Molecatcher's Wood

Wood, Forest in Cardiganshire

Wales

Molecatcher's Wood

Barn conversion, Ysgubor Wennol
Barn conversion, Ysgubor Wennol Credit: Alex McGregor

Molecatcher's Wood is a picturesque forest located in the county of Cardiganshire, Wales. Spanning an area of approximately 50 acres, this enchanting woodland is renowned for its natural beauty and diverse ecosystem. The forest is situated on the outskirts of the small village of Llanddewi Brefi, nestled between rolling hills and meandering streams.

The wood gets its unique name from the historical practice of mole-catching, which was once prevalent in the area. The dense vegetation and rich soil of Molecatcher's Wood provide an ideal habitat for various species of moles, making it a popular spot for mole trappers in the past.

Visitors to Molecatcher's Wood are greeted by a network of well-maintained footpaths that wind through the forest, offering opportunities for leisurely walks and exploration. Towering oak, beech, and hazel trees dominate the woodland, providing a lush canopy that dapples sunlight onto the forest floor. In spring, vibrant bluebells carpet the ground, creating a breathtaking display of color.

The wood is also home to a diverse array of wildlife, including birds such as woodpeckers, owls, and thrushes. Mammals like squirrels, foxes, and badgers can be spotted amidst the undergrowth, while the occasional glimpse of a deer adds a touch of magic to the woodland experience.

Molecatcher's Wood is a haven for nature enthusiasts, offering a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Its natural beauty, abundant wildlife, and rich history make it a must-visit destination for those seeking a connection with the natural world.

If you have any feedback on the listing, please let us know in the comments section below.

Molecatcher's Wood Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 52.373324/-4.0205522 or Grid Reference SN6276. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Barn conversion, Ysgubor Wennol
Barn conversion, Ysgubor Wennol
End of public road at Molecatcher's Wood From here on, the surfaced road continues as a private road to Pencraig. The lane ahead in shadow is "a route with public access".
End of public road at Molecatcher's Wood
From here on, the surfaced road continues as a private road to Pencraig. The lane ahead in shadow is "a route with public access".
Dead-end road past Gors-isaf Giving access to the valley north west of New Cross.
Dead-end road past Gors-isaf
Giving access to the valley north west of New Cross.
Fields north west of New Cross Prime Cardiganshire farmland. The prevalence of names including Gors here suggest that that the valley is boggy, but the only wet part seems to be down at the bottom. Looking down a line which is just a metre or so inside the square.
Fields north west of New Cross
Prime Cardiganshire farmland. The prevalence of names including Gors here suggest that that the valley is boggy, but the only wet part seems to be down at the bottom. Looking down a line which is just a metre or so inside the square.
Houses on the A485, Pentre-llyn, Llanilar
Houses on the A485, Pentre-llyn, Llanilar
Pre-Worboys road sign on the B4340 at New Cross / Ygors South east of Aberystwyth. Tucked in against the hedge and camouflaged with algae, a sign points out the B4340 towards Trawscoed.
Pre-Worboys road sign on the B4340 at New Cross / Ygors
South east of Aberystwyth. Tucked in against the hedge and camouflaged with algae, a sign points out the B4340 towards Trawscoed.
St. Hilary's church, Llanilar Dedicated to Saint Hilary of Poitiers I believe, hence the Welsh language name of the village.
St. Hilary's church, Llanilar
Dedicated to Saint Hilary of Poitiers I believe, hence the Welsh language name of the village.
The A485 running through Llanilar Sunday traffic on the A485 in Llanilar.
The A485 running through Llanilar
Sunday traffic on the A485 in Llanilar.
The Ystwyth Garage in Llanilar The Ystwyth Garage on the A485 in Llanilar.
The Ystwyth Garage in Llanilar
The Ystwyth Garage on the A485 in Llanilar.
Nanteos The main part of the house was built between 1739 and 1757 for Thomas Powell.  The architect is unknown.  The east wing (only just visible through the trees on the right in this photo) was added in 1841 for William Powell, to a design of the architect W R Coultart.  He also planned a similar west wing, but this was not built.  The portico on the front was added in 1848.

It remained in the ownership of the Powell family until the early 20th century, followed by other owners, before falling into disrepair.  Following recent restoration, it is now a hotel.

