Bwlch Corog
Bwlch Corog, previously part of Cefn Coch farm, was acquired for Coetir Anian in May 2017. We hold the land on a 125 year lease from the Woodland Trust, who purchased the freehold following a combined fundraising effort.
The area of the land is 350 acres (142 hectares). The largest part of the land is open moorland, dominated by purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea), with relatively small areas of ffridd, ancient woodland and larch plantation. Two streams join together in the northern corner of the land, feeding into the Llyfnant in the hamlet of Glaspwll, a mile down the valley.
Although formerly farmland, Bwlch Corog was not actively grazed for some six years prior to 2017. Currently, Highland, Welsh White and Dexter cattle graze the land during the summer months, and a small herd of Carneddau ponies roam year-round.
Our aims for Bwlch Corog are for the currently Molinia-dominated moorland to return to a biodiverse mosaic of blanket bog, heath and grassland, for native woodland cover to increase in appropriate areas, and for existing ancient woodland to remain in good condition, with trees of varied ages and open areas.
The main aspects of our management of the land are:
- re-wetting peat by blocking the network of drainage grips (ditches) that were dug to drain the land
- reducing purple moor grass (Molinia) dominance by grazing with cattle and ponies combined with mechanical mowing
- planting small numbers (a few hundred each year) of native trees in small groups across the site, to provide seed sources in the relatively treeless upland landscape
- controlling the bracken that threatens to overwhelm some areas
- gradually removing the larch plantation and allowing the area to revert to native broadleaf woodland
We are hopeful that restoration of habitats will offer the right conditions for the return of some of the animal species that would previously have been present. This may be achieved by natural colonisation, for example it is expected that bird species will be attracted to the area as the habitats are restored. We will also consider reintroduction programmes, following detailed research into feasibility. One such possibility was the water vole (Arvicola terrestris), but an unexpected existing population was discovered during surveying to assess the feasibility of a reintroduction. Pine martens (Martes martes) have been sighted numerous times since 2024, following a re-introduction programme elsewhere in Mid Wales during the 2010s. Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) may be another possibility, as efforts to facilitate its re-colonisation of former range in Wales continue.
Alongside managing the land for nature, we want as many people as possible to be able to explore and immerse themselves in the land. To this end, existing footpaths have been improved, and new paths created, to allow visitors to access as much of the land as possible.
What’s in a name?
After doing a fair bit of research, we think that we’ve found a definitive explanation for the name Bwlch Corog.
‘Bwlch’ is defined simply as a gap or pass.
However, ‘Corog’ was a little more difficult to work out. It seems that the name was originally Corf, not Corog – Corf being the name of a stream. Reference is made to it in ‘The Place Names of Cardiganshire.’Â
There is also a record of the name which goes back to the time of the princes.
But why do we now use ‘Corog’? As with all languages, Welsh words change over time. Over the course of the centuries, it seems that Corf changed to Corof and then to Coro in spoken Welsh (these would be quite natural changes). Then a -g was added (which is an unusual morphological change, but can happen). Thus, we’re left with Corog.
So ‘Corog’ as such has no meaning – it’s ultimately a development of Corf. The dictionary definition for Corf is ‘a wooded precipice by a river.’
Therefore, Bwlch Corog means ‘pass of the wooded precipice by a river.’
Maps
Map of field parcels Bwlch Corog
Bwlch Corog documents
Bwlch Corog Management Plan 2017-2022
Ancient Woodland Report Bwlch Corog 2017
Vegetation survey of Bwlch Corog, Ceredigion 2005 (part 1)
Vegetation survey of Bwlch Corog, Ceredigion 2005 (part 2)
Bwlch Corog Vegetation Assessment Sep 2017
Bwlch Corog Mammal Survey 2019
Bwlch Corog Invertebrate Data 2018