Wildlife at Rose Cottage
Stay here to see all sorts of wild things
In and around Rose Cottage
Rose Cottage is in a unique place to see wildlife. It is situated on the bank of the river Teme, which is itself a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Views are to woodland and to open farmland. You can visit Beacon Hill nature reserve across the lane.
We have spent the last 20 years encouraging wildlife to the cottage with regular feeding. We have created habitats and nesting sites. Children will be pleased to find the bird and bat boxes, hedgehog and insect shelters in the organic garden. We have also used seed from the Radnorshire Wildlife trust reserves to plant a wildflower meadow.
Observing the local wildlife is a big part of the Rose Cottage experience. The Sun Room is a comfortable warm wildlife observation room with large windows and a balcony. It gives the visitor panoramic views of the garden, river, woodland, and adjacent farmland. We provide some bird food for the closely situated feeders. This encourages the many garden and woodland birds which visit. Owls buzzards and red kite are frequently seen nearby. Voles and shrews live in the garden terraces. Hedgehogs and foxes occasionally visit the garden. Dippers, kingfishers, goosanders, herons, toads and occasionally otters are seen in the river at the bottom of the garden. Nearby, foxes, badgers and polecats are often seen after dark trotting down the road.
FURTHER AFIELD
Close by are several nature reserves. Beacon Hill is an upland heather moor with many interesting and uncommon plants. You may see red grouse, merlin, peregrine, wheatear, stonechat, whinchat and meadow pippit. Tylcau Hill and Rhos Fiddle are only a little further away.
See the Wildlife Trust websites for Radnorshire Montgomeryshire and Shropshire for more.
We also provide Binoculars, bird and plant observation books, videos and charts. There are activities for even the smallest children to take part as well. All visitors have enjoyed recording what they see in the nature diary and it makes very interesting reading too.
There are other dedicated sites for the nature lover including the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre which runs lots of activities, including geocaching, for the children. The Elan valley and the Red Kite feeding centre and nature reserve at Gigrin Farm to name but a few.
