Parc yr Esgob, the Bishop’s Park in Abergwili, hosted an autumn Gardeners’ Question Time, with a special wildlife focus, on October 7^th, 6pm, in Stacey’s Kitchen, Parc yr Esgob’s resident cafe.

The panel members were Laura Moss from West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre, Joseph Atkin, who was Head Gardener at Aberglasney, Simon Richards who is Head Gardener at Scolton Manor and Parc yr Esgob’s own Head Gardener, Blue Barnes-Thomas.  The event was chaired by Teresa Walters, Walled Garden Project Manager (Engagement).

The audience were invited to pose questions about how to garden brilliantly in a way that encourages pollinators, creates a mosaic of habitats and is kind to other wildlife.  Although Blue and his team of volunteers manage over 17 acres of parkland, gardens, meadow, woodland and a pond, those with urban gardens, smallholdings or small window boxes were also able to enjoy evening and share their experiences of nurturing flowers, food and wildlife too.

Blue explained “Most of our supporters and visitors know us for the built heritage of the Bishop’s Palace, for the gorgeous gardens and the fabulous cakes in Stacey’s Kitchen.  So we wanted to shine a light on the park’s natural heritage, on the wildlife in other parks in the region, on how we all work to support it, and on how the wildlife supports what we do too.”

19 very thoughtful questions were received before the event.  The panel addressed around 10 questions in around an hour and a half – and the audience left wanted to hear more…

“It was a lovely, inspiring evening … I learnt a lot.’  Said one audience member.  “‘Excellent night” said another, “Many thanks.” “We thought the panel were first rate” commented one of the park’s volunteers. Another said that “The very likeable panel were clearly passionate about both plants and wildlife.”

All four panel members have agreed to return for a further Wildlife Gardeners’ Question Time session next year.  “Watch out for our event in autumn 2027,” said Blue.

For further information see https://parcyresgob.org.uk/whats-on/

Engagement Officer

Drawing on her background in youth and community work, Anne is aware of the barriers that may prevent people from engaging in activities and the importance of belonging.

Having worked as a volunteer manager for charities who nurture, and value volunteering, she has witnessed the associated benefits volunteering can bring to the lives of both beneficiaries and the volunteers themselves.

Without a doubt, the walled garden is her favourite part of the park:

“As you step through the oak archway, you cannot help but be captivated by this forgotten walled garden that has long been neglected…”

As a Welsh learner, Anne values the opportunity to use Welsh on a daily basis in her role at the park. In 2025, Anne’s article ‘Restoring an old walled garden’ was published in Barn with special funding from the Books Council for developing new voices.

She is very much looking forward to the official opening of the walled garden in 2027.

Role in the park: Head Gardener

Background: Blue started working as an assistant gardener in October of 2023, after being made redundant from a previous job. Due to the previous head gardener leaving, Blue was later able to step up to the role of head gardener. Before working at the park, he is ashamed to admit he has never been to Carmarthen Museum in the 18 years that he has lived here, but is glad that he now is able to be here often

Favourite part about working here: Blue mentions he enjoys the variety that comes with his role as there’s “a good variety of stuff here, like the meadowland, the woodland, the parkland and of course the garden” The project he’s currently working towards is the plot of land which they will turn into allotments, hoping it will become a space where “people can go to grow food, either for themselves, or people who they know want fresh food, for instance a local care home, or schools across Carmarthen.” He also finds great importance in the benefits of being outdoors and is glad that the park is a place where people can come to relieve stress and clear their heads, as he mentions working in the park has allowed him to be surrounded by nature, which he sees as a fundamental part of what makes him happy.

Role in the park: Walled Garden Project Manager (Engagement), job sharing with Louise, whose focus is the capital works in the walled garden.  Engagement means developing a programme of events and regular activities and working with Anne, Blue, Yvonne and Gemma to attract, welcome and support volunteers, groups, schools, stakeholders, partners and members of the public to the park and the walled garden.

Background: She has worked in the third sector for 26 years (and volunteered in it for much longer) including for Centre for Alternative Technology, Ecodyfi (now Dyfi Biosphere), Down to Earth Project, Volunteering Matters, Tir Coed, Severn Wye Energy Agency and 4 Llan Community Land Trust.  Before that she did a PhD and taught undergraduates and community members at the University of Wales Aberystwyth.  She also worked as an advertising copywriter and web designer.

Favourite part about working here: the variety of the role, seeing how much people care about this place, working with a talented team of volunteers and staff, and learning from the past in order to contribute to Parc yr Esgob’s future.

Education Officer

I am the Education Officer at Parc yr Esgob, where I develop and deliver educational opportunities that help connect people with the park’s natural, cultural and historical heritage. My role involves creating and implementing learning resources for both primary and secondary schools, coordinating outreach programmes to engage schools and communities, and developing family-friendly activities and resources that enhance visitors’ experiences.

