Wentwood

Wentwood stands in Monmouthshire, South Wales, as a forested area of hills rising to 309 metres above sea level. It lies northeast of Newport, partly within the city’s boundaries. The wood belongs to the Brownstones Formation of the Old Red Sandstone, laid down in the Devonian period. Its gently dipping beds form the southernmost part of a range of hills stretching north through eastern Monmouthshire. The broadly west-facing slopes are generally well wooded, giving the area its character. Wentwood is the largest ancient woodland in Wales and the ninth largest in the UK. Once it stretched between the rivers Usk and Wye, dividing the old kingdom of Gwent into two parts. The woods held Bronze Age burial mounds, a stone circle, and a megalithic alignment on Gray Hill. In the Middle Ages the woods belonged to the lordship of Chepstow and served as hunting preserves for local manors. The Royal Forest of Wentwood had its own laws and courts, which met twice yearly at Forester’s Oaks above Wentwood Reservoir. Visitors find a landscape of mature oaks and conifer plantations, with paths for hillwalking and mountain biking. The reservoir, drained for refurbishment, is slowly refilling after work by Welsh Water. The area supports 75 bird species, including turtle doves and nightjars, as well as dormice, otters, and pipistrelle bats. Ancient woodland plants such as wild daffodil and wood sorrel grow here. Vehicle access is restricted to protect prehistoric sites, though off-road vehicles have caused damage in the past.