Julia Hughes
Walkers around the Llangwyfan area below the Penycloddiau Hillfort on the Clwydian Range may have been wondering what has been happening over the last couple of months with chainsaws, tractors, post knockers, a large JCB tracked machine with grab, new fences, people in high vis jackets, hard hats, safety clothing, and groups of people wandering around with bags on their backs and spades clearly in action!!
The activity is part of comprehensive plan on Llangwyfan and Fron Gelyn farms which has been a few years in development, planning and consultation but has now come to fruition with outcomes clearly starting to show.
The farm-based tree management and planting scheme is demonstrating how landlords and tenants with shared environmental aspirations can work together for mutual gain.
Tudor and Julia Hughes farm sheep on two holdings at Llangwyfan, near Denbigh. The land base includes 315 acres on Llangwyfan Farm together with additional land rented from a neighbour, totalling nearly 500 acres across both farms.
With one eye on realising the income potential of the farm and enhancing its value for the environment, nature, and wildlife, in 2022 they participated in a Farming Connect diversification webinar which explored woodland management and planting.
They had initially embarked on their journey with Farming Connect with ambitions to plant trees but the knowledge they gained from experts at the webinar helped them to understand the value of managing existing woodland as well.
They took that mindset with them to the Farming Connect Innovation and Diversification event at Builth Wells in June 2022, where they got further advice from tree experts.
They realised that the reality was that if they were going to progress with managing the trees and planting more, they were going to need some hand holding because they didn’t have the necessary skills and expertise. Farming Connect helped and provided that.
The Hughes’ were not only interested in managing the two ancient woodlands on their own farm but the two on their rented land too. The landlord, who shares their environmental aspirations, was very supportive.
The Hughes’ applied for a Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Forest Management Plan, 80% funded through the Farming Connect Advisory Service, and a Woodland Restoration Plan.
This gave them access to woodland specialist Simon Hunt followed by Mike Richards, formerly of Coed Cymru, who assessed the woodland areas.
After the felling plan was approved, Mike helped the couple apply for a felling licence. He marked up the trees and helped with template contracts and in finding a suitable felling contractor to do the job.
Part of the process has involved removing certain trees to enable ancient woodland features to be preserved and the work is part of a Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Welsh Government approved woodland restoration plan involving a lot of ancient woodland.
Diseased trees have also been removed and the species balance restored. Sycamores in particular are dominant – far too many for the oak trees to survive long term. Many ash trees were diseased and have been removed as well as non-native invasive species such as rhododendron and cherry laurel. There will be more work necessary down the line to tackle the Himalayan Balsam.
Every tree was looked at in terms of its value for conservation and biodiversity when the trees to be felled were selected.
Not all the timber has been removed during harvesting with residues left for enhanced habitat as standing and/or fallen deadwood which is often missing from national/overmanaged woodland.
A new run of 578 metres of fencing has also been erected through 3 fields alongside the ancient woodland approved restoration scheme, supported by a capital grant offered by the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape through Ffermio Bro – Farming in Protected Landscapes, a Welsh Government funded project.
Only one of the four ancient woodland areas has been restored so far with the other three due for work after September 1st 2026 to ensure no nesting birds are disturbed.
The Hughes’ were also keen to look at the potential for planting new areas on their least productive land and on field margins, areas that would not impact on their key farming operations. Their landlord supported that too.
They applied for a Woodland Creation Planning Scheme through Rural Payments Wales and again they worked with Mike, who is also a registered woodland planner. He identified areas for planting and then consulted with NRW on these.
In March 2026, 3500 trees were planted in two areas totalling nearly 6 acres, with 368 metres of new fences. The species chosen, suitable for the land and area, were small leafed lime, sessile oak, silver birch, wild cherry, sweet chestnut, rowan, common alder, hazel, quickthorn, field maple and crab apple. The eventual canopy from the newly planted woodland will help to naturally control bracken.
Three more areas are in the scheme for planting making a total of nearly 17 acres and further planning work will commence in April 2026 to gain approval and funding with a hope that this piece of work will start in late summer/early autumn. The aspiration is to plant these areas before the end of the year if all goes to plan, however they are difficult areas with dense bracken cover and very steep slopes and rough terrain in some places so careful consideration needs to be given to these factors in the final plans and implementation.
These newly planted areas and planned planting areas are in the designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), a classification now renamed as a National Landscapes.
The transition from the planned three new woodland areas – the ffridd – onto the open moorland above will benefit key species such as skylark, meadow pipit and wheatear and has potential to be advantageous to black grouse too.
Tudor and Julia have been collaborating with Denbighshire National Landscapes on these projects.
The Hughes’ and their landlord have a good track record of working together, previously developing a grazing management plan to enhance the skylark nesting season and seeding wildflowers growing on the hill.
As Tudor and Julia move forward with their plans, they admit that they would never have been able to achieve what they have without the support of Farming Connect. The hand holding and technical guidance were crucial. Farming Connect Forestry Technical Officer Geraint Jones, has played a key role in supporting the couple.
