Thanks to generous support from our members and charitable trusts, we are delighted to report that we have raised the funds to buy the 13.5 acre extension to Pengelli!

In 2021, we were able to buy Pencnwc Mawr Wood and add 33 acres adjacent to Pengelli. It is fantastic we have been able to add a total of 46.5 acres to this reserve over the last few years.  

We raised £25,000 through our membership appeal, £20,000 from the Swire Charitable Trust and £35,000 donation from the Ecological Restoration Fund.

Our Fundraising Officer, Grace Hunt, said "It's been rewarding to see how our supporters and Pengelli's local community have come together to raise the funds to extend our nature reserve. We're extremely grateful to everyone who donated!". 

The map below shows the outline of Pengelli Nature Reserve in red, with the three areas shaded in red and numbered 1-3 that we can now buy.

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.

Our long-term plan is to significantly extend Pengelli Forest Nature Reserve. By acquiring more land over time, we can manage the area sympathetically to provide the best possible conditions for wildlife, and to create links with other nearby woodlands. 

The larger combined area represents an essential step towards ensuring a much more resilient, secure and species rich future for this area. We 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.  

This purchase helps towards our 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. We 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.