WALKERS are alarmed about the future of Merrivale Wood Nature Reserve after a notification went up saying the site was to be sold.

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust explained on the notice that the decision had been made following a review of its landholdings, aimed at ensuring that the trust’s limited resources were targeted at conservation and nature recovery across Herefordshire.

Sylvia Marshall, who lives close to one of the entrances to Merrivale Wood said that the notices were first put up in the latter half of the first week of June.

“I saw the notice and thought this could affect a lot of people if the footpaths were not maintained in the future. A lot of foreign workers live close by, and they all use the route through the wood to walk into Ross-on-Wye,” she said.

In a statement, the trust’s nature recovery manager Claire Spicer said: “We appreciate that Merrivale Wood is a much loved walking destination by the local community and that our decision to divest this site may give rise to concern.

“We would like to reassure people that we will be working with our land agents over the coming months to identify tender applications that aim to manage the woodlands for nature going forward.”

Ms Spicer further explained: “Over the decades, since the trust formed, it has acquired some nature reserves through fundraising to purchase particular sites, while in some cases land has been gifted by generous donors.

“Today, we aim for our landholdings to be strategically located to deliver the most they can for wildlife and people.

“All of the work we do is built around the principles of ‘more, bigger, better and joined’. Where we can, we want our nature reserves to be larger, better managed and to geographically link up other habitats so that sites form corridors or stepping stones for wildlife through the landscape. 

“Since 2019 we have acquired additional land through this approach: Round’s Meadow, extending Common Hill Nature Reserve at Fownhope; Oak Tree Farm, within the Lugg Valley at Hope-under-Dinmore; Ail Meadow, adding to our network within the Woolhope Dome; Bartonsham Meadow in Hereford and The Goggin at Richard's Castle.

“While these sites were excellent additions to our estate, we have now reached the point where we own, or lease, more sites than we have the resources – time and money – to manage really well.

“We have therefore decided to divest a number of sites to allow us to better invest our time and energy on those larger, better connected nature reserves where we can make a greater difference for wildlife and people.

“The sites we have chosen to divest are those which are either small or isolated, lie outside of a strategic landscape recovery area, are of lower ecological value or have poor access for maintenance or visitors.

“Merrivale Woods is one of the sites that has been chosen to be divested and will be advertised for sale via informal tender with Sunderlands in the coming weeks.

“The income generated from these sites will allow us to continue to support our dedicated reserves team and the increasing financial costs the team faces.”

It is understood that Forestry England own much of the lands surrounding Merrivale Wood, once a royal hunting ground.