Lake Vyrnwy

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Address
RSPB Lake Vyrnwy, Llanwddyn, Oswestry SY10 0LZ
Grid ref
SJ016192
What3Words
rooting.hiker.moguls
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Lake Vyrnwy is a reservoir in Powys, Wales, built in the 1880s to supply Liverpool with fresh water. You should be able to hear pied flycatchers and redstarts, see dippers nesting by the rocky streams and goosanders bobbing on the water. Look up and maybe you'll spot a peregrine hunting.

Plan your visit

Opening times

The reserve, hides, car park, toilets and trails are open daily all day. The visitor welcome point is open every weekend and daily throughout school holidays from 10.30am to 4pm.

The onsite Cafe is open daily from 10am until 4pm and the Water Sports Centre is open daily during school holidays and every weekend from 10am until 4pm.

 

 

 

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free
Children
Free

Facilities

  • Visitor centre is closed
  • Car park
  • Toilets
  • Accessible toilets
  • Baby changing
  • Picnic area
  • Guided walks is closed
  • Viewing point
  • Nature trails
  • Educational facilities are closed
  • Play area

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

Welshpool, more than 20 miles away.

By bus

At the end of the dam. Infrequent service to this rural location. Walk in opposite direction to the lake, with the office buildings on the right.

By road

From Llanfyllin, take the B4393 to Llanwddyn. Continue along the B4393 to Llanwddyn by taking a right turn. At the dam, turn left, then left at the end of the dam. The RSPB office is on the right.

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
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RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Information for dog owners

Lake Vyrnwy is an open reserve with a large population of ground-nesting birds and livestock. For this reason we ask that dogs are kept on leads at all times.

Group booking information

Groups are welcome, from small to large, with plenty of parking for cars and space for limited number of coaches.

There are camping sites and other accommodation nearby. Groups are especially welcome in the slower season of spring and autumn when the colours of nature and the diversity of wildlife are at their best.

Schools booking information

Visit Lake Vyrnwy and immerse your students in unique and memorable learning experiences. You can choose from a selection of half or full-day programmes that will get your group exploring the natural world with exciting hands-on activities. Led by experienced and dedicated learning staff, programmes are linked to curriculum topics and are carefully crafted so that you and your classes get the most out of their time outdoors.

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 1.6Mb

Lake vyrnwy trail guide

Contact Lake Vyrnwy

Help protect Lake Vyrnwy

Lake Vyrnwy urgently needs your help. 

From restoring blanket bog to giving whinchats a home, your VIP support can aid our work in protecting this Very Important Place.

DONATE

What will you see?

Our star species

Recent sightings

Moon rising over lake at dawn, Lake Vyrnwy RSPB reserve

Find out about recent wildlife sightings at Lake Vyrnwy.

read more

Nature spectacles

In spring the reserve comes alive with the arrival of our woodland summer migrants from as far away as Africa. You can see and hear some of these oak woodland breeding specialists such as pied flycatcher, redstart and wood warbler along our woodland trails along with a good variety of other species such as blackcap, garden warbler, willow tit, treecreeper and great spotted woodpeckers.

Along our upland streams you can find the bobbing dipper and grey wagtails searching and diving for food in the fast flowing water with the potential glimpse of our resident otters or wintering kingfishers. A drive along one of our two moorland roads will provide the opportunity for some upland specialists such as whinchat, wheatear, ring ouzel and potentially the elegant hen harrier as it quarters the moorland looking for prey.

In late summer the heather is in full bloom with areas of moorland becoming a rolling carpet of purple and a great nectar source for many insects.

Autumn is arguably the most beautiful season at Lake Vyrnwy as the deciduous trees that fringe the lake change from green to a rainbow of oranges, reds, yellows and golden browns.

Seasonal highlights

Migrants such as pied flycatchers, redstarts and wood warblers arrive. You may also see the mating displays of great crested grebes. Common sandpipers, dippers and grey wagtails can often be seen around the pool below the dam.

Watch great spotted woodpeckers and siskins at our feeding station. Buzzards should be soaring overhead and golden-ringed dragonflies can be found.

Dabbling ducks such as mallards and teals arrive at the lake, along with little grebes and waders such as oystercatchers.

Migrants like redwings, bramblings and fieldfares arrive and the evenings will often see large roosts of lesser black-backed gulls. You could also see a flock of siskins in the forest and ravens may be seen beginning their mating displaying.

