The Elan Estate is the largest single area of land owned by any of the national water companies, comprising some 10% of the total. The Estate has been managed to protect the quality and quantity of the reservoired water since 1892. The 70 square miles of moorland, bog, woodland, river and reservoir are of national importance for their diversity of lower plants and the Estate is the most important area for land birds in Wales.

• Most of the 180 square kilometres of the Elan Estate is covered by 12 separate Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

• Within the Estate is the Claerwen National Nature Reserve, 800 hectares of upland plateaux with gently rolling hills covered with acid grassland and in parts, blanket bog on a mantle of peat. Grazing has been reduced on the reserve to protect species like bog mosses, bog rosemary, cotton grasses and heather. This bleak upland provides breeding or feeding ground for scarce birds like the dunlin and golden plover.

• The Estate falls within the Cambrian Mountains Environmentally Sensitive Area. Nearly all of the farms on the Estate have signed up to the scheme which aims to conserve the natural beauty of the area and its flora and fauna.

• The Estate also forms the major part of the 30,000 hectare Elenydd-Mallaen Special Protection Area under the European Wild Birds Directive. It also has three Special Areas of Conservation under the European Habitats and Species Directive. One is for the woodlands and two are for the upland bogs, which together total over 6,000 hectares.

• A Map of the Elan Estate Showing Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Protection Area (SPA) and National Nature Reserve(NNR) Designated Land.

(Please click to view a full size image)

• Most of the Estate is vested in the Elan Valley Trust whose charitable objectives include the preservation, maintenance and enhancement of the Elan Valley including its animal and plant life as well as encouraging access to, and study of it, by the general public.

• Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, who own the whole Estate, are also totally committed to furthering conservation and access wherever possible.

• The most important areas for nature conservation are the oak woodlands, the hay meadows and the upland bogs and mires.

• The team of Countryside Rangers carries out practical nature conservation work and wildlife surveying as well as writing management plans, leaflets and other wildlife information. The Environmental Education Ranger guides schools in their field studies. There are more than twenty wildlife information panels around the Estate. All of the different habitats are covered through 180 km of leafleted and way-marked walks as well as the Cnwch Wood Nature Trail and the Elan Valley Trail.

• Rangers have put up more than 300 nest-boxes for Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts, Tits and Tawny Owls as well as 50 bat-boxes.