Cors Geirch National Nature Reserve

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Overview

The Cors Geirch NNR on the Llyn Peninsula is a wetland reserve of international importance, home to many nationally-rare plants and species such as the small red and blue-tailed damselflies and the marsh fritillary butterfly. Much of the interest in the Cors Geirch area is the environmental significance of its alkaline fen and its vegetation. The rich fen is rare in the UK and the alkaline water draining into the basin from porous limestone rocks results in an unusual and rare combination of plants including narrow-leaved marsh orchid, black bog rush, marsh fern, bog myrtle, purple moor grass, blunt-flowered rush, common reed, great fen sedge and slender cotton grass. In spring, the woodland on the slopes above the bog is transformed by a spectacular cover of primroses, wood anemones and bluebells. The marsh is also one of the only places in Wales known to support Desmoulin’s whorl snail.

Location

Bodfuan

About the area

The county of Gwynedd is home to most of the Snowdonia National Park – including the wettest spot in Britain, an arête running up to Snowdon’s summit that receives an average annual rainfall of 4,473mm. With its mighty peaks, rivers and strong Welsh heritage (it has the highest proportion of Welsh-speakers in all of Wales), it’s always been an extremely popular place to visit and live.