Project aims to restore woodland and hedgerows at Denbighshire farm

The Ffermio Bro project has tackled invasive species and restored vital hedgerow connections between ancient woodlands at a Denbighshire farm.

Launched in April 2025, the Welsh Government programme supports farming projects that aims to make improvements to nature and the environment across Wales’s National Landscapes and National Parks.

Each National Landscape team are responsible for setting local priorities for the scheme that reflects local needs and have specialist advisors who work with farmers and landowners to support them through the application process.

One Denbighshire farm recently received funding from the Ffermio Bro project to carry out a large-scale programme of woodland restoration and hedgerow revitalisation which look to improve habitat connectivity, tackle invasive species, and bring the farm’s ancient woodlands back into better ecological health.

Before any woodland management could begin, 1,200 metres of new fencing was installed to exclude the livestock from the woodland areas entirely, which was a step the project team regarded as fundamental to the success of the whole scheme.

The woodland works at Llangwyfan Farm focused on restoring species balance within the farm’s ancient woodlands by removing diseased trees and thinning dominant species, such as sycamore, rhododendron and cherry laurel to allow native flora and fauna to thrive.

Alongside the restoration of the ancient woodlands, the funding from the Ffermio Bro programme allowed for 240 meters of hedgerow to be fully restored to create wildlife corridors linking the farms woodland areas.

Julia Hughes, Llangwyfan Farm said:

“We applied with proposed works for consideration and were delighted that some of our proposals were successful in being awarded project funding. The guidance of the Ffermio Bro team in providing us with detailed guidance, technical and practical advice both prior to and during the work was invaluable and an intrinsic part of the whole project.”

Councillor Alan James, Lead Member for Local Development and Planning said:

“This project is a great example of collaborative working to improve the county’s biodiversity which contributes to the council’s corporate plan.

“Whilst the project has achieved a lot already, it has the potential to benefit the landscape on a wider ecological scale”.