Village bids for ancient woodland

Villagers are being asked for £5 each to join the campaign

Villagers have launched a fund-raising campaign to buy 77 acres of ancient woodland on their doorstep.

The Troserch site at Llangennech near Llanelli is on sale with a guide price of £100,000.

The owner has allowed public access to the land, but residents fear as there are few official rights of way they could be denied it in the future.

Some 2,000 leaflets have been delivered to houses around the site on the banks of the Morlais river.

The campaign group said generations had enjoyed the woodland and its riverbanks.

The campaign has won the backing of the village community council, as well as the local green network, ramblers' association and politicians.

Greg Wilkinson of the newly-formed Troserch Woodland Society, said: "The woods boast breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife and a network of paths to explore".

But he said most of the paths were "permissive" - in other words, not official public rights of way, but routes which can be used by the public with the permission of the landowner.

It's been used for generations and there are many local Welsh place names for points along the river Greg Wilkinson

"A new owner could ring fence the lot," he added.

"The public would then be effectively barred from the riverbanks, and a handsome new bridge, built with public funds as part of a county walk, would be out of bounds."

He said, thanks to "encouraging news from potential funders," the society was preparing a bid for the land.

He said it was also asking people to join and subscribe £5 each to the fund.

Mr Wilkinson said as well as acquiring the woodland, money would be needed to further improve access and to create activities for youth groups and others who may not have walked the woodlands before.

"We are not just out to prevent the closure of public paths, but to regenerate a rare stretch of ancient woodland," he added.

"It's been used for generations and there are many local Welsh place names for points along the river.

"One of the conditions on any grants would be the need to encourage use of the woods."