Discover Elan

Discover Elan Welcome to Discover Elan (formerly Elan Links: People, Nature, Water), a page managed by the Elan Valley Trust.

This page will celebrate how special the Elan Valley Estate is for its wonderful nature, heritage and stunning dark skies. Sign up to our monthly newsletter: https://shorturl.at/X9Bce

Elan lies at the heart of the Cambrian Mountains in Mid Wales. Its unique landscape combines remote hill land, isolated farmsteads, steep-sided wooded valleys and an extraordinary feat of Victorian engineering that

brought clean water to the then rapidly expanding industrial city of Birmingham. Today, Elan’s 20,000 hectares - 1% of Wales - is a haven for wildlife and people. It has a host of nature and landscape designations; and the 154,000 visitors a year enjoy the breath-taking scenery, nature, recreational facilities and extensive free educational and heritage-based resources for schools, families and communities. Our vision is ambitious - to generate a step-change increase in beneficial outcomes from this special place – for people, for communities and for heritage. To achieve this we have developed a strategic programme of investment to safeguard our heritage and to increase enjoyment, education, training, and recreation for the
benefit of all.

🐑 Sheep's Wool: The Superhero of Peatlands! ❔Did you know that sheep's wool is a valuable resource for peatland restorat...
23/08/2026

🐑 Sheep's Wool: The Superhero of Peatlands!
❔Did you know that sheep's wool is a valuable resource for peatland restoration? Compacted into textile logs, they are placed along gullies or ditches on peatland to raise the water table, bring back the bogs and increase sphagnum moss growth.

🌏 This reduces the risk of wildfires and encourages plants and wildlife to thrive. 💚 And you can help us!

👉 There are spaces available next Wednesday, 26th August, where you can make these ‘wool bunds’, and the following week, Wednesday 2nd September, where we will be installing these bunds high up in the peatlands.
Want to join in? Email us now: [email protected]

🐑 Gwlân Dafad: Arwr y Mawndiroedd!

❔Oeddech chi’n gwybod bod gwlân dafad yn adnodd gwerthfawr ar gyfer adfer y mawndir? Wedi’u gwasgu i foncyff tecstil, a’u gosod ar hyd gylïau neu ffosydd ar y mawndir er mwyn codi lefel trwythiad y dŵr i ddod â’r corsydd yn ôl a chynyddu tyfiant y migwyn.

🌏 Mae hyn yn lleihau’r perygl o danau gwyllt ac yn annog planhigion a bywyd gwyllt i ffynnu.
💚 Ac fe allwch chi ein helpu!
👉 Mae lleoedd ar gael dydd Mercher nesaf, 26ain o Awst, lle allwch gwneud y ‘bwndiau gwlân’, ac wedyn yr wythnos canlynol dydd Mercher 2il o Fedi, lle byddwn yn gosod y bwndiau hyn ar ucheldiroedd y mawndiroedd.
Eisiau ymuno? E-bostiwch ni nawr:
[email protected]

The Women's Tour of Britain Stage Four takes place today! Riders start in Llanidloes, loop through the beautiful Elan Va...
22/08/2026

The Women's Tour of Britain Stage Four takes place today! Riders start in Llanidloes, loop through the beautiful Elan Valley, and head to Rhayader before finishing in Hay-on-Wye Good luck to everyone! 🍀



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Mae Pedwar Cam o Daith Prydain i Ferched yn digwydd heddiw! Mae'r seicwyr yn cychwyn yn Llanidloes, yn lŵpio trwy Gwm Elan hardd, ac yn anelu am Raeadr Gwy cyn gorffen yn y Gelli Gandryll. Pob lwc! 🍀

Set your alarm clocks for this celestial event!On 28th August, in the early hours, there will be a deep partial Lunar Ec...
20/08/2026

Set your alarm clocks for this celestial event!
On 28th August, in the early hours, there will be a deep partial Lunar Eclipse. This will be an opportunity to see an almost blood red Moon. Early risers will see the penumbra (Where the Earth’s shadow begins to touch the Moon) at 2.23am, with the partial eclipse starting at 3.33 and peaking at 5.12am, where 93% of the Earth’s shadow covers the Moon. As the day dawns, it will be too light to see the rest of the eclipse.

