Coed Glannant, Ystradgynlais

Coed Glannant is a wood for the more adventurous, but also presents a unique opportunity! The rocky outcrops and boulders, deep ravines, long river frontage and wonderful mature broadleaf trees make it a woodland of great variety and interest and provides an exciting environment for scrambling, climbing and exploring.  It is a wood that can be enjoyed for its natural beauty, its history (drift mines and pill box), or its thriving agroforestry.

Coed Glannant is a wood of two halves. The western side of the wood is accessed directly from the road: Varteg Hill. The upper part of this area is easily accessible and relatively flat, with largish flat areas and glades which could be used for forestry activities, green woodworking, birdwatching or camping.

A path from the main entrance runs progressively southwest, past an old war-time ‘gun bunker’ down to the riverside with a log bench near the road bridge which echoes the sound of the tumbling water. A foot path doubles back, in places quite steeply, to an undisturbed area of the woodland and the base of the waterfall and a convenient access to the riverside.

The ‘gun bunker’ provides a cool respite on a hot summers day and is a perfect bird hide overlooking Glanrhyd and the Allt-y-grug mountain in the distance. The current owner has built shutters which can convert the bunker into an amazing Camera Obscura.

The eastern end of the wood is the other side of a deep ravine carrying a small stream and is accessed via a suspension bridge; the end of the suspension joining a loop path which encircles this side of the woodland.

The path anticlockwise from the suspension bridge takes the higher route and provides a visual access into the woodland’s interior. The path clockwise from the suspension bridge follows the river Tawe on the top of a steep and rocky cliff and provides stunning views over the village of Ystradgynlais and the moody Black Mountains in the distance. Halfway along, a viewpoint with a convenient log bench looks over the canopies of the veteran trees that provide abundant nesting for birds that feed off the river

This part of Coed Glannant is predominately flat and contains a variety of different tree species including oak, hazel, alder and ash, some of which have matured into fantastic specimen trees.

Hidden between the footpaths are some stunning glades with log benches which are perfect for bird watching and picnicking or camping. One of the larger glades is accessed via a ‘DaVinci’ bridge over a small spring; this glade has been planted as a beautiful orchard and the current owners have an apiary here.

The loop path runs through the length of the wood to a bridge over a ravine and a pedestrian gate.  The centreline of this ravine is the actual boundary of the wood.

In spring, many areas of the woodland are carpeted with Bluebells, Billberry, Wood Sorrel and Wild Garlic – add crushed pine nuts, parmesan, olive oil and a dash of lemon to the wild garlic to make an amazing pesto.

Access: the wood can be accessed on foot from any of three gateways along the road, and the owner will have vehicular access into the wood.

Shelter:  there is a shelter and tool store near the main entrance to the wood, and the current owners have a variety of handmade tools in an outdoor workshop which are used for wood crafting and practical demonstrations etc.

A pole lathe, shave horse and many other hand-made (traditional) tools can be included in the woodland sale.

Livestock: the current owners have transformed this woodland over the last five years, removing much of the excess bramble that previously made the woodland inaccessible.

The current owners are redressing the woodlands ecological balance by introducing livestock (chickens, pigs and goats) to help control the ground flora which will increase the diversity of the fauna.

The new owner has the choice of continuing with the livestock or not, as the animals can be included in the sale if wanted.

Sporting rights: The owner of this wood does not have fishing rights on the River Tawe, but a licence could be bought from the angling association that owns the rights. Other sporting rights are included.

Mineral rights: Included

Wildlife: The river's proximity means there is a great variety of birdlife here including Buzzards, Raven, Woodpeckers, Wren, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Coal Tit and Owls, and there is also evidence that there are foxes and badgers in the area. On the eastern boundary, the wood is adjacent to the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales' Wern Plemys nature reserve and Diamond Park. Wern Plemys is an open access reserve, sometimes grazed by Exmoor ponies, and featuring a number of uncommon species of wildflower in its meadows.

History: there is a visible history throughout Coed Glannant. Beneath the foliage lays the scars of drift mines, adits and pits dating back over 400 years and a newly created path (running through the eastern end of the wood) follows the footsteps of the original miners as they made their way to and from the nearby colliery over 200 years ago.

The current owners have extensively researched the history of Coed Glannant as well as the ecology and will happily share their documentation and findings.

Local area: Coed Glannant is located 10 miles from the M4, and 14 miles from the centre of Swansea.

VIEWING: The owner is very happy to give a guided tour of the land, as there are many hidden and attractive areas that could easily be missed. You are also welcome to visit this wood by yourself if you prefer, but please let us know by email in advance.  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.

Interested in this woodland? Get in touch with us:

Contact Sandra Colley on 07769654392 or email us at [email protected] with your details.