Path in Pengelli Forest, alt=Path in Pengelli Forest From geograph.org.uk 19 September 2009 Pengelli National Nature Reserve is part of the largest block of ancient oak

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...

in West

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. It has survived for hundreds of years, despite being modified by people. Lying near the village of

Eglwyswrw Eglwyswrw is a village, community and parish in the former Cantref of Cemais, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The village lies between Newport and Cardigan at the junction of the A487 road and the B4332 at an altitude of . The village is in the heart ...

in the north of

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...

, it makes up part of the gentle agricultural landscape which lies between the foot of the Preseli hills and the sea. Species found in this rich woodland include badgers, polecats and the elusive

dormouse A dormouse is a rodent of the family Gliridae (this family is also variously called Myoxidae or Muscardinidae by different taxonomists). Dormice are nocturnal animals found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. They are named for their long, dormant hibe ...

. The woodland was owned during Elizabethan times by the Pembrokeshire historian

George Owen of Henllys George Owen of Henllys (1552 – 26 August 1613) was a Welsh antiquarian, author, and naturalist. Early life George Owen was the eldest son born to Elizabeth Herbert and William Owen in Henllys of the parish of Nevern, near Newport, Pembrokesh ...

. The woodland was designated as a National Nature Reserve in 1995. In 2021, the

Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth Natur De a Gorllewin Cymru) is a Wildlife Trust in south and west Wales, one of 46 such Trusts in the United Kingdom. History Forerunner of the WTSWW, the former West Wal ...

(WTSWW) purchased the adjacent 33-acre Pencnwc Mawr Wood. A further 13 acres of adjacent land was purchased by WTSWW in 2023 with the intention of expanding the woodland.

References

National nature reserves in Wales {{Wales-geo-stub