Spring in Ancient Woodlands at Dolmelynllyn

Rhodri and one of his helpers

Spring is here and it’s time for ancient oak woodlands to wake up and burst into life. One of my favourite woodlands is Dolmelynllyn, half way between Campbell’s Kingdom and where the Colonel used to work in Dolgellau.

The Dolmelynllyn estate was the one-time home of William Maddocks, the MP and entrepreneur, famous for building the Cob which established the deep-water harbour at Port Maddock i.e. Porthmadog. For many years Dolmelynllyn has been owned and managed by the National Trust, but what exactly does it mean to ‘manage a woodland’? 

My assignment from the National Trust was to try and bring the subject to life by making a film with Rhodri the ranger. We recorded the activities that corresponded with each of the four seasons and then joined them together to create ‘A Year in the Life of a National Trust Woodland’.