Greetings, Troserch Woodlanders! Christmas coming, time for a winter walk, and a good moment to get up-to-date on what’s afoot in our new 'community' woods.
This neck of ancient woodland up the Morlais River was first acquired for the nation by the Forestry Commission in the 1950s. The Second World War brought timber shortages, and to ensure future supplies, these woods were stripped of their native trees and replanted with fast-growing conifers. A generation later, privatisation ruled. In the early 1990s the maturing plantations were sold off, partially felled and replanted with more young conifers. The English owners agreed to a network of 'permissive paths', allowing public access in return for grants to help maintain the tracks. Early in 2006, with the 10-year access agreement coming to an end, the woods were up for sale again.
Neigbours and walkers were alerted by the purchase and enclosure of an adjoining lot and realised that a change of ownership could mean the fencing-off or parcelling-up of the remaining 80 acres. The campaign to acquire the woods took off last April with a public meeting at Llangennech Junior School. With the support of the Llangennech Community Council, local MP and AMs, the Troserch Woodlands Society (TWS) was formed to win wider public support and find the necessary funds. The society was, and is, open to all and committed to public participation, preservation of wildlife and regeneration of broadleaved woodland. After six months, membership topped 200. On September 29th, thanks to a grant from Cyd Coed (the Forestry Commission in Wales) the woods were bought back for the community. Nearly 100 people joined a walkabout organised with Ramblers and Community Council to celebrate the 'reopening'.
The TWS constitution is based on a Charity Commission model and provides for an executive committee elected by all members at an annual general meeting. Membership is open to anyone over 16, with a subscription of £5 a year. The Cyd Coed purchase grant totalled £125,000, but our bid of £115,000 secured the deal. TWS was allowed to keep £6,000 of the remaining £10,000 to cover legal and safety costs, and returned the rest. Subscriptions brought in about £1,000; the Community Council and Chairman’s fund provided £300, and the Chairman of the County Council brought £30. There were small donations from members and well-wishers - including a couple from Texas.
On advice from solicitors, the TWS steering committee set up a non-profit company Troserch Woodlands (Property) Ltd to take on formal ownership and management of the woods. This company status, limited by guarantee, protects individual members from unlimited liability in case of claims or loss. The Company is made up solely of the society members elected to the TWS executive committee at AGM and is bound by the TWS constitution, aims and objectives.
Now we've got the woods, we have to decide what to do with them: how to make the best of this beautiful, unspoiled river valley for human and other animals. What sort of public access and amenities do we want? How best to foster wildlife and manage the regeneration of a brighter broadleaved mix? How much of the conifer plantations to fell, how much to thin? Of course, we could just let non-human nature take its course, as old trees die or get blown down, opening the way to new seedlings. But we are lucky enough to have three experienced foresters on call, and the committee has agreed to a compromise plan, with major works to begin next summer.
The plan agreed preserves the profile of the existing woodland to the west of the Morlais and along both river banks. This area, approximately two thirds of the whole, would be thinned periodically to let more light in and encourage regeneration of broadleaved trees. One exception: a small clearing to be opened up on the flat ground just west of the bridge in the middle of the woods. On the other, eastern, side of the river, up to ten acres could be clearfelled, opening the way for more systematic replanting of oak, ash etc This is the least visited part of the wood, with little growing under plantations that extend beyond the ancient woodland boundaries. Surviving broadleaved trees among the conifers and down toward the river banks will be preserved. Summer is the best time to get heavy machinery in, and the extraction of timber will make a mess of some existing tracks. On the other hand, the timber should provide funds for making good the damage, replanting and some future work.
A decision in principle has been made to exclude motor cycles and other vehicles from most of the woods (though not the 'old road' track from Troserch Road up through the woods: this still has highway status). The Coal Authority has put temporary safety grills over mine openings and the National Grid company laying the gas pipeline has been approached for a grant to cover wildlife surveys and interpretation boards. Carmarthenshire County officers have worked with Ramblers to clear footpaths and arrange for litter collection; they are also discussing with other local landowners the possibility of extending the existing County Walk southwards along the eastern bank of the Morlais, to join the existing right of way across the fields to Llangennech. A subgroup is working on history, another on wildlife.
Do we want a wild wood, or a placid park? What improvements, alterations and amenities do we most want? We hope to arrange a wider consultation in the New Year, so all members, and future members, will be able to think about the possibilities and bring their thinking to bear at the AGM next May and in elections for a new Executive Committee.
Open to all members and would-be members at the Old People's Hall on the corner of Tirgof, Llangennech. Next meeting, 7 p.m on Wednesday, January 3rd. We're also planning working parties, on paths, trashing and thinning between young trees. Volunteers?
Time we had a decent map! Meanwhile, the Troserch Woods can be reached by a footpath up the river from the bottom of Troserch Road, next Llys y Felin. Further up the Troserch Road, there are three more entrances: a track leading down to a new footbridge and ruined mill; the ‘old road’ leading north over the hill next Troserch Farm; and a carpark, next the other end of the ‘old road’, two miles north of the Llangennech roundabout on the A4138.
Happy Christmas!
Greg Wilkinson, Secretary, Troserch Woodlands Society
TWS website http://www.troserchwoods.co.uk