Your local wood at risk: will £90,000 and 7 days save a 4.5-hectare haven for Ross-on-Wye families?

Funding pressures and community pride now collide in a small Herefordshire woodland that many residents treat as their daily escape.

A plan to sell Merrivale Wood has brought a hard choice into focus: protection of a treasured local patch versus the drive to prioritise scarcer conservation funds for larger, more resilient reserves.

Why the trust is selling

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust intends to sell the 4.5-hectare Merrivale Wood near Ross-on-Wye. The charity manages nearly 60 sites across the county and says smaller reserves have become costly to manage. Paths need upkeep. Fences fail. Trees with ash dieback require inspection and, sometimes, urgent work. Bills mount quickly.

The trust says selling Merrivale Wood will help focus limited resources on bigger sites with greater potential for nature recovery.

A review of landholdings is under way. The stated aim is to direct funds where conservation impact is judged strongest. That calculation points to larger reserves with more habitat diversity and room for species to thrive. In practice, that means letting go of smaller, discrete parcels that demand regular maintenance yet deliver narrower ecological gains.

What could change on the ground

The sale is being handled by Sutherlands. The agent says the site will be delisted as a local nature reserve before completion. Public access would then rely on the existing public footpath, rather than the permissive, wider access arrangements that many residents have enjoyed.

If the sale proceeds without a conservation-minded buyer, community access may shrink to a single right of way through the wood.

Ancient woodland status, where applicable, does not vanish when ownership changes. It signals that the site has been continuously wooded since at least 1600. That label brings strong policy protections under national planning rules. Development is highly constrained, and any felling still requires a licence, except for limited exemptions. Even so, ownership matters for how paths are maintained, how habitat is managed and how welcome people feel.

Key facts at a glance

• Size: 4.5 hectares of woodland near Ross-on-Wye
• Price target: £90,000 community appeal
• Deadline: 30 October for a viable proposal
• Current manager: Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, overseeing nearly 60 sites countywide
• Access on sale: via the existing public footpath only, unless the new owner permits more

A community bid gathers pace

Local residents Jess and Jody Shaw have launched an appeal to keep Merrivale open for public enjoyment. Their target is £90,000. Early donations total just over £1,100. They accept the deadline is tight, but they hope to present a clear plan that shows funding can be built over time and that community access is worth safeguarding.

Independent town councillor Daniel Lister backs their effort. He argues that community ownership would protect everyday use. Without it, access could narrow, and a well-loved route could feel off-limits.

Backers of the bid say community ownership would secure a welcoming space for walkers, families and schools, not just a thin corridor along a fence line.

The trust says it is in contact with community representatives and is open to a considered proposal. Its board would assess any plan against conservation aims and the practicalities of management and governance.

Counting the costs of care

Small woods can be dear to maintain. Insurance, tree safety surveys, path surfacing and volunteer coordination generate steady costs. Ash dieback, now common across England, adds extra tree safety work. Contractors and disposal fees strain local budgets. Grants exist, but they often require matched funding and strong governance.

That financial reality sits behind the trust’s strategy. Larger reserves can spread fixed costs and support bigger habitat mosaics. They also tend to attract more programme funding for landscape-scale recovery. For a county charity with finite staff time and money, triage becomes unavoidable.

What delisting means

Local nature reserve status is designated by local authorities to recognise value for wildlife and people. Delisting removes that local designation. It does not remove wider protections such as ancient woodland policy safeguards, Tree Preservation Orders or the need for felling licences. But it can weaken the expectation of permissive access and interpretive facilities.

How a community purchase might work

Groups often form a charitable community benefit society or a charitable incorporated organisation to buy land. That structure can hold a title, insure the site and apply for grants. It also reassures donors and regulators. A clear management plan helps: zoning for quiet wildlife areas, waymarked trails, and practical measures for dogs, litter and safety.

Money rarely comes from one pot. Alongside local donations, community buyers often seek support from heritage and nature funds, local authority community grants, and philanthropic trusts. Some raise a portion through community shares, where residents buy non-transferable, withdrawable shares to support the asset. Corporate sponsorship, carefully managed to avoid greenwash, can finance path work or signage.

A credible plan names the legal vehicle, shows how annual upkeep will be paid, and proves that public access and wildlife goals can sit together.

What readers need to know before they donate

Ask how the group will manage tree safety and insurance. Check who will hold the title. Look for a reserves policy to cover emergencies such as storm damage. Clarify how conflicts between wildlife protection and heavy footfall will be handled. Insist on transparent budgets and annual accounts. These details matter as much as the purchase price.

Why small woods still matter

Even modest sites plug gaps in a landscape. They connect hedgerows and larger forests. They shelter bats, invertebrates and woodland birds that commute across farmed land. For people, they provide cool shade in heatwaves and soft ground in winter. They host school visits, health walks and quiet moments before work.

Ancient woodland soils store centuries of fungal networks and seedbanks. Disturbance can set back that legacy. Sensitive management—low-impact paths, careful coppicing, minimal lighting—keeps that living archive intact. A community owner with patient stewardship can deliver those gains if the books balance.

Practical next steps

• If you walk Merrivale Wood, note the public footpath line and respect adjacent habitat.
• Support the group if it publishes a robust governance plan with clear budgets.
• Offer skilled help: ecology, chainsaw qualifications, bookkeeping, fundraising or legal review.
• Consider community shares if launched, but read the risk statements first.
• If you own nearby land, discuss wildlife corridors and hedgerow links with the group.

The sale of Merrivale Wood crystallises a wider challenge for county wildlife trusts across Britain. Charities face rising costs and climate-driven pressures while trying to stitch nature back together at scale. Local people, when organised and transparent, can keep smaller stepping stones alive. The next week will show whether this community can turn goodwill into a viable bid, and whether a buyer emerges who values both public access and the delicate, ancient character of the wood.