Bwlch Nant yr Arian Forest Visitor Centre

The ‘Italian Job’ mountain bike trail and Ridgetop walking trail will be affected by tree felling operations over the next few weeks.  Please follow information on the signage.  There will also be an increase in timber lorry movements.

Bwlch Nant yr Arian Visitor Centre is the main visitor facility in Ceredigion. It is located conveniently just off the A44 in a wonderful lakeside setting.

Red Kite feeding can be enjoyed here every day (weather permitting) at  2pm winter (3pm summer), offering spectacular views of the birds in a wild and wonderful setting.  Follow the all ability Barcud trail for the best views. 

Two scenic waymarked walks with breathtaking views begin at the Visitor Centre, as does the All Ability Barcud Trail giving everyone the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

The centre also has three single track mountain bike routes offering epic rides for the more adventurous, and a waymarked horse route.

There is at least one ranger on-site every day during opening hours.

Telephone: 01970 890453

Why not watch the aerial video for a flavour of what awaits you at Nant-yr-Arian.

Windfarm developments

No decision has been made on an application for access for a possible windfarm development via Bwlch Nant y Arian. Among the issues we will be considering will be any potential impacts on our facilities at Bwlch Nant y Arian visitor centre. We are very proud of this visitor facility and, whatever the outcome of any wind farm development, we foresee the centre continuing as a gateway to the popular forest attractions including biking, walking and the Red Kite feeding.

What does the future hold?

Bringing the management of the Visitor Centre in-house will not disrupt the service visitors have come to expect in any way.

We know how much Bwlch Nant yr Arian means to you and you can rest assured that we share your pride in the centre and the surrounding forest, which have become such an important part of the local economy.

We are grateful to the current tenants, Ceredig and Janet, for all their hard work since the new centre opened five years ago but the extension to their tenancy, which was limited by EU funding rules, is coming to a natural end.

We will therefore take this opportunity to reassess the value of the business and make some improvements to the centre before reviewing our management options.

At this stage, we simply don’t know if any plans for the area will require temporary closure of the centre, but you can be sure that our commitment to Bwlch Nant yr Arian remains as strong as ever.

This uncertainty over possible access for any wind farm also makes this the right time to bring the café management in-house, as we feel it would be unfair to expose a tenant to any unknown business risk.

We’re convinced Bwlch Nant yr Arian has an exciting future, driven by our continuing investment in the centre which includes recent improvements in all-ability access and work soon to begin on new external toilets and shower facilities for out of hours users.

Oh – and we won’t forget to feed the red kites, whose daily mealtimes have become such a popular attraction!