About Lake Vyrnwy

Habitat

At Lake Vyrnwy, you can visit the blanket bog and search out cottongrass, sundews or colourful Sphagnum moss. Admire the lake, surrounding hills and woodlands in their spectacular autumn colours. Enjoy a leaf-crunching walk in the woods.

Conservation

Dry heath on the reserve supports key breeding birds such as ring ouzels, curlews and red grouse. We use mowing and grazing to maintain just the right mix of heather and grassland for these birds.

Oak woodland on the reserve supports breeding birds such as pied flycatchers. We are working with Hafren Dyfrdwy to look after this habitat. Our measures include controlled grazing, preserving deadwood on the forest floor and pollarding damaged birches.

The RSPB Lake Vyrnwy farm is the largest organic farm in England and Wales and supports farming activities that benefit farmland wildlife - including birds such as curlews. These vary from growing appropriate crops to managing river corridors, fencing woodlands and restoring walls and hedges.

Several bird species that breed at Lake Vyrnwy receive particular attention. These include three raptors, the hen harrier, merlin and peregrine, whose habitat we manage in order to provide suitable breeding conditions and enough prey.

We'll continue our popular annual lambing event programme at Ty Llwyd farm.

Partners

Black grouse conservation work is supported by The Famous Grouse.

 

In partnership with Llanwddyn Community Council, Hafren Dyfrdwy, and the Lake Vyrnwy Marketing Association, the Vibrant Vyrnwy project aims to support and develop a vibrant volunteering community in a beautiful area in the heart of Wales. By connecting communities and developing partnerships with key organisations in the area, the project is facilitating valuable volunteering experiences and training opportunities.

The project will bring people together to celebrate the cultural and natural heritage of the area, and work with the young farming community to develop and showcase how farming practices and nature can work together to benefit both nature and people.

 

 

Follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with our exciting visitor welcome project and upcoming events: https://www.facebook.com/RSPBLakeVyrnwy

 

 

Site information

As an important area for wildlife, Lake Vyrnwy has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) as well as a Natura 2000 site.

In 2017 Tesco bag levy money provided some extra play equipment for our Wild Nature play area.

Latest forum posts

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Latest blog posts

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What people are saying about Lake Vyrnwy

Absolutely beautiful place - we enjoyed the day out immensely and the visit to the RSPB hide was really superb. We stayed for ages.

June Knight

The dam overflowing was spectacular and the noise immense, the RSPB shop very well stocked with really helpful and friendly staff a credit to the RSPB.

Steve Cotterill

We always love to come to Vyrnwy. Grateful thanks to the staff for their friendly welcome and informative chats. We saw an oystercatcher on its visit to the dam and siskins, great spotted woodpeckers and a nuthatch, amongst others, from the hide.

The Saunders Family

Activities and events

Activities for children and families

Lots of family events from bat and owl walks to farm fun days. Special trails for children and the exciting natural play area with den building, slide, balance beams over a stream and mud kitchen.

Self-led trails for families are available throughout school holidays and at weekends, with varying craft activities held at our welcome point for children to take part in. We've also got a summer of events planned, everything from celebrating our mighty meadows to star gazing, we'd love you to join us!

For more information on events and to book tickets, please visit events.rspb.org.uk/lakevyrnwy

Leisure activities

Set in the most stunning location, the 12-mile cycle route around the lake is a great way to take in the remote mountains, ancient woodlands and thick forest, expansive waters and the iconic neo-Gothic water tower. You can enjoy these sights at a pleasant pace by cycling some or all of the lake perimeter that is just over 12 miles (19 km). It's quite a flat route with little motor traffic. There is one outlet on the reserve which rents out bicycles.

Perhaps you'd prefer to explore by foot. We offer five way marked nature trails, of varying capabilities. Take an inspiring stroll through the aboretum below the dam and along the river, or up to the Rhiwagor waterfall. Bring a picnic and relax at one of the viewing points along the lake. Visit our three bird hides where you can watch siskin up close, peregrines swooping and diving as they look for prey or mandarin swimming in the summer sun. You might even like to join us on one of our events  - everything from lambing and nightjar walks to star gazing.

For the more adventurous, why not try some paddleboarding, kayaking, sailing or canoeing on the lake, operated by an experienced and licenced third party.

Car park charges apply in the main car park and the café car park, both of which are owned and operated by Hafren Dyfrdwy, site owners. The tariff is £2 for up to two hours or £4 for all day. A 50% discount is available for RSPB members; please ensure you display your membership card alongside your car parking ticket on the dashboard of your car.

 

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