Denmark Farm Eco Lodge and Conservation Area, Betws Bledrws, Ceredigion. Free entry

Details

Accessibility

https://www.denmarkfarm.org.uk/to-boldly-go-where-no-mobility-scooter-has-gone-before/

"The longest trail will take about an hour or more, but there is also a shorter trail for wheelchair users."

The eco-lodge is wheelchair accessible, but the main dormitory is not.

Brief description

"Welcome to Denmark Farm Conservation Centre, nestled in the foothills of the beautiful Cambrian Mountains in Ceredigion, just a stones throw from Cardigan Bay; where wildlife is at the heart of everything we do. Denmark Farm can be enjoyed by families and nature-lovers, conservationists and land managers. Come and see for yourself… if you love nature then you’ll love Denmark Farm! 

Self-catering Eco-holidays: Our Eco Lodge provides comfort and sustainability for holidays immersed in nature.

Courses & Events: Workshops in Conservation, Species Identification, Natural Crafts and Sustainable Living.

Bunkhouse & Meeting Rooms: Available for your events and gatherings. 

Eco-campsite: We have space for eco-camping set in a wonderful, wildlife-rich nature reserve.

Children’s Activities: A selection of family friendly eco activities to suit all our guests and local visitors.

The self-guided trails will take you through a variety of habitats, and allow you to experience an amazing array of wildlife around our 40 acre site.

Why not visit the roundhouse shelter in the woods, or one of our beautiful wooden structures such as the lakeside shelter, or garden pergola? All made using traditional methods and sustainably sourced materials wherever possible and with the help of volunteers.

We also have a range of ideas for encouraging wildlife to your garden, from nest boxes and a barrel pond in the wildlife garden, to butterfly and bee borders filled with fragrance and colour, to our own insect hotel (if bugs could award a prize for buildings, this would be a winner!)

There are also many other wildlife-friendly and sustainable features to discover."

https://www.denmarkfarm.org.uk/about/staff/

https://www.denmarkfarm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/30th-Anniversary-Newsletter-final.pdf

"The Shared Earth Trust was established in 1987 to support, and to take forward, the work started by Neil and Barbara Taylor when they purchased the forty acre Denmark Farm in 1984. The Taylors started the transformation from a conventional holding with its improved grassland and limited biodiversity to a place that demonstrates how habitat management can dramatically increase plant and animal species. The sharp increase in breeding birds from just 15 species in 1985 to 48 species in 1994 is just one example. Extensive ecological monitoring over the years has shown significant increases in flowering plants, invertebrates and mammals.

The spirit of the early days of the Shared Earth Trust is captured in an article for a newsletter in 1988 written by trustees Maggie and Anthony Barker. They describe how they cycled the 100 miles from their home in Bristol to plant trees at Denmark Farm. But they were drawn here by much more than the practical need to plant trees, as this quotation from their article shows: 1987 – 2017 Summer 2017 30th Anniversary Newsletter Re-connecting people with nature has been, and continues to be, a central theme at Denmark Farm.

This re-connection can happen at many levels as the article by Maggie and Anthony Barker suggests. It can happen through the practical conservation work or the scientific monitoring of species, but it can also happen at a more spiritual level through simply enjoying the natural habitats or using this as a place for reflection. “So we come to Denmark Farm, covering the physical distance surely, but also to make a journey of mood. To move from the despair of urban development towards a kind of hope that all is not yet lost; that the balance that is between man and his environment may even now be restored.”

Registered charity number: 1004002

Address

Denmark Farm Conservation Centre

Betws Bledrws

LAMPETER

Ceredigion

SA48 8PB

Email

info@denmarkfarm.org.uk

Phone

01570 493358 (normal office hours)

Website

https://www.denmarkfarm.org.uk/

Directions

"Denmark Farm is situated 4 miles from Lampeter in Ceredigion, mid Wales. (Grid Reference SN586537). If you are travelling from Lampeter on the A485, look out for our brown tourist sign and take the turning left (after a stone bridge). Continue for 2 miles and Denmark Farm is located on the left hand side (look out for reversing mirror on right hand side, opposite the end of our track).

Alternatively if coming from the North on the A485, in the hamlet of Betws Bledrws, take a right turn opposite the chapel and the telephone box. Drive up the hill and along the level road until you reach a T-junction. Take a right at this junction and Denmark Farm is located 30 metres on the left hand side.

Look out for the reversing mirror opposite our track and the wooden ‘Denmark Farm Conservation Centre’ sign which is just at the entrance of our track. Please be warned that Sat Nav often takes drivers a mile or two past our site so do take note of these directions."

Opening Times

Always check with the venue directly for up-to-date information including opening times and admission charges as they may be subject to change

"The trails at Denmark Farm are open daily from sunrise until sunset throughout the year except Christmas Eve.

Entrance Charges:

Entry is free, all we request is a donation towards the maintenance of our site for your enjoyment and for wildlife. Please leave your donation in the honesty box in the Welcome Shelter."

Transport

"The nearest train stations are Carmarthen (25 miles south) and Aberystwyth (25 miles north west), with connecting buses to Lampeter.

Local Buses (Service 588/688) from Lampeter to Aberystwyth stop in Betws Bledrws, from where it is a 1.2 mile walk uphill to Denmark Farm (follow the white sign opposite the church). The new Bwcabus Service connects with other bus services and can provide transport to the end of the our track. You must register with Bwcabus first and prebook your journey. Buses only run Monday to Saturday and not on Sundays or bank holidays.

To book a Taxi call Nick H: 07940 588809 or 07507 760132

Or why not find out if anyone else is going your way, by registering for a lift-share scheme. Try www.carsharewales.com "

Amenities

"Trail leaflets, site maps, a wildlife sightings board and an information board can be found in the Welcome Shelter (which is wheelchair accessible) in the car park.

Look out for our bi-lingual wind up audio information point by the farm pond.

The longest trail will take about an hour or more, but there is also a shorter trail for wheelchair users.

A range of accommodation is also available if you want to Stay with Us, from our Eco-campsite to reasonably—priced dormitories and 4 star holiday apartments in our self-catering Eco Lodge.

Dogs are welcome on the trails around Denmark Farm but must be kept on a lead at all times. All dog mess should be picked up and disposed of in biodegradeable bags in the green cone in the wildlife garden (we can supply biodegradeable bags in The Little Green Shop if you need these). 

Little Green Shop:

During office hours on weekdays please call into The Little Green Shop in the lower office building. We sell a wide range of local arts and crafts, t-shirts, mugs, soap, cards & gifts, wildlife guides and publications. Please do wear a mask and use hand sanitiser before coming into the shop area."