Garth Woods is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) now owned by construction and materials company Breedon Group (previously Steetley). It forms part of a larger native Beech woodland, the most westerly in the UK, along with Fforest Fawr, Fforest Ganol, and Castell Coch.
Garth Woods is home to a type of orchid that is only found there, a variation of the critically endangered Narrow-lipped Helleborine. These orchids grow from the seemingly bare forest floor and are connected to the woodland through a network of fungi.
Garth Woods has several access points:
- Opposite Pugh’s Garden Centre on Ty Nant Road
- At the end of Cefn Bychan in Pentyrch
- Via the forestry road leading up from Heol Goch