Brechfa

A forest with quite a pedigree
Up to the early Middle Ages the areas north of the river Cothi were heavily wooded, forming the Forest of Glyncothi, vital to the defence and independence of the Welsh principality of Deheubarth.

Following the final defeat of Wales by Edward I in 1283, Glyncothi became a Royal Forest administered under the harsh Forest Law. Forest Law involved severe punishment for offences against both ‘venison’ and ‘vert’. The ‘vert’ included trees, coppices, the underwood and feeding ground of the game. Venison covered all the forest animals – in medieval Glyncothi these included red deer, fallow deer and roe deer, wild boars, wolf, fox, hare and marten. Forest Law was finally abolished in 1640, with most of the ancient oakwoods felled and cleared by the 17th century.

Today a very different forest has returned. The heavy use of timber in the First World War resulted in the creation of state forests and the Forestry Commission. Today Brechfa Forest covers some 6500 hectares and is looked after by Forestry Commission Wales for the benefit of people, wildlife and timber production. There are walking and mountain bike trails for you to enjoy, with horse-riders welcome on forest roads.