Pant y Goitre woodland is a wonderfully diverse and beautiful woodland, some of it Ancient Woodland, in the Usk valley, a short distance from Abergavenny.

The woodland is a patchwork of a wide variety of trees, including: ash, oak, sycamore, yew, lime, horse chestnut, hornbeam, and many others. Conifers, including Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar, were planted in the wood, but most of these have now been felled.  One small patch of young conifers remains near the entrance to the wood, and impressive mature specimens are spread around, between the broadleaf trees, particularly in the northern half of the wood.

The woodland was once part of the Pant y Goitre estate.  A red-brick Queen Anne residence, built in 1726 on the foundations of a 16th-century house, was in the first phase of building. In the 1770s the house was extended and the large 3-storey block in plain Georgian style was built. 

Pant y Goitre is on the Register of Landscapes Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, and the woodland is within that designation. This should not have a significant effect on either management or use of the wood. The streams and pond were once part of the water supply for the house, so are of historical interest.

This is very much a wood of two halves: the southern half slopes gently uphill from the entrance and, apart from one small block of conifers, is primarily broadleaf. The ground vegetation here is more dense and moving around is more reliant on cutting paths. The northern half has a much more varied terrain, with some steeper slopes, especially on the northern side upstream from the pond.  This is where most of the beautifully mature conifers are located, and also yew, one of Britain’s native conifer species. The ground vegetation is more sparse here, with ferns rather than bramble.  This is also where structures to support its original role as the water supply to the house will be found, including a wonderfully intact stone culvert with a brick arch roof.

The northern side of the pond and the area upstream is designated as Ancient Semi-Natural woodland.  There is also a small area on the western boundary, south of the stream, designated as a Plantation on an Ancient Woodland Site (PAWS). This is a wood that will reward hours of exploration!

Boundaries: All boundaries of the wood are fenced.

Wildlife: The wood is alive with the sounds of birds, including Jackdaw, Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Wren, Dunnock, Coal Tit, and Song Thrush.

Access: A short track leads from the road next the Old Gardeners Cottage to the gateway into the wood.  The track is probably mostly suitable for a four wheel drive at the moment, due to some ruts in the track, but simple repairs (which may be subject to permissions) should render it usable for any vehicle.

There is also a right of way just outside the eastern boundary of the wood, leading to the track at the northern side of the wood, which the owner has a right to make up, if they wish.

A network of grassy rides and brushcut footpaths provide access within the wood.

Sporting rights: Included.

Mineral rights: Included, except as excluded by statute.

Public footpaths: There are no public footpaths or public access of any kind within the woodland.

Local area: The woodland is just 6 miles from Abergavenny, and Usk is only 6 miles to the south. The Severn bridge is just over 20 miles away. There are no public footpaths in the wood, but the Usk Valley Walk can be accessed from the Pant y Goitre bridge, and runs in both directions, much of it riverside, towards Usk or Abergavenny.  The National Trust Clytha Estate is a stones throw away, the other side of the river.

Photographs: were taken in May 2024

VIEWING: You are welcome to visit this wood by yourself.  Please ensure that you have a copy of these sales details with you: we recommend either printing the details or downloading them to your phone/tablet/laptop before you go. Please take care when viewing as the great outdoors can contain unexpected hazards and woodlands are no exception.  

A PDF version of the Wood Map is available to download