Additional support has been received via a capital grant again offered by the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape through Ffermio Bro – Farming in Protected Landscapes, a Welsh Government funded project.
Two hedges have been coppiced, and gapping up work undertaken with 620 metres of fences erected and 1516 UK grown, bare rooted whips planted. The species selected were hawthorn, hazel, blackthorn, crab apple, wild cherry and some sessile oaks. All of the whips were protected with rabbit guards and supported with canes.
Approval and support has also been obtained from Rural Payments Wales under the Small Grants – Environment Carbon 2025 for more coppicing and gapping up work on two hedges with 166 metres of planting with 332 metres of new fencing. This will commence in the Autumn 2026.
There are also other projects on the boil going forward so walkers will continue to see activity for the next few years on the two farms which will hopefully contribute to improving and enhancing the Clwydian range.
helpu i reoli rhedyn yn naturiol.
Mae tair ardal arall yn y cynllun ar gyfer plannu gan wneud cyfanswm o bron i 17 erw a bydd gwaith cynllunio pellach yn dechrau ym mis Ebrill 2026 i gael cymeradwyaeth a chyllid gyda’r gobaith y bydd y darn hwn o waith yn dechrau ddiwedd yr haf/dechrau’r hydref. Y dyhead yw plannu’r ardaloedd hyn cyn diwedd y flwyddyn os aiff popeth yn ôl y cynllun, fodd bynnag maent yn ardaloedd anodd gyda gorchudd rhedyn trwchus a llethrau serth iawn a thir garw mewn rhai mannau felly mae angen rhoi ystyriaeth ofalus i’r ffactorau hyn yn y cynlluniau terfynol a’r gweithrediad.
Mae’r ardaloedd newydd eu plannu hyn a’r ardaloedd plannu a gynlluniwyd yn yr Ardal o Harddwch Naturiol Eithriadol (AHNE) ddynodedig, dosbarthiad sydd bellach wedi’i ailenwi’n Dirweddau Cenedlaethol.
Bydd y newid o’r tair ardal goetir newydd a gynlluniwyd – y ffridd – i’r rhostir agored uwchben o fudd i rywogaethau allweddol fel yr ehedydd, corhedydd y waun a’r wenynen ac mae ganddo botensial i fod yn fanteisiol i’r grugiar ddu hefyd.
Mae Tudor a Julia wedi bod yn cydweithio â Thirweddau Cenedlaethol Sir Ddinbych ar y prosiectau hyn.
Mae gan y teulu Hughes a’u landlord hanes da o gydweithio, gan ddatblygu cynllun rheoli pori yn y gorffennol i wella tymor nythu’r ehedydd a hau blodau gwyllt sy’n tyfu ar y bryn.
Wrth i Tudor a Julia symud ymlaen â’u cynlluniau, maen nhw’n cyfaddef na fydden nhw byth wedi gallu cyflawni’r hyn maen nhw wedi’i wneud heb gefnogaeth Cyswllt Ffermio. Roedd y cymorth a’r arweiniad technegol yn hanfodol. Mae Swyddog Technegol Coedwigaeth Cyswllt Ffermio, Geraint Jones, wedi chwarae rhan allweddol wrth gefnogi’r cwpl.
Derbyniwyd cefnogaeth ychwanegol trwy grant cyfalaf a gynigiwyd eto gan Dirwedd Genedlaethol Bryniau Clwyd a Dyffryn Dyfrdwy trwy Ffermio Bro – Ffermio mewn Tirweddau Gwarchodedig, prosiect a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru.
Mae dau wrych wedi’u coedlannu, a gwaith llenwi bylchau wedi’i wneud gyda 620 metr o ffensys wedi’u codi a 1516 o chwipiau gwreiddiau noeth wedi’u tyfu yn y DU wedi’u plannu. Y rhywogaethau a ddewiswyd oedd draenen wen, cyll, draenen ddu, afal sur, ceirios gwyllt a rhai derw mes-digoes. Cafodd yr holl chwipiau eu hamddiffyn gyda gwarchodwyr cwningen a’u cynnal â chansen.
Mae cymeradwyaeth a chefnogaeth hefyd wedi’i sicrhau gan Daliadau Gwledig Cymru o dan Grantiau Bach – Carbon Amgylcheddol 2025 ar gyfer mwy o waith torri coedlannau a llenwi bylchau ar ddau wrych gyda 166 metr o blannu a 332 metr o ffensys newydd. Bydd hyn yn dechrau yn Hydref 2026.
Mae prosiectau eraill hefyd ar y gweill felly bydd cerddwyr yn parhau i weld gweithgaredd am yr ychydig flynyddoedd nesaf ar y ddwy fferm a fydd, gobeithio, yn cyfrannu at wella a chyfoethogi mynyddoedd Clwyd.