It is grade I listed - for a full summary and history see <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.coflein.gov.uk/pdf/CPG169/" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.coflein.gov.uk/pdf/CPG169/">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>.
Nanteos
The main part of the house was built between 1739 and 1757 for Thomas Powell. The architect is unknown. The east wing (only just visible through the trees on the right in this photo) was added in 1841 for William Powell, to a design of the architect W R Coultart. He also planned a similar west wing, but this was not built. The portico on the front was added in 1848. It remained in the ownership of the Powell family until the early 20th century, followed by other owners, before falling into disrepair. Following recent restoration, it is now a hotel. It is grade I listed - for a full summary and history see LinkExternal link.
Nanteos The main part of the house was built between 1739 and 1757 for Thomas Powell.  The architect is unknown.  The east wing (the two storey block to the right of the main building) was added in 1841 for William Powell, to a design of the architect W R Coultart.  He also planned a similar west wing, but this was not built.  The portico on the front was added in 1848, and the former billiards room, on the far right of the photo, was added in the 1860s.

It remained in the ownership of the Powell family until the early 20th century, followed by other owners, before falling into disrepair.  Following recent restoration, it is now a hotel.

It is grade I listed - for a full summary and history see <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.coflein.gov.uk/pdf/CPG169/" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.coflein.gov.uk/pdf/CPG169/">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>.
Nanteos
The main part of the house was built between 1739 and 1757 for Thomas Powell. The architect is unknown. The east wing (the two storey block to the right of the main building) was added in 1841 for William Powell, to a design of the architect W R Coultart. He also planned a similar west wing, but this was not built. The portico on the front was added in 1848, and the former billiards room, on the far right of the photo, was added in the 1860s. It remained in the ownership of the Powell family until the early 20th century, followed by other owners, before falling into disrepair. Following recent restoration, it is now a hotel. It is grade I listed - for a full summary and history see LinkExternal link.
Nanteos - stable court Part of the stable court at Nanteos (see <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3153388">SN6278 : Nanteos</a>).  The court, containing the former stables and a coach house, dates from the 1830s.
Nanteos - stable court
Part of the stable court at Nanteos (see SN6278 : Nanteos). The court, containing the former stables and a coach house, dates from the 1830s.
Nanteos - walled garden The former walled garden at Nanteos (see <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3153388">SN6278 : Nanteos</a>).
Nanteos - walled garden
The former walled garden at Nanteos (see SN6278 : Nanteos).
Nanteos - stable court The grand entrance to the stable court at Nanteos (see <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3153388">SN6278 : Nanteos</a>).  The court, containing the former stables and a coach house, dates from the 1830s.  The arch was once topped by a stone horse and eagles, but these were removed in the 1960s.
Nanteos - stable court
The grand entrance to the stable court at Nanteos (see SN6278 : Nanteos). The court, containing the former stables and a coach house, dates from the 1830s. The arch was once topped by a stone horse and eagles, but these were removed in the 1960s.
Nanteos - stable court The grand entrance to the stable court at Nanteos (see <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3153388">SN6278 : Nanteos</a>).  The court, containing the former stables and a coach house, dates from the 1830s.  The arch was once topped by a stone horse and eagles, but these were removed in the 1960s.
Nanteos - stable court
The grand entrance to the stable court at Nanteos (see SN6278 : Nanteos). The court, containing the former stables and a coach house, dates from the 1830s. The arch was once topped by a stone horse and eagles, but these were removed in the 1960s.
Nanteos - stable court Part of the stable court at Nanteos (see <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3153388">SN6278 : Nanteos</a>).  The court, containing the former stables and a coach house, dates from the 1830s.  The arch (much grander when seen from the outside (see <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3153401">SN6278 : Nanteos - stable court</a>) was once topped by a stone horse and eagles, but these were removed in the 1960s.  Through it can be  seen part of the former walled garden (see <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3153397">SN6278 : Nanteos - walled garden</a>).
Nanteos - stable court
Part of the stable court at Nanteos (see SN6278 : Nanteos). The court, containing the former stables and a coach house, dates from the 1830s. The arch (much grander when seen from the outside (see SN6278 : Nanteos - stable court) was once topped by a stone horse and eagles, but these were removed in the 1960s. Through it can be seen part of the former walled garden (see SN6278 : Nanteos - walled garden).
Nanteos The main part of the house was built between 1739 and 1757 for Thomas Powell.  The architect is unknown.  The east wing (on the right) was added in 1841 for William Powell, to a design of the architect W R Coultart.  He also planned a similar west wing, but this was not built.  The portico on the front was added in 1848.

It remained in the ownership of the Powell family until the early 20th century, followed by other owners, before falling into disrepair.  Following recent restoration, it is now a hotel.

