CoedUNO – Community Woodland and Agroforestry in North Pembrokeshire
CoedUNO is a two-acre community woodland and agroforestry site in Tegryn, north Pembrokeshire. Designed around permaculture principles, it is the first agroforestry demonstration site within the National Forest for Wales network. More than 1,300 native broadleaf, coppice, fruit and nut trees have been planted, creating a productive and biodiverse space for people, learning and nature.
Part of a Woodland Landscape
North Pembrokeshire contains some of Wales’s richest woodlands, from the Celtic rainforest of Ty Canol and the ancient oak woodland at Pengelli to the wooded valleys of Cwm Gwaun and Llanychaer. CoedUNO contributes to this living network, providing a stepping stone for wildlife within a largely farmed landscape between the Taf and Teifi catchments.
Creating an Accessible Community Space
CoedUNO is being developed as an inclusive community asset where people of different ages, backgrounds and abilities can spend time outdoors.
A £151,015 Woodland Investment Grant, jointly funded by the Welsh Government and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, is supporting major improvements to the site. These include:
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Accessible paths
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An improved access track and parking
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An accessible composting toilet
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A multi-use timber shelter
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A programme of volunteering, training and community engagement
These improvements will make the site more welcoming and usable for wheelchair users, older residents, families and others who may face barriers to accessing green spaces.
Learning, Volunteering and Skills
CoedUNO is becoming a living classroom where people can learn practical skills in woodland management, orchard care, coppicing, hedge-laying, biodiversity monitoring and agroforestry.
Funding from the National Lottery Community Fund’s Awards for All programme is supporting an additional year-long programme of community activity, including a series of open days.
CoedUNO is also part of Coedwigoedd Bro Preseli – Preseli Woodlands, a National Forest for Wales Landscape Scheme project funded by the Welsh Government and delivered in partnership with the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority. This funding supports selected events and traditional woodland-skills training, including willow work, hedge-laying and cleft-gate making and collaborative volunteer sessions across North Pembrokeshire woodlands.
We also work with organisations including Coppicewood College and Patch of the Planet, alongside Cwm Arian’s land-based learning programme, Hwb Dysgu’r Tir.
Long-Term Vision
CoedUNO demonstrates how a small, community-owned woodland can support biodiversity, climate resilience, sustainable food production and community wellbeing. Our long-term aim is to create a welcoming place for education, volunteering, outdoor learning and wellbeing activities, strengthening connections between people, skills and the land.
North Pembrokeshire Woodlands
Allt Coed Tŷ Canol Woodland
National Nature Reserve
Tŷ Canol Woods is a rare ancient woodland near Brynberian and south of Felindre Farchog in Pembrokeshire, nestled between the Preseli Mountains and the north Pembrokeshire coast. Protected as an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), NNR (National Nature Reserve), and SAC (Special Area of Conservation), it is a vital stronghold for wildlife. Shaped over thousands of years since the last Ice Age, Tŷ Canol is home to 800-year-old oaks, dramatic rocky outcrops, and nearly 400 species of lichen, many of them rare. Its rich biodiversity and timeless landscape make it one of Wales’ most important woodland sites.
Coedwig Pengelli Forest
Nature Reserve
Pengelli National Nature Reserve is one of the largest ancient oak woodlands in West Wales, having survived for centuries despite human influence. Nestled near Eglwyswrw in north Pembrokeshire, it forms part of the rolling farmland between the Preseli Hills and the sea.
This rich woodland is home to diverse wildlife, including badgers, polecats, and the elusive dormouse. Once owned by the Elizabethan historian George Owen of Henllys, it was designated a National Nature Reserve in 1995. Recent expansions by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales continue to protect and restore this precious habitat.
Cwm Gwaun Woodlands
Tucked away in the heart of north Pembrokeshire, the lush woodlands of Cwm Gwaun form one of the county’s most enchanting landscapes including Coed Tregynon, Coed Gellifawr, Allt Llanerch, Coed Sychpant, Allt Hendy, Allt Pen-gegin Uchaf to name but a few. Rich in biodiversity, these ancient forests—home to towering sessile oaks, beech, alder, and rowan—support a wealth of wildlife, from rare lichens to butterflies and woodland birds. The Afon Gwaun meanders through the valley, shaping a habitat that has remained largely unchanged for centuries. Recognised as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), these woodlands are not only a haven for nature but also a place where culture and history are closely intertwined.
