Tremains Wood local nature reserve
Tremains Wood is a lowland mixed broadleaf woodland in the middle of Brackla. It’s an accessible, leafy haven from town life and the meandering pathways through woodlands are a perfect place for children to explore. We manage it so the local community can access nature.
An area of ancient, semi-natural woodland, Tremains Wood is listed in the provisional ‘Glamorgan Inventory of Ancient Woodland’ (Nature Conservancy Council, December 1986).
Footpath
There are trails throughout the woodland which can be accessed all year round. The pathways are waymarked with ‘robin arrows’ and a series of interpretation panels will help you identify trees, flowers and wildlife species.
To improve access, we have installed a new path which follows the public right of way, in partnership with Natural Resources Wales. In 2013, a new gravel access trail with boardwalks was installed.
Plant and fungi species
- ash
- blackthorn
- bluebell
- bramble
- cuckoo pint
- dog’s mercury
- elm
- enchanter’s nightshade
- fern
- field maple
- hairy st john’s wort
- hartstongue
- hawthorn
- hazel
- ivy
- king alfred’s cake
- meadowsweet
- opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage
- primrose
- remote sedge
- sessile oak
- sycamore
- wood anemone
- yellow archangel
Several informal footpaths run through the wood’s northern block. There, you will find ditches with wetland plants including meadowsweet, opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage and remote sedge. Look out for at least two veteran oaks to the east of this area.
The southern block is partially fenced and inaccessible to the public. It has a much higher proportion of bramble. There are local patches of tall semi-improved grassland and light scrub at several of the woodland margins.
Animal species:
- blue tit
- chiff chaff
- common frog
- common lizard
- nuthatch
- pipistrelle bat
- robin
- wood mouse
Location
Tremains Wood
Address:
Oak Tree Court,
Brackla,
Bridgend,
CF31 2NL.
Take the footpath on the right of Oak Tree Court as you approach Archbishop McGrath Catholic High School.
A public car park is available at the Brackla Triangle Shopping Centre.
Local history
Old Ordnance Survey (OS) maps show that the current woodland has been at least partly wooded since 1799. By 1875, the woodland was being marked on OS maps as ‘Tre-Maen Wood’. This map also shows a track through the southwest corner of the wood that links to another track on the far western edge of the existing woodland. To the south, this track leads to an old quarry and limekiln at lower Tremains. It’s possible that the track was used to take timber from the wood to be used as fuel in the lime kiln.
Also in the southern part of Tremains Wood, adjacent to one of the bridges, you’ll find the remains of an old stone wall and what seems to be an old sluice gate. It’s likely that at least some of the old boundary banks in the wood were once used to enclose grazing animals such pigs and goats. In fact, you may spot several old banks in the wood. These may have once formed part of an ancient woodland boundary.
If you have any information about the history of Tremains Wood, please contact us.
Contact
Bridgend County Borough Council
Email:
biodiversity@bridgend.gov.uk
Nature keeper statue
The reserve features the 'Keeper of the Wood'.
Volunteer or take a school trip here
If you want to help this site, make an educational visit, or do countryside volunteering in general, please contact us.
Contact
Bridgend County Borough Council
Email:
Biodiversity@bridgend.gov.uk