CAMPAIGNERS battling to save a piece of ancient woodland celebrated as its £1.5m sale went through yesterday.

The Woodland Trust say their campaign to save 870 acres of Wentwood Forest, near Newport, was their most successful.

Yesterday it ended with the confirmation of the sale, made possible by a massive public campaign supported by the Argus.

The trust had to raise at least £1.5m to secure the purchase of the land - part of Wales' largest area of ancient woodland, and home to thousands of different species such as the dormouse, the buzzard and the kestrel - and begin the massive task of restoring it.

More than 30,000 donations were received in the build-up to buying the forest, and more than £100,000 was raised by local people.

Contributions came from several grant-making bodies and charities, including the Countryside Council for Wales.

Celebrities including actress Dame Judi Dench, weathergirl Sian Lloyd and travel writer Bill Bryson also supported the campaign.

There were fears the forest could have been bought by a firm wanting to carry out commercial forestry.

Woodland Trust chief executive Sue Holden said: "The trust offered the only hope of survival of this precious habitat.

"Thanks to the generosity of our supporters we can work to restore this wonderful national treasure house and recreate its magical broadleaf atmosphere."

The woodland will be open for general use, including mountain biking and rambling, as soon as the work is completed.

John Winder, who manages the site for the trust, said he was planning to start thinning the conifers in the next few months to allow more light through to native woodland species.

Local schools will be invited to plant native trees in the forest in February.

The trust is also planning a big public celebration of the successful campaign on May 13 at Wentwood, when the public can express their views on how the wood should be managed.

More details of these events can be found at www.savewentwoodforest.org.uk.

Wentwood Forest is the remainder of a vast woodland that once stretched from the River Usk to the Wye Valley. Ancient woodland in Wales is land which has been continuously wooded since 1600.