EFFORTS to save historical Cadora Woods in the Wye Valley have been boosted by a big grant from the Gloucestershire Environmental Trust.
The Woodland Trust has been beavering away to secure the long term future of the woods.
The Gloucestershire Environmental Trust has added £22,000 to contributions from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the People's Trust for Endangered Species, towards the Trust's purchase and restoration of Cadora Woods. The Heritage Lottery Fund has already granted £329,000.
Cadora Woods extends over 2.5km along the steep valley side overlooking the main Chepstow to Monmouth road and the River Wye. It is an Ancient Woodland Site that for centuries has been covered with native broadleaved woodland, up until the majority was converted to a conifer plantation in the 1960s.
The purchase of Cadora Woods links two ancient woodland sites already in Trust ownership, Bigsweir Wood and Causeway Grove.
Additionally, the Gloucestershire Environmental Trust, which is funded with landfill tax contributions donated by Cory Environmental, has supported the purchase of an area of pasture land adjoining Cadora Grove, which will provide a link with Highbury Wood which is owned and managed by English Nature.
Lynne Garner of the Gloucestershire Environmental Trust said: "We are delighted to have been able to support the Woodland Trust in this project. It means that the combined sites will provide a very significant area of 159.9 hectares (395 acres) for wildlife conservation, all of which will be available for free public access."
Laura Judson, of the Woodland Trust, said: "The support from the Environmental Trust, added to support from other organisations, mean that three areas covered by international conservation designations will be linked.
"The Trust will be concentrating on the removal of the conifers from Cadora Woods and demonstrating the extensive benefits of ancient woodland restoration."