Maes -y-Mynach

Our first planting site and spiritual home of Tree Spirit.

In January 1994 Tree Spirit bought its first piece of land from the Forestry Commission. The 24 acre site, just over the Welsh border near Oswestry had been a sitka spruce plantation and was clear-felled 4 years earlier. Perched on the top of a hill (1167 feet above sea level) it marks the start of the rolling landscape which leads to the mountains of Wales. Most of the site was littered with felled trees which were of no commercial use. A few young hollies, sallow, rowan and silver birch were shooting up, as well as many sitka, which were to cause us a lot of management problems in later years. Thousands of broadleaf trees were planted over the next few years and many sacks full of acorns were scattered.

We hold most of our AGMs, work parties and social gatherings here. There is a car parking area and a cleared space for campers, caravans and tents. There is also a spring rising within the wood.

Recent work includes the repair of fencing around the site, as animals from neighbouring farms seem to enjoy the woodland as much as we do. Over the years the site has been targeted by vandals who destroyed some of our equipment but clearance of the mess made is well under way. Further work will include building a bucket dip area at the spring.

Coed Salusbury

The second Tree Spirit site.The woodland is situated 5 miles south of Abergele in North Wales and was purchased in May 1999. Planting began later that year. Nestling on the south side of the valley formed by the River Elwy, a tributary of the Conwy, the 9.4 acre site had been a conifer plantation – mainly Scots Pine. The ground is mostly steep and was left in the usual state of destruction by the Forestry Commission.

Huge mature Scots pine and Douglas fir stand on the highest edge of the site, providing shelter for the young broadleaves. These trees probably remain only because they were too difficult to be harvested when the majority of the site was clear-felled. Unfortunately, these majestic trees are prone to topple over occasionally in high winds. To the east and south of the boundary are some wonderful ancient stunted oaks, twisted into surreal shapes by the winds which blow down from nearby Snowdonia.

This is the least visited of our woodlands and has been left to develop naturally since the initial planting stage. It is not easy to walk through due to the density of the trees and the steep terrain, but it provides an unspoilt habitat for wildlife, and a valuable addition to the beauty of the Elwy valley.

Bryn Kendrick

Not far from Coed Salusbury is the third Tree Spirit woodland. Bryn Kendrick was purchased in early 2002 and planting began immediately, with many of the ash, hazel, oak and sweet chestnut sourced locally. The 13.7 acre site was clear-felled of spruce around 1997 by the Forestry Commission and sold to a private buyer; who then sold it on to us. By the time we acquired the site it was already beginning to look like a new wood, as birch trees were regenerating at a rapid rate.

The site covers a hillside and has both steep and flat areas, as well as a range of different habitats; including a marshy area around a spring, a plateau covered in bracken and a 20 foot high rocky cliff face. At the top of the site there is a copse with a variety of mature trees, handy for providing seeds to regenerate the lower areas. There are badger runs all over the site and plenty of their holes to fall down.

After the initial planting of a few thousand trees, there was an annual thinning of birch in the spring, to allow light to get through to the many regenerating and planted broadleaves. Over the years there has been some damage to the younger trees by squirrels and deer but they are not a significant problem.

Recently we have constructed a car parking area at the site with the intention of trying to attract local green woodworkers and conservationist to make use of the site.