Welsh Wildlife Centre & Teifi Marshes

• The Welsh Wildlife Visitor Centre and Nature Reserve are located in Cilgerran. There is a long road up to the main visitor car park, look out for our giant willow Otter! The Visitor Centre, Oak Tree Cottage, the Harlow Room are a short walk along the road passed the wooden gate. 
• FREE car park for members and residents living in the SA43 and SA37 postcode areas – please bring proof of residency and fill in a short application form (otherwise parking is £4 for all day)
• FREE entry to the reserve and visitor centre
• Glasshouse Cafe –  restaurant selling gorgeous homemade and local food, stunning cakes and ice cream
• Male, female and accessible toilets
• Shop and display rooms with great exhibitions telling you about the local wildlife
• An events programme, with activities including wildlife surveys and guided walks, is running from the Visitor Centre
• Friendly staff and volunteers, who can answer any questions you have about the reserve

It is also now possible to rent our conference facilities with WiFi in the Harlow Room at the Welsh Wildlife Centre, a fantastic venue for any meeting! 

Opening Times: The Visitor Centre, including Glasshouse Cafe and Gift Shop, is open 5 days a week (Weds-Sun) from 10am-4pm.  Call: 01239 621600.    E-mail: The Welsh Wildlife Centre.

From Cardigan Town Centre

follow the one way system round, turning off left out of town by the Bus Station. At the large roundabout take the 3rd exit onto the A487, at the next roundabout take the 1st exit onto the A478, turn left towards Cilgerran Castle and Cilgerran village, then turn left onto Church street and bear left onto an un-named road with the Welsh Wildlife Centre sign ahead.

From Newcastle Emlyn & Carmarthen

follow the A484. At the roundabout, at the entrance to Cardigan, take the 1st exit on to the A487 over the river. At the next roundabout, take the first exit onto the A478. After a mile and a half in Pen-y-bryn, turn left towards Cilgerran Castle and Cilgerran village. Half a mile later, turn left onto Church street and bear left onto an un-named road with the Welsh Wildlife Centre sign ahead.

Public transport

The 430 and 390 buses travel between Cardigan and Cilgerran and then there is a walk to the reserve and visitor centre. Alternatively it is possible to walk across the reserve from Cardigan.

A useful bus timetable from Ceredigion Council will help you plan your journey (please note we cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of external websites)

Inside…

• A learning through play area, where younger children in particular can have fun with wildlife colouring, drawing, quizzes and much more.
• A screen showing wildlife films.

• An Interpretation Centre, packed with information about wildlife and the work of the Wildlife Trust as well as the wonderful benefits of becoming a Wildlife Trust member.

• The Glasshouse Café serving fresh, locally sourced food, from home made cakes to hearty meals including local specialities; with stunning views looking across the Teifi Marsh wildlife reserve.
• A gift shop for mementos of your visit as well as ideas & things to try out at home to support wildlife.
• The main reception desk where our enthusiastic volunteers are on hand with a wealth of information, guidance and maps; to help you explore the Wildlife Reserve and get the most from your visit.

Outside…

• Four themed nature trails around Teifi Marsh Nature Reserve; some have easy access, some are more challenging, some can be explored on a bike.
• Bird hides where patient observers will encounter new sights and sounds.
• An adventure play area, where adults can relax while children burn off that excess energy.
• An activities programme, exploration and creativity for all the family, throughout the year.
• Willow sculptures for wonder and inspiration.
• Canoe hire on site (from Heritage Canoes Tel:01239-613961)
• Picnic areas, both near the café and in secluded places around the nature reserve, as well as down by the river.

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales manages all of our 100+ nature reserves for the benefit of wildlife. All are regularly visited by wildlife enthusiasts, including children and school groups.

We have a ‘Dogs permitted’ policy on our sites. If you are planning to take your dog to a nature reserve, please act responsibly during your visit and help us to keep our sites safe for wildlife by doing the following:

• Please keep your dog on a lead

This helps to minimise the distress and disturbance caused to local wildlife. If your dog is off the lead and out of sight it may well be causing disturbance to  wildlife which can cause a reduction in breeding success and ultimately a decrease in population numbers.

At Teifi Marshes, it is a requirement that dogs are kept on leads and we ask that you also consider keeping your dogs on leads on our other nature reserves as well.

• Always pick up after your dog

Dog mess is not only an unsightly health hazard for visitors, reserve staff and volunteers, it also promotes the growth of weeds and discourages the growth of wildflowers. It can also spread disease and pathogens. For example, when reserves staff are out strimming the paths to keep them clear for visitors, dog mess can end up in their eyes which could lead to serious injury or even blindness. Our reserves are regularly used by families and reserve staff need to ensure people aren’t at risk from coming into contact with dog mess. Please put your waste in the bins provided or take it home with you.

• Do not allow your dog to swim in  areas of open water

Please do not encourage your dog to swim in ponds, rivers or other water bodies. Not only does this cause disturbance to wildlife in and around these areas of open water, it also increases the risk  of transferring invasive and harmful plants such as New Zealand pygmyweed (Crassula helmsii), or amphibian diseases such as Ranavirus from one area to another.

• Be aware of grazing animals

A large majority of our nature reserves are managed with the help of grazing animals during certain times of the year, for example the water buffalo at Teifi Marshes and the Highland Cattle at Parc Slip. On these sites please keep your dog on a lead to avoid any stress to the animals and to reduce the risk of altercations between livestock and your dog.

• Consider other visitors

The Wildlife Trust welcomes a huge variety of visitors to our nature reserves, from wildlife enthusiasts to school groups and ramblers. Please be aware that dogs can cause risk to other users, even unintentionally. Not everyone is fond of dogs and some have severe phobias. Other reserve users can feel extremely uncomfortable when a dog runs up to them even though the dog may be friendly and harmless. Small children are especially in danger from loose dogs, ranging from simply being knocked down by an enthusiastic dog to being bitten or seriously harmed. Please keep your dog close to you.

Thank you for your understanding and co-operation.  We do hope you enjoy visiting our nature reserves.