs A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

, they cover , or less than 1.5% of the land area of Wales. They range in size from Dan yr Ogof at to Berwyn which covers . A national nature reserve is designated because of its special biological, geological, habitat or landscape value and most in Wales are open to the public. They include upland and lowland areas, several offshore islands and in some cases

estuarine An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

and

intertidal zone The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species o ...

Management

Although the majority of sites are managed by NRW, a number are managed by other bodies, mainly in the public and wildlife charity sectors, including:

List of national nature reserves in Wales

{, , {, class="wikitable sortable" , - ! scope="col" , Name ! scope="col" , Region/area ! scope="col" , Reserve manager , - , Aberbargoed Grasslands , , Southeast , , Caerphilly , - , Allt Rhyd y Groes , , Southwest , , NRW , - ,

Allt y Benglog Allt y Benglog is a small national nature reserve (United Kingdom), national nature reserve near Dolgellau in Wales. Its position on the lower slopes of Rhobell Fawr, one of north Wales’ extinct volcanoes, results in an unusual mix of plants ...

, , Northwest , , NRW , - , Berwyn , , Northeast , , NRW , - ,

Cadair Idris Cadair Idris or Cader Idris is a mountain in the Meirionnydd area of Gwynedd, Wales. It lies at the southern end of the Snowdonia National Park near the town of Dolgellau. The peak, which is one of the most popular in Wales for walkers and hiker ...

, , Northwest , , NRW , - ,

Carmel Carmel may refer to: * Carmel (biblical settlement), an ancient Israelite town in Judea * Mount Carmel, a coastal mountain range in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea * Carmelites, a Roman Catholic mendicant religious order Carmel may also ...

, , Southwest , , NRW , - ,

Ceunant Cynfal Ceunant Cynfal National Nature Reserve is a river gorge which forms part of a wet wooded ravine of the Afon Cynfal near Ffestiniog in Gwynedd, Wales. The reserve is administered by Natural Resources Wales Natural Resources Wales ( cy, Cyfoe ...

, , Northwest , , NRW , - , Ceunant Llennyrch , , Northwest , , NRW , - ,

Claerwen The Claerwen reservoir and dam in Powys, Wales, were the last additions to the Elan Valley Reservoirs system built to provide water for the increasing water demand of the city of Birmingham and the West Midlands. The dam is built mainly of concre ...

, , Mid Wales , , NRW , - ,

Coed Camlyn Coed Camlyn National Nature Reserve is a nature reserve located south of the village of Maentwrog in Gwynedd, Wales. Rising steeply from the River Dwyryd valley floor, the reserve forms part of the extensive and dramatic wooded landscape of the ...

, , Northwest , , NRW , - , Coed Cymerau , , Northwest , , NRW , - ,

Coed Dolgarrog Coed Dolgarrog National Nature Reserve is a nature reserve which covers the steep western side of the Conwy Valley, outside the village of Dolgarrog, around 10 kilometres south of Conwy and 6.5 kilometres north of Llanrwst in Conwy County Boroug ...

, , Northwest , , NRW , - , Coed Ganllwyd , , Northwest , , National Trust , - , Coed Gorswen , , Northwest , , NRW , - , Coed Rheidol , , Mid Wales , , NRW , - , Coed Tremadog , , Northwest , , NRW , - ,

Coed y Cerrig Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

, , Southeast , , NRW , - , Coed y Rhygen , , Northwest , , NRW , - , Coedmor , , Mid Wales , , NRW , - ,

Coedydd Aber Coedydd Aber National Nature Reserve lies tucked away in a steep valley on the northern flanks of the Carneddau mountains, roughly midway between Bangor and Llanfairfechan in Gwynedd, Wales. Water cascades over a hard shelf of volcanic rock at ...

, , Northwest , , NRW , - , Coedydd Maentwrog , , Northwest , , NRW , - , Cors Bodeilio , , Northwest , , NRW , - ,

Cors Caron Cors Caron is a raised bog in Ceredigion, Wales. Cors is the Welsh word for "bog". Cors Caron covers an area of approximately .The Ramsar site is 874 ha. Cors Caron represents the most intact surviving example of a raised bog landscape in the Un ...

, , Mid Wales , , NRW , - ,

Cors Erddreiniog Cors Erddreiniog National Nature Reserve is the largest of the Anglesey fens and was described by the former Countryside Council for Wales as the ''"Jewel in the crown of the Anglesey fens"'' The site is a designated Site of Special Scientific I ...

, , Northwest , , NRW , - , Cors Geirch , , Northwest , , NRW , - , Cors Goch , , Northwest , , North Wales Wildlife Trust , - , Cors Goch Llanllwch , , Southwest , , Wildlife Trust South and West Wales , - , Cors Gyfelog , , Northwest , , NRW , - , Cors y Llyn , , Mid Wales , , NRW , - ,

Corsydd Llangloffan Corsydd Llangloffan is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (or ''SSSI'') in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since February 1992 in an attempt to protect its fragile biological elemen ...