📷 Yu Kato Unsplash

Yn ystod oriau mân yr 28ain o Awst bydd yna ddiffyg rhannol dwfn ar y Lleuad. Bydd yn gyfle i weld Lleuad lliw gwaed. Bydd boregodwyr yn gallu gweld y gogysgod (lle mae cysgod y Ddaear yn dechrau cyffwrdd â’r Lleuad) am 2:23yb, gyda diffyg rhannol yn dechrau am 3:33yb ac yn cyrraedd uchafbwynt am 5:12yb, gyda 93% o gysgod y Ddaear yn gorchuddio’r Lleuad. Wrth iddi wawrio, fe fydd yn rhy olau i weld gweddill y diffyg.

📷 Yu Kato Unsplash

🚀🌏 🪐 We had a great day exploring the Solar System with our mobile planetarium at the Elan Valley Visitor Centre! We ar...
19/08/2026

🚀🌏 🪐 We had a great day exploring the Solar System with our mobile planetarium at the Elan Valley Visitor Centre!

We are here for two more days (Thursday and Friday). Book your spot now before they fill up!👉👉👉👉 https://elan-valley.co.uk/events/pop-up-planetarium/

📸 Today is World Photography Day! 📸 We would love to see your photos of your favourite areas of the Elan Valley and he...
19/08/2026

📸 Today is World Photography Day! 📸
We would love to see your photos of your favourite areas of the Elan Valley and hear your stories. We’ll start! We have loads of photos in our collection, but this one is our current favourite.

We love the dramatic contrast of the iconic Craig Goch Dam, where the historic Victorian architecture blends beautifully with the rugged, rolling hills. The cascading water almost makes you feel the movement and hear the sound right through the screen! This shot was taken a few years ago by a member of our staff testing out a new camera—they clearly had an amazing eye for photography! We were digging through our archives recently when this gem was unexpectedly discovered.
📸 Now, it's your turn! Drop your favourite Elan Valley photo in the comments below and tell us the story behind it!
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📸 Heddiw yw Diwrnod Ffotograffiaeth y Byd! 📸

Byddem wrth ein boddau’n gweld eich lluniau o'ch hoff ardaloedd yng Ngwm Elan a chlywed eich straeon. Fe ddechreuwn ni!

Mae gennym lwyth o luniau yn ein casgliad, ond hwn yw ein hoff lun ar hyn o bryd. Rydyn ni'n hoff iawn o gyferbyniad trawiadol Argae Craig Goch, lle mae'r hen bensaernïaeth Fictoraidd yn cyfuno'n hyfryd â'r bryniau garw a thonnog o’i amgylch. Mae'r dŵr sy'n rhaeadru bron yn gwneud i chi deimlo'r symudiad a chlywed ei sŵn yn syth drwy'r sgrin! Tynnwyd y llun hwn ychydig flynyddoedd yn ôl gan aelod o'n staff wrth ddefnyddio camera newydd – roedd gan yr aelod yma ddawn anhygoel am ffotograffiaeth, yn amlwg! Roedden ni'n pori drwy ein harchifau yn ddiweddar pan ddaethon ni ar draws y trysor bach hwn yn annisgwyl. Eich tro chi yw hi nawr! Rhannwch eich hoff lun o Gwm Elan yn y sylwadau isod, a rhannwch y stori y tu ôl iddo gyda ni!

Look hard and you will spot a little cottage on the hill. Where do you think this was taken? Clue: It was taken in the E...
13/08/2026

Look hard and you will spot a little cottage on the hill. Where do you think this was taken? Clue: It was taken in the Elan Valley.

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Os edrychwch chi’n ofalus, fe welwch chi fwthyn bach ar y bryn. Ble gafodd hwn ei dynnu, tybed? Cliw: Tynnwyd y llun yng Nghwm Elan.

