They are rich, damp, dappled places of twisted branches, vivid green mosses and lichens, important homes for rare birds, bats and insects, and steeped in myths and tales.

But a report from a group of conservation organisations has concluded that the remaining pockets of temperate, or Celtic, rainforests of Wales are in a parlous condition and is calling for urgent action from the Welsh government.

The newly created Alliance for Wales’ Rainforests (AWR) says only about one in five of the 68 sites it has surveyed are in good condition and none could be rated as in very good condition. Invasive species such as rhododendron and ivy are present at 70% of the sites, with many of them suffering from insensitive grazing and air pollution.