, , Southwest , , NRW , - , Craig Cerrig Gleisiad a Fan Frynych , , Mid Wales , , NRW , - , Craig y Cilau , , Mid Wales , , NRW , - , Crymlyn Bog & Pant y Sais , , Southwest , , NRW , - ,

Cwm Cadlan Cwm Cadlan is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Glamorgan, south Wales. It is made up of a series of wet grassland fields in a small valley to the north west of Merthyr Tydfil. It is also designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SA ...

, , Mid Wales , , NRW , - , Cwm Clydach , , Southeast , , NRW , - , Cwm Glas Crafnant , , Northwest , , NRW , - ,

Cwm Idwal Cwm Idwal is a cirque (or corrie) in the Glyderau range of mountains in northern Snowdonia, the national park in the mountainous region of North Wales. Its main interest is to hill walkers and rock climbers, but it is also of interest to geologist ...

, , Northwest , , NRW , - ,

Dan yr Ogof Dan yr Ogof (), at the National Showcaves Centre for Wales, is a long cave system in south Wales, about north of Ystradgynlais and southwest of Brecon, in the Brecon Beacons National Park. It is the main feature of a show cave complex, which i ...

, , Mid Wales , , The National Showcaves Centre , - ,

Dinefwr Park Dinefwr Park National Nature Reserve is an estate about a mile (1.5 kilometres) from the centre of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire owned by the National Trust, with a mansion in the centre. The highest point is occupied by the ruined Dinefwr Castle ...

, , Southwest , , National Trust , - ,

Dyfi Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) is a youth organisation in India. It was founded in its inaugural conference held from 1–3 November 1980 at Shaheed Kartar Singh Saraba village in Ludhiana, Punjab. DYFI identifies itself to be an ...

, , Mid Wales , , NRW , - , Fenn's,Whixall & Bettisfield Mosses , , Northeast , , Joan Daniels (Natural England) , - , Fiddlers Elbow , , Southeast , , Woodland Trust , - ,

Gower Coast Gower ( cy, Gŵyr) or the Gower Peninsula () in southwest Wales, projects towards the Bristol Channel. It is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan. In 1956, the majority of Gower became the first area in the United Kingdo ...

, , Southwest , , National Trust , - ,

Grassholm Island Grassholm ( cy, Gwales or ) or Grassholm Island is a small uninhabited island situated off the southwestern Pembrokeshire coast in Wales, lying west of Skomer, in the community of Marloes and St Brides. It is the westernmost point in Wales ot ...

, , Southwest , , RSPB , - ,

Gregynog Gregynog () is a large country mansion in the village of Tregynon, northwest of Newtown in the old county of Montgomeryshire, now Powys in mid Wales. There has been a settlement on the site since the twelfth century. From the fifteenth to t ...

, , Mid Wales , , University of Wales , - , Hafod Elwy , , Northeast , , NRW , - , Hafod Garregog , , Northwest , , National Trust , - , Kenfig Pool and Dunes , , South Central , , NRW , - ,

Lady Park Wood Lady Park Wood National Nature Reserve () is a nature reserve straddling the borders of Gloucestershire in England and Monmouthshire in Wales. Most of the wood is in Wales – where it forms Wales' easternmost point – but it is managed under ...

(EN) , , Southeast , , Forestry Commission (England) , - , Llyn Eiddwen , , Mid Wales , , Wildlife Trust South and West Wales , - , Maes-y-Facrell, Pen y Gogarth , , Northwest , , NRW , - , Merthyr Mawr Warren , , South Central , , NRW , - ,

Morfa Dyffryn Morfa Dyffryn beach is on the west coast of Wales, between Barmouth and Harlech in Gwynedd. This sandy beach is several miles long and is chiefly known for having an officially recognised naturist area, in length. The beach is very clean and is ...

, , Northwest , , NRW , - ,

Morfa Harlech Morfa Harlech National Nature Reserve () is a nature reserve in Wales, located north of Harlech. The reserve reaches across expanses of open sand and sea towards Snowdonia and contains one of the two extensive sand dune systems which make up much ...

, , Northwest , , NRW , - ,

Nant Irfon Nant Irfon National Nature Reserve is a national nature reserve located high in the hills above the Afon Irfon valley near the village of Abergwesyn in Powys, Wales. It is surrounded by vast moorlands and striking conifer forests. Its steep slo ...

, , Mid Wales , , NRW , - ,

Newborough Warren Newborough Warren ( cy, Tywyn Niwbwrch) near the village of Newborough, Anglesey, Newborough (''Niwbwrch'') is a large dune and beach system of , approximately half of which is a conifer plantation. The whole area is designated as a Site of Speci ...

