Hafod Elwy Moor National Nature Reserve
With plant life dominated by heather and bilberry, the reserve provides important habitat for ground-nesting birds. Birds found in the area include the Northern wheatear, and some black grouse. The reserve is classified as a Category IV site by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, meaning that the area regularly needs active interventions to support particular species. Conservation efforts focus on increasing black grouse populations. In addition to these ground-nesting birds, the reserve is home to merlins and other small birds of prey such as peregrine falcons, kestrels, and hen harriers.
The reserve is open to the public, but has no facilities; except for one bridle path, it is difficult to traverse on foot. The nearest roads are the A543 and the B4501, with access via the Brenig Visitor Centre off the B4501.
The name "Hafod Elwy" references a hafod, or Welsh summer farmhouse. According to local folktales, captured in a ballad, Hafod Elwy was home to a man named Ffowc Owen in the 1770s, who could not marry his true love and froze to death on the moor. A memorial cairn for Owen is said to be present on the moor.