The public have been blocked from a vast area of natural beauty
15:32, 01 Mar 2026Updated 15:33, 01 Mar 2026
Wind turbines in the Brechfa forest, Carmarthenshire (Image: Alun Lenny )
A large area of a popular Welsh forest has been closed to the public after a wind turbine lost one of its blades. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) confirmed that part of Brechfa Forest in Carmarthenshire would be closed for a week due to the potential danger to the public.
The forest, which is popular with walkers, horse riders and mountain bikers, covers around 6,500 hectares of land near the village of Abergorlech and is managed by NRW which looks after wildlife and timber production, as well as wind energy.
Abergorlech, by the Brechfa Forest, Carmarthenshire (Image: Richard Youle )
NRW confirmed it had closed part of the forest as a safety precaution and said the wind turbines operator, RWE, were investigating the cause of why a blade had become unattached from its turbine.
Although a sign says the area will reopen on Friday, March 6, NRW said the closure would remain until they were able to confirm that the area could reopen safely. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here.
A statement from NRW on Saturday, February 28, read: “Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has temporarily closed access to parts of the forest around Brechfa Forest West Wind Farm as a safety precaution while the operator, RWE, investigates the cause of a blade detachment at one of the turbines.
“The closure covers the area shown on the published map and restricts public access to the affected section of land.
“Ensuring appropriate measures are in place to keep visitors safe is our priority, and the closure will remain in place until it is confirmed that the area can be safely reopened.
“Further updates will be issued as more information becomes available.”
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Photos posted online shows one turbine clearly missing a blade, but the reason for how this happened remains unclear.
A sign which has been displayed in the forest states that an area of the land would be closed from 12.01am on Friday, February 27, to 11.59pm on Friday, March 6, for the purpose of “avoiding danger to the public”.
Local residents have raised concerns about their access to the historic forest being limited and events being cancelled as a result of this closure.
Parts of the forest around Brechfa Forest West Wind Farm are temporarily closed(Image: Jonathan Myers)
The NRW website states that the Brechfa Forest walking trials are currently closed and the Raven, Derwen and Gorlech mountain biking trails are currently diverted. The sign does however say that the use of public rights of way is not impacted by the exclusion.