There’s only one major road across the Cambrian Mountains – the A44, which is the principal east-west route to Aberystwyth and the coast.  As you come off the top, you pass the Natural Resources Wales Visitor Centre for the Cambrians, at Bwlch Nant Yr Arian (the pass of the silver stream).  There’s a very useful information service, with details about the area, its plants and animals; a little shop; an excellent cafe; and ample parking for those wishing to follow the lake walk or try the mountain bike routes.  There’s even  a skills park to practice your mountain bike techniques before venturing into the wilds.

On 1 August NRW announced centre had received a Green Flag award for meeting the highest possible environmental standards, being beautifully maintained and having excellent visitor facilities.  In 2023 it received a Visit Wales Gold Award for making an exceptional effort to create an enjoyable and memorable experience for visitors.  The car park is almost never empty, and the cafe gets customers as soon as it opens.

So why is that NRW have now announced its closure, along with the sister centres at Ynyslas and Coed y Brenin?  It cannot be that they are not viable profit centres; none has any effective competition in its vicinity, and the number of people visiting Wales’ wild places is the highest it has ever been.  At a time when the Welsh Government is supposedly upping its commitment to biodiversity, including educating the public about what it is and why it matters, surely it should be putting more resources rather than less into these unobtrusive but well-loved facilities, some of the appallingly few opportunities for the public who are already showing interest to learn more, and become more engaged?

If Nant Yr Arian closes, then the only similar visitor facility left in the entire Cambrian Mountains will be the Elan Valley Visitor Centre – an excellent facility, but hardly sufficient to help people on the west side of the mountains or passing through on their way to the coast.

Someone has started a Petition asking the Senedd to debate the closures, which you can sign here.  We’ve written to Clare Pillman CEO of NRW itself to ask them to reconsider their decision.  You can see a copy of our letter here

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If you agree with us that this really is a foolish way to save pennies by throwing away a valuable asset then please do write to NRW as well as to your Senedd Members, First Minister Eluned Morgan (herself in a Senedd seat representing the Mid-Wales regional constituency, though so far pointedly unresponsive to any representations regarding the well-being of the region) and Cabinet Secretary Huw Irranca-Davies, holder of the portfolio for Rural Affairs and Climate Change.