The Brymbo Fossil Forest: A Dynamic New Approach to Successful, Sustainable and Responsible Geoheritage

Abstract The Brymbo Fossil Forest is Europe’s first publicly accessible permanent palaeontological excavation. Housed within a bespoke building on a SSSI site in North Wales, the first phase of this community-led project has been completed ahead of the associated visitor attraction, Stori Brymbo , opening in 2026. The site contains the in-situ fossils of Carboniferous giant lycopod trees and calamatian horsetails as well as a plethora of associated flora and fauna. This is close to the remains of a Georgian ironworks fuelled by the coal formed by these Carboniferous fossil forests. The material and emotional investment in the site have seen a thriving student and local volunteer team develop to explore, excavate, study and conserve the site while interpreting discoveries to communicate to the public. This study utilises recently developed metrics to assess the impact of this investment in a geological SSSI has had on both the scientific and cultural value of the site and the possibilities of utilizing this approach to enhance other geoheritage sites.