FRIENDS OF PEN Y MAES WOODS, HOLYWELL.

FRIENDS OF PEN Y MAES WOODS, [HOLYWELL].Main Website Pages

Home Page

An Introduction

Projects

Find Us

Other Information Pages

Back To Main Pages

More About us

Green Flag Award

Our Volunteers

Contact

Back To Main Pages

Home Page

Page 2

Friends of Pen y Maes Woods [Holywell] Cyfeillion Coed Pen y Maes [Treffynnon]

A Woodland Worth Preserving

A GREEN FLAG AWARD WINNING GREEN SPACE

Welcome to our Website. The Website is still under development - Please return soon

An Introduction

A GREEN FLAG AWARD WINNING COMMUNITY GREEN SPACE

FRIENDS OF PEN Y MAES WOOD, HOLYWELL CYFEILLION COED PEN Y MAES, TREFFYNNON

Pen-y-Maes Woods is a beautiful and relatively undiscovered part of Flintshires' natural environment. The Holywell woodland is owned by Flintshire County Council but managed by Friends of Pen y Maes Woods, a group of community volunteers set up in 2005.

The Friends aimed to enhance a community asset within the semi- ancient natural woodland by providing a pleasant walking and recreational area. They recognise the importance of a keeping a large part of the woodland in its natural state as a safe haven for wildlife and plants. The woodland houses significant badger setts and is home to a wide range of other animals and birds. Many native varieties of trees and wild flowers flourish.

The Friends Group have raised funds for the provision of about 400 metres of hard surface pathway so that there is easy, all year-round accessibility for visitors. A small bridge has been built over the Pen y Maes Brook and this leads onto the existing public footpath between Holywell and the coastal footpath at Greenfield. The bridge also allows easy access to the Regionally Important Geological Site (R.I.G.S.) which is located in the Wood.

A great deal of effort is expended in keeping the woodland clear of litter and upon the upkeep of paths and fences etc. but the planting of wild flowers and improving wildlife habitats also feature in the groups' activities. Friends of Pen y Maes Woods have received generous support from both statutory and voluntary organisations and this is gratefully acknowledged.

Disabled Access: Where possible, access to the woodland pathways has been tailored to assist visitors with limited mobility.

Unfortunately the nature of the terrain prevents wheelchair access etc. to the entire path network.

Projects

Breathing new life into neglected Woodland!

Just one example of the work undertaken by Friends of Pen y Maes Woods with help from many other organisations and youth groups in the Holywell area.

The area known [half jokingly] as 'Death Valley' before our volunteers got to work

The same area 'Death Valley' after some hard work by our volunteers

From Inaccessible Mud Slide

to a gentle Walk

Hard to believe that these 2 photographs show the same part of the woods. The provision of surfaced paths and steps was a major project in the woods

Find Us

If using Sat Nav the nearest postcoded property to entrance to Pen y Maes Woods is CH8 7AZThe Ordnance Survey Grid Reference is:SJ

How To Find Us

Volunteers and Donations to support our conservation work are always welcome. Please Contact: The Secretary, Friends of Pen y Maes Woods, Email fopym.woods_virgin.net

More About us

The Friends of Pen y Maes Woods [Scroll down below]

