Forest bathing at Lake Vyrnwy

Lake Vyrnwy is a reservoir built between 1881 and 1888 to supply Liverpool, and its 11.75-mile perimeter road runs through a large estate of woodland, meadow and moorland. The RSPB manages around 5,000 hectares of it with the water company Hafren Dyfrdwy, and has been restoring the oak woods by removing non-native trees and leaving dead wood on the ground. In spring and summer those oaks hold pied flycatchers, wood warblers and redstarts, and dippers work the streams.

The main car park and visitor hub are at Llanwddyn by the dam, with toilets at the western end of the dam and the accessible Coed y Capel hide in the upper car park. The waymarked trails around the dam are the easiest; for quieter time use the free smaller car parks around the lake, such as Rhiwargor or Old Village, and walk from there. Much of the estate is open, uneven ground. Dogs must be on leads throughout.