Locals grow to like tree project (From Barry And District News)

Locals grow to like tree project

RESIDENTS braved wind and rain to attend an open-air walkabout and find out more about proposals for a new community woodland project.

The 40 or so hardy Barry locals pulled on their wellies to visit the woodland, alongside Porthkerry Country Park, where a tree-planting project will deliver many environmental benefits for the area.

This project is being planned in partnership between the Woodland Trust, Vale of Glamorgan Council, Barry Town Council, the Council for the Protection of Rural Wales and the Barry and District News.

It will involve the creation of new native woodland, a new open space and community tree planting events on 40 acres of land at the north-eastern end of Porthkerry Park.

Residents responded to an invitation to visit the site of the woodland on Wednesday, March 16 and chatted to Woodland Trust representatives and Vale of Glamorgan councillors about the plans.

The hour-long event gave locals the chance to see at first-hand what is planned for the site and to share their views on the project.

Ben Earl, regional development officer for the Woodland Trust, said: "This project is part of a nationwide campaign to involve communities and particularly young people in planting events that will improve their local environment.

"We want to involve local people as much as possible in the development of the plans and in the delivery of the project.

"It was great that so many people turned up to the site visit despite the awful weather, and that they warmly welcomed the proposals for the woodland."

Cllr Mike Harvey, Vale of Glamorgan Council cabinet member for regeneration, tourism and leisure, added: "I am delighted that local residents have shown such enthusiasm and support for the proposals.

"I am confident that this will become an attractive local amenity and am particularly keen to see young people and volunteers involved in the practical planting effort. I thank our partners, and particularly the Woodland Trust, for joining together to make this happen."

* Porthkerry Country Park runs onto the Woodland Trust site and is one of the oldest parks in the region.

There have been various buildings on the site and there has been a mill standing on the woodland within Porthkerry park (near the stream junction by the golf course).

It was probably destroyed during the Glyndwr revolt in the early 15th century and was never rebuilt.

By 1622 the site was overgrown by woodland and was lost completely.

There was an old village at Cwmcidi, which came into existence before the middle of the 13th century.

In 1622 Cwmcidi contained five houses bordering Comkedye Street interspersed with a number of tofts (dwelling sites) plus three scattered dwellings.

By 1812 there remained only three cottages and a farmhouse. The cottages were finally swept away in the 1840s when the area was landscaped by the Romilly family to form Porthkerry Park.