The “Friends of Pen-y-Maes Woods” are a small voluntary community conservation group established in February 2005, and, under the terms of its constitution, the formal aims of the Group are to: (i) Provide support to Flintshire County Council with the restoration and maintenance of the Pen-y-Maes Woodland; (ii) Encourage a sensitive, co-ordinated approach to the management of the woodland environment; (iii) Encourage and promote community involvement; (iv) Promote a sense of awareness, appreciation of and concern for the welfare of the woodlands and their wildlife;(v) Maintain and improve recreational facilities; (vi) Encourage educational usage of the woodlands by local people, schools and youth organisations.The Group is associated with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV), and a member organisation of the Flintshire Local Volunteer Council (FLVC). It also has close links with many national and local Wildlife organisations. It works in close collaboration with the Flintshire County Council Countryside Rangers. Valuable physical help has been obtained from local Army / Air Cadet Units, Souts, the pupils and staff of Holywell High School, and Community Service workers.“Friends of Pen-y-Maes Woods” is a properly run organisation with its own bank account, properly maintained records, and relevant public liability insurance.In practical terms the Group has achieved a great deal in its short life. Much of this could not have been achieved without financial support from official and charitable grant-awarding bodies and we gratefully acknowledge the contributions made to support our work. Our particular thanks must go to the Flintshire Countryside Rangers. Without the help and expertise of these dedicated individuals we could not have achieved so much. With this help we have:• Literally cleared tons of litter and rubbish from parts of the woodland – estimated 300 man days dedicated to this task,• Provided 390 metres of surfaced path to improve access particularly for people with limited mobility, • Provided steps to allow access down a previously difficult steep slope,• Installed 3 field gates with disabled access,• Coppiced hedgerow for a length of 550 metres to improve its density and effectiveness,• Installed 550 metres of fencing – much of it ‘litter proof’ to prevent further accumulation of rubbish, • Installed 5 new ‘Pen y Maes Woods’ signs to show that the woods are being cared for,• Organised events to involve the community in conserving the woods,• Planted new hedgerow, wildflowers and trees, • Commenced the establishment of Friends of Pen-y-Maes Woods Young Persons ‘Field Team’ section to encourage participation of young people in conservation..• An unusually visible geological deposit of Holywell Shale is located within the wood. This type of shale is generally found undersea and is the source of oil and gas in Liverpool Bay. Chester College / University of Liverpool have had the deposit designated as a ‘Regionally Important Geological Site’ (RIGS). A safe, managed access has been created to the geological site to allow field studies by students from our local Holywell High School and other academic institutions,• Interpretation boards have been provided explaining the flora/fauna to be found in the woods, and the geological features. Surveys of flora/fauna have been conducted by organisations such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (First survey conducted in April 2006),Future Plans:• Helping to maintain a public footpath running from Pen-y-Maes to Greenfield which links to the new Welsh Coastal Path.• Continuing with the planting of trees and wildflowers appropriate to ancient natural woodland,• Continuing to control litter,• Maintaining existing plants and trees,• Cooperating with Holywell High School to create a learning resource,• Supporting the provision/maintenance of a ‘wildlife corridor’ linking Pen-y-Maes Woods to the Greenfield Valley across the High School playing field boundary.Miscellaneous information:• Pen Y Maes Wood is located to the North West of Holywell adjoining the Pen-y-Maes housing estate and Holywell High School and runs eastward towards Glan y Don, Greenfield.• It is 7.55 hectares (18.65 acres) in size,• The wood is semi-ancient natural woodland and formed part of the Basingwerk Abbey estates prior to the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century.• The easiest access points are located at the end of Nant y Coed or Wood Lane in Pen-y-Maes, Holywell, Flintshire. Approximately at Ordnance survey Grid Reference SJ 194 764. For users of SatNav using the postcode CH8 7AZ wll bring you close to the entrances.
Green Flag Award

Friends of Pen y Maes Woods Proud winners of: * Green Pennant Award 2009 / 10 * Green Pennant Award 2010 / 11 * Green Flag Community Award 2011 / 12

Presentation of Green Flag by Mark Isherwood A.M. at Flint & Denbigh Show 2011

The Green Flag Community Award is a national award that recognises high quality green spaces in England and Wales managed by voluntary and community groups. Judges check that the groups: Make it a welcoming place  Ensure it is healthy, safe and secure  Keep the area well maintained and clean  Encourage environmental sustainability Promote biodiversity and heritage Make best use of community involvement  Have recognisable achievementsPen y Maes Wood in Holywell is one of just 19 community green spaces in Wales that have been judged to meet the exacting standards required for the year 2011 to 2012. It is the only award winning site in Flintshire and our success in achieving award status for 3 consecutive years has been recognised by an additional bronze medal award.
Our Volunteers

Volunteers helping at The Big Dee Day With David Bellamy

Volunteers receiving our Green Flag Award From Mark Isherwood A.M. At Flint & Denbigh Show 2011

Contact

JOIN US AND / OR VOLUNTEER

EMAIL: fopym.woods_virgin.net

Master Page 1

This Website was created usingWix.com Start