History of Glyn Cothi

Our community has its roots in ancient forest-based settlements which encircle our forest.. . Experts from Oxford University note that forest communities developed a distinct culture compared with agricultural ones. Under historic Forest Law, residents could gather the resources they needed for personal use—except the King’s deer—but would face judgement from a local court of neighbours if they took more than necessary for trade or profit.

Early History

Brechfa Forest and Llanllwni Mountain are the modern names for the historic Glyn Cothi Forest. For over two centuries, this forest served as a strategic base for Welsh Princes resisting the Norman invasion of Wales. The Normans later converted part of the forest into a Royal Hunting Forest, while another portion remained under the control of Talley Abbey.

Community Stewardship

The community continued to manage the forest until the 1930s. It contained a rich mixture of native species, and local skills included processing saplings for natural oils and chemicals—some used in the production of explosives during the First World War.

During the Great Depression, the UK Government when Labour was in power compulsorily purchased the forest and nearby small farms. Two work camps were established, housing unemployed men from the Welsh Valleys who built forest roads and planted extensive conifer plantations.

A Working Forest

Despite state ownership, forest management remained in local hands, with experienced foresters from the community employed to run it as a working forest. In the 1950s and 60s, these foresters created 90 experimental plots to test tree species not normally grown under forest conditions. This unique “Forest Garden” remains the only one in Wales and one of just four across the UK.

As recently as the 1980s, more than 300 people were employed in forest management. With industrialisation reducing the need for manual labour, government policy shifted towards supporting recreation-based businesses that make use of the forest and surrounding mountains.

Community-Led Sustainable Development

In 2008, our community became one of six in the Cambrian Mountains chosen to showcase best practice in community-led sustainable development. The project, which ran for eight years under the presidency of HTH Prince Charles, supported us to deliver a wide range of initiatives that linked the beauty of our landscape and our cultural heritage to a resilient, sustainable local economy.

Since then, our community has been recognised in Wales and Ireland as a leading example of the benefits of community-led sustainable development.