Work is underway on recovering up to a thousand trees that were uprooted on the Stackpole Estate when winds of up to 93 mph hit Pembrokeshire in February. The trees, mainly Grand Firs, blocked footpaths, cycle tracks and bridleways created by the National Trust at Cheriton Bottom and Castle Dock Woods. The scale of the recovery is such that the National Trust has employed contractors to remove the trees. The clearance operation at Cheriton Bottom started on Tuesday (May 27) and is expected to take up to six weeks. Once this work has been done and the paths re-opened, a similar six-week project will begin at nearby Castle Dock Woods. Due to safety issues, walkers, cyclists and horse riders are being advised to avoid the woodland during each phase. "There will be large machinery involved and big bits of timber being moved around so for health and safety reasons it is best that people stay away from Cheriton Bottoms for the next six weeks and Castle Dock Woods for six weeks thereafter,' said National Trust ranger at the Stackpole Estate, Alex Shilling. The scale of the loss of trees is unprecedented and the cost to the National Trust of the clearance operation significant. Although many of the soft wood trees were due to be felled in the near future, a number of native broad-leaf species were brought down by the high winds. Later this year, the National Trust will clear trees that have fallen on the valley floor and slopes in both woodlands. But Alex said the priority initially was to restore access. "The National Trust has invested significant resources in opening up these woodlands to the public in recent years so we are very keen that people can enjoy them again as soon as possible,' he said. Much of the wood will be chipped to fuel the biomass boiler which powers the heating system at the National Trust's Stackpole Centre but some will be used to create wild play areas and outdoor seating on the Estate. There will be some replanting while other areas will be left to regenerate naturally.