It is grade I listed - for a full summary and history see <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.coflein.gov.uk/pdf/CPG169/" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.coflein.gov.uk/pdf/CPG169/">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>.
Nanteos
The main part of the house was built between 1739 and 1757 for Thomas Powell. The architect is unknown. The east wing (on the right) was added in 1841 for William Powell, to a design of the architect W R Coultart. He also planned a similar west wing, but this was not built. The portico on the front was added in 1848. It remained in the ownership of the Powell family until the early 20th century, followed by other owners, before falling into disrepair. Following recent restoration, it is now a hotel. It is grade I listed - for a full summary and history see LinkExternal link.
Nanteos The main part of the house was built between 1739 and 1757 for Thomas Powell.  The architect is unknown.  The east wing (the two storey block to the right of the main building) was added in 1841 for William Powell, to a design of the architect W R Coultart.  He also planned a similar west wing, but this was not built.  The portico on the front was added in 1848, and the former billiards room, on the far right of the building, was added in the 1860s.

It remained in the ownership of the Powell family until the early 20th century, followed by other owners, before falling into disrepair.  Following recent restoration, it is now a hotel.

It is grade I listed - for a full summary and history see <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.coflein.gov.uk/pdf/CPG169/" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.coflein.gov.uk/pdf/CPG169/">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>.
Nanteos
The main part of the house was built between 1739 and 1757 for Thomas Powell. The architect is unknown. The east wing (the two storey block to the right of the main building) was added in 1841 for William Powell, to a design of the architect W R Coultart. He also planned a similar west wing, but this was not built. The portico on the front was added in 1848, and the former billiards room, on the far right of the building, was added in the 1860s. It remained in the ownership of the Powell family until the early 20th century, followed by other owners, before falling into disrepair. Following recent restoration, it is now a hotel. It is grade I listed - for a full summary and history see LinkExternal link.
Show me another place!

Molecatcher's Wood is located at Grid Ref: SN6276 (Lat: 52.373324, Lng: -4.0205522)

Unitary Authority: Ceredigion

Police Authority: Dyfed Powys

What 3 Words

///embarks.bulbs.caveman. Near Llanilar, Ceredigion

Nearby Locations

Molecatcher's Wood

Related Wikis

Y Gors, Ceredigion

Y Gors is a hamlet in the community of Trawsgoed, Ceredigion, Wales, which is 71.5 miles (115.1 km) from Cardiff and 176.1 miles (283.4 km) from London...

Llanilar railway station

Llanilar railway station was on the Carmarthen to Aberystwyth Line (originally called the Manchester and Milford Railway before being transferred to the...

Ystwyth Trail

The Ystwyth Trail is a 21-mile (34 km) multi-use rail trail linking Aberystwyth, Llanfarian, Ystrad Meurig and Tregaron in Ceredigion, Wales. Cycling and...

Nanteos Mansion

Nanteos (Welsh: Plas Nanteos, Nanteos Mansion) is an 18th-century former country house in Llanbadarn-y-Creuddyn, near Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales. A...

Castle Hill, Ceredigion

Castle Hill is an area and country estate in the community of Llanilar, Ceredigion, Wales, which is 70.2 miles (112.9 km) from Cardiff and 175.8 miles...

Moriah, Ceredigion

Moriah is a hamlet in the community of Llanfarian, Ceredigion, Wales, which is 73 miles (117.4 km) from Cardiff and 177.1 miles (285 km) from London. Moriah...

Llanilar

Llanilar is a village and community in Ceredigion, Wales, about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) southeast of Aberystwyth. It is the eponym of the hundred of Ilar...

Pont Paith

Pont Paith is a hamlet in the community of Llanfarian, Ceredigion, Wales, 73 miles (117.5 km) from Cardiff and 177.9 miles (286.2 km) from London. Pont...

Nearby Amenities

Located within 500m of 52.373324,-4.0205522
Power: pole
Source: bing
Lat/Long: 52.3728254/-4.0150523
Power: pole
Source: bing
Lat/Long: 52.3704214/-4.0237159
Power: pole
Source: bing
Lat/Long: 52.3722031/-4.0158784
Power: pole
Source: bing
Lat/Long: 52.3709094/-4.0207654
Power: pole
Source: bing
Lat/Long: 52.3702052/-4.0249765
Power: pole
Source: bing
Lat/Long: 52.3715906/-4.0167099
Power: pole
Source: bing
Lat/Long: 52.3713253/-4.0182334
Power: pole
Source: bing
Lat/Long: 52.3740512/-4.0133958
Power: pole
Source: bing
Lat/Long: 52.3733887/-4.0142959
Power: pole
Source: bing
Lat/Long: 52.3706244/-4.0225089
Power: pole
Source: bing
Lat/Long: 52.3711125/-4.0195102
Place: farm
Lat/Long: 52.3724952/-4.0258296
The data included in this document is from www.openstreetmap.org. The data is made available under ODbL.

Have you been to Molecatcher's Wood?

Leave your review of Molecatcher's Wood below (or comments, questions and feedback).