In 2021, WTSWW were able to buy Pencnwc Mawr Wood and add 33 acres adjacent to Pengelli. Pengelli Forest is part of the largest block of ancient Oak woodland in west Wales and is one of the few remaining areas of temperate rainforest in the UK.
Fragmentation is one of the greatest threats to the survival of our native woodlands. There is a simple ecological rule: the smaller and more isolated a woodland becomes the more likely it is that species will become extinct. WTSWW’s long-term plan is to significantly extend Pengelli Forest Nature Reserve. By acquiring more land over time, the Trust will manage the area sympathetically to provide the best possible conditions for wildlife, and to create links with other nearby woodlands. 

Sarah Kessell, Chief Executive Officer at WTSWW said," We’re extremely grateful for all the donations from individuals and organisations including the Ecological Restoration Fund, that helped us buy this land.  It will now be protected for the future."

The larger combined area represents an essential step towards ensuring a much more resilient, secure and species rich future for this area. The Trust will be able to safeguard many vulnerable species, including the rare barbastelle bat, the visiting greater horseshoe bats, breeding populations of dormice, together with the woodland birds and butterflies, particularly the silver-washed fritillary.

We all know that wildlife is in peril and that we are rapidly losing our precious species and habitats. We can only ensure the long-term survival of resilient populations of these creatures if we can provide the space that they need: secure space to breed, forage and prosper. 

Nathan Walton, WTSWW Reserves Manager said, “The extension to Pengelli Forest is fantastic news for the Wildlife Trust as it increases the size of the reserve by almost 20%, in turn also increasing the area of Atlantic Rainforest in the county that is protected along with the conservation of wildlife that is dependent on it.

With the addition of the purchased neighbouring Pencnwc Mawr nature reserve a few years ago, this block of Atlantic Rainforest is now one of the largest protected areas in south west Wales.”

The completion of the purchase will help towards WTSWW’s ambitious but essential target to restore 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. An extended Pengelli is just the first step towards achieving something wonderful in this part of Pembrokeshire. The Trust want to protect and connect a diverse mosaic of interconnected woodlands, grasslands, heath, wet valleys and sustainable farmland. 

This area has enormous cultural and historical significance. During Elizabethan times it was owned by the famous historian and cartographer George Owen of Henllys, who wrote the first description of Pembrokeshire.  In Owen’s time the land was important for timber and cattle grazing; today it is an outstanding landscape and a wonderful place for wildlife.