🌔 Are you ready for today’s celestial double-header?📷 Send us your pictures – we’d love to see them! 🌔✨ Partial Solar Ec...
12/08/2026

🌔 Are you ready for today’s celestial double-header?
📷 Send us your pictures – we’d love to see them!
🌔✨ Partial Solar Eclipse
There will be a deep partial solar eclipse occurring today, which coincides with the peak of the largest meteor shower in the year. Having two significant astronomical events of this type occurring on the same day is extremely rare and will never occur again. The late afternoon show begins at 6:15pm as the Moon passes in front of the Sun. Skywatchers in Mid Wales will see one of the deepest eclipses in the UK, with 94% of the Sun obscured by the Moon at 7:12pm, before the Moon leaves the face of the Sun at 8:06pm.

❌DO not look at the sun with the unaided eyes: use certified solar eclipse glasses.

❗Don't have glasses? Grab a kitchen colander, stand with your back to the sun, and look at the ground to see dozens of mini crescent shadows projected through the holes!

✨✨ Perseid Meteor Shower – Peaks 12th August
As darkness falls, look to the night skies as the Perseid Meteor shower peaks. At first, a few can be spotted as the night deepens, but as midnight approaches, the number of shooting stars will dramatically increase. There will be around 150 meteors per hour during this peak and may appear as bright and fast meteors with smoking trails.

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Nodwch y dyddiad yn eich calendr ar gyfer dydd Mercher, 12fed o Awst, am ddau ddigwyddiad seryddol prin!

Diffyg rhannol ar yr haul
Bydd diffyg rhannol dwfn ar yr haul yn digwydd ar y dyddiad hwn, sy’n digwydd ar y cyd ag uchafbwynt cawod sêr mwyaf y flwyddyn. Mae gweld dau ddigwyddiad seryddol allweddol o’r math hyn yn digwydd ar yr un diwrnod yn hynod brin ac ni fydd yn digwydd eto. Mae sioe y prynhawn hwyr yn dechrau am 6:15yh wrth i’r Lleuad basio a flaen yr Haul. Bydd gwylwyr y sêr yng Nghanolbarth Cymru yn gallu gweld un o’r diffygion dyfnaf ar y haul yn y DU, gyda 94% o’r Haul wedi ei guddio gan y Lleuad am 7:12yh, cyn i’r Lleuad adael wyneb yr Haul am 8:06yh.

Cawod Sêr Perseid – 17eg- 24ain o Awst- ar ei hanterth ar y 12fed o Awst.
Wrth i’r tywyllwch ddisgyn, edrychwch i wybren y nos wrth i’r gawod Sêr Persaid gyrraedd ei hanterth. Ar y dechrau gallwch adnabod ychydig ohonynt wrth i’r noson dywyllu, ond wrth i ganol nos agosáu bydd nifer y sêr gwib yn cynyddu’n ddramatig. Bydd oddeutu 150 o sêr gwib yr awr yn ystod yr uchafbwynt ac efallai y byddant yn ymdangos yn llachar a chyflym gyda hyd yn oed cynffonnau’n mygu.

11/08/2026

🔥 Every year in the UK, fire is responsible for the destruction of thousands of hectares of countryside, open space and wildlife habitats.

🚫 This is why fires and barbeques are not permitted on the Elan Valley estate.

🚮 Also, be mindful of how you dispose of waste in the countryside as discarded glass bottles and ci******es can cause fires. Take your litter home with you 🚯

With recent wildfires fresh in our minds here at Elan Valley, we ask your help to keep this special place safe.
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🔥 Bob blwyddyn, mae tanau’n dinistrio miloedd o hectarau o ardaloedd cefn gwlad, mannau agored a chynefinoedd bywyd gwyllt.

🚫 Dyna pam na allwn ganiatáu tanau a barbeciws yn ystâd Cwm Elan.

🚮 Yn ogystal, byddwch yn ofalus wrth waredu gwastraff yng nghefn gwlad am fod poteli gwydr a sigaréts yn gallu achosi tân. Defnyddiwch y biniau a ddarperir bob amser. Ewch â'ch sbwriel adref gyda chi 🚯

Gyda’r tanau gwyllt diweddar yn ffres yn y cof yma yng Nghwm Elan, rydyn ni’n gofyn am eich cymorth i gadw’r lle arbennig yma’n ddiogel.

Address

Rhayader
LD65HP

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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