Ynys Llanddwyn Ynys Llanddwyn (also known as Llanddwyn Island) is a small tidal island off the west coast of Anglesey (Welsh language, Welsh: Ynys Môn), northwest Wales. The nearest settlement is the village of Newborough, Anglesey, Newborough. Geology and g ...

, , Northwest , , NRW , - ,

Newport Wetlands Newport Wetlands is a wildlife reserve covering parts of Uskmouth, Nash, Newport, Nash and Goldcliff, in the south-east of the city of Newport, Wales, Newport, South Wales. History The reserve was established in 2000 to mitigate losses of wil ...

, , Southeast , , NRW , - ,

Ogof Ffynnon Ddu Ogof Ffynnon Ddu ( Welsh for ''cave of the black spring''), also known informally as OFD, is a cave under a hillside in the area surrounding Penwyllt in the Upper Swansea Valley in South Wales. It is the second longest cave in Wales and the d ...

, , Mid Wales , , NRW , - ,

Oxwich Oxwich is a village on the Gower Peninsula, in the city and county of Swansea in south Wales. Oxwich is part of the small community of Penrice which extends from the village of Horton to Oxwich Bay, and as of 2001 recorded a population of 454 i ...

, , Southwest , , NRW , - , Pengelli Forest , , Southwest , , Wildlife Trust South and West Wales , - , Penhow Woodlands , , Southeast , , NRW , - ,

Ramsey Ramsey may refer to: Geography British Isles * Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, a small market town in England * Ramsey, Essex, a village near Harwich, England ** Ramsey and Parkeston, a civil parish formerly called just "Ramsey" * Ramsey, Isle of Man, t ...

, , Southwest , , RSPB , - , Rhinog , , Northwest , , NRW , - , Rhos Goch , , Mid Wales , , NRW , - , Rhos Llawr Cwrt , , Mid Wales , , NRW , - ,

Roundton Hill Roundton Hill is a rounded, steep sided, hill, volcanic in origin, in the easternmost part of old Montgomeryshire (in present day-Powys), Wales, which juts into the English border near Church Stoke. It is managed as a nature reserve by the Montg ...

, , Mid Wales , , Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust , - ,

Skokholm Skokholm () or Skokholm Island is an island off the coast of Pembrokeshire, Wales, south of the neighbouring island of Skomer. The surrounding waters are a marine reserve and all are part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Both islands ...

, , Southwest , , Wildlife Trust South and West Wales , - ,

Skomer Skomer () or Skomer Island is an island off the coast of Pembrokeshire, in the community of Marloes and St Brides in west Wales. It is well known for its wildlife: around half the world's population of Manx shearwaters nest on the island, the At ...

, , Southwest , , Wildlife Trust South and West Wales , - , Stackpole , , Southwest , , NRW and National Trust , - ,

Stanner Rocks Stanner Rocks is a rounded hill, steep in parts, which lies close to the Wales border with England between Walton and Kington. A superb collection of wild plants can be found here. Where it faces south, warm sunshine and drying winds create an ide ...

, , Mid Wales , , NRW , - , Tŷ Canol , , Southwest , , NRW , - , , Waun Las , , Southwest , , National Botanic Garden of Wales , - , Whiteford , , Southwest , , NRW and National Trust , - ,

Ynys Enlli Bardsey Island ( cy, Ynys Enlli), known as the legendary "Island of 20,000 Saints", is located off the Llŷn Peninsula in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The Welsh name means "The Island in the Currents", while its English name refers to the "Is ...

, , Northwest , , Bardsey Island Trust , - ,

Yr Eifl Yr Eifl, sometimes called the Rivals in English, is a group of hills on the north coast of the Llŷn Peninsula The Llŷn Peninsula ( cy, Penrhyn Llŷn or , ) extends into the Irish Sea from North West Wales, south west of the Isle of Anglesey. ...

, , Northwest , , NRW , - ,

Yr Wyddfa Snowdon () or (), is the highest mountain in Wales, at an elevation of above sea level, and the highest point in the British Isles outside the Scottish Highlands. It is located in Snowdonia National Park (') in Gwynedd (histori ...

, , Northwest , , NRW , -

References

External links

Interactive map of designations in Wales
- includes National Nature Reserves boundaries (select 'Nature Reserves' in UK Map Layers).
Natural Resources Wales / National Nature Reserves

Official map
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of National Nature Reserves In Wales

National Nature Reserves in Wales National nature reserves in Wales are selected and designated by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) (formerly the Countryside Council for Wales). There are 76 reserves all of which are also SSSIs, they cover , or less than 1.5% of the land area of Wal ...

Management

List of national nature reserves in Wales

See also

References

External links