My background is in primary education. Before joining Parc yr Esgob, I was a teacher at Penclawdd Primary School in Swansea for around ten years. During that time, I taught a variety of age groups, although most of my experience was within the Early Years Foundation Phase. I was also the school’s Reading Leader for six years, leading initiatives to promote literacy and a love of reading. In addition, I worked with the Welsh Government’s Pori Drwy Stori programme, helping to develop reading resources for children under five across Wales.

What I enjoy most about Parc yr Esgob is the opportunity to inspire curiosity and learning beyond the classroom, creating meaningful experiences that help people of all ages connect with the park and its unique environment.

Operations Manager

Sarah’s connection with the Park began in March 2024 when she joined as a volunteer in the gardens. Following a cancer diagnosis, she became increasingly passionate about healthy, sustainable living and wanted to reduce her reliance on supermarket produce by growing her own organic vegetables.

Living on a farm high up on the Black Mountain within the Brecon Beacons National Park, she found it difficult to access locally grown produce due to the remoteness of her location. When she saw an advertisement for a free six-week horticultural course at the Park, she decided to take part.

During the course, Sarah learned the fundamentals of growing vegetables from seed and gained the confidence to begin cultivating produce at home. Under the guidance of Yvonne, whose enthusiasm and knowledge made a lasting impression, Sarah developed skills that continue to benefit her today. Two years later, she is well on her way to becoming increasingly self-sufficient, growing more vegetables each year and enjoying the rewards of home-grown produce.

Following the course, Sarah successfully applied for an administrative role at the Park in July 2024. Prior to this, she had enjoyed a successful career with AstraZeneca, leaving her position as Programme Director in 2013 to focus on renovating a barn on the family farm into a holiday cottage business. However, following her cancer diagnosis, she felt a need to reconnect with the community and rebuild her confidence. She remains deeply grateful to Bishop’s Park Trust for providing an opportunity at a time when she needed it most.

Since joining the organisation, Sarah has supported a wide range of projects and activities, working closely with the Trust Manager and Assistant Gardener before taking responsibility for the Park’s events programme in 2025. As Chair of the Llangadog Gardening Club, she was able to bring together contacts and expertise from both organisations to help deliver a successful and well-received calendar of events throughout the year.

Her commitment, adaptability and enthusiasm for the Park’s mission led to her appointment as Operations Manager in July 2026. In this role, she oversees a broad range of operational activities and enjoys the challenge of managing a dynamic and ever-changing environment, describing it as “very reactive, so you never quite know what each day will bring.”

Alongside her operational responsibilities, Sarah is currently project managing the transformation of The Lodge into a holiday cottage. Once completed, the project will provide an important new income stream, helping to secure much-needed funding for the Park’s future.

Sarah is a strong advocate for volunteering and firmly believes that taking the first step can open unexpected doors. Her own journey from volunteer to Operations Manager demonstrates the opportunities that can arise through community involvement, learning new skills and embracing new challenges.

“I love the setting and looking out over the Jenkinson Garden. Most of all, I love the people I have met along the way. The friendships, support and sense of community are what make working here so rewarding”.

Role in the park: Development Director

Background: Rebekah had been enjoying the park for a little while, but also had two former colleagues working here, and after hearing how much they enjoyed their work she thought it would be “a lovely place to work”, and she got the job! While Rebekah is relatively new to working at the Bishop’s Park, she has had former experience working in roles at Welsh and national charities for the last 22 years.

Favourite part about working here: “I’m really enjoying finding out about the history” says Rebekah, and she feels the park is a site which has “more to discover”. She also mentions that she enjoys seeing people having a great time at the park, and is happy that it is “beloved by the community”.

Role in the park: Assistant Gardener

Background:  Before this role, Yvonne worked for many years at Carmarthen School of Art and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, with a role in the learning support team. However, she first heard about the park whilst living in Scotland, where she was doing a year’s placement for the RSPB in the Highlands. After returning to Wales she volunteered at the park as a gardener and managed to acquire an official role at the park as assistant gardener and complete the RHS Level 2 certificate in the Principles and Practices of Horticulture.

Favourite part about working here: “I like being outdoors, I like doing practical tasks and organising” says Yvonne, who is currently organising plant sales, along with planning for the future by “seeing what plants we need to propagate for the year ahead”.

Role in the park: Project Manager.

At the moment Louise is working with the walled garden project which involves restoring the walled kitchen garden, which is a part of the old bishop’s palace grounds.

Background: She first started working for the trust in August 2018, but she previously worked as an archaeologist, where she was for several years in the field. She later went on to work in heritage management, and later for the local authorities in England, where she provided advice to planning authorities. However, after working for several years in the rather flat landscape of Cambridgeshire, she “wanted to go somewhere that had some hills” which led her to Wales, where she was able to continue her heritage management work before moving on to working in the Bishops Park in Carmarthenshire

Favourite part about working here: “I love working here, I love being here and doing outdoor stuff” says Louise. She enjoys being part of a team which is “leaving a legacy that’s going to be there for the local people” and it gives her “huge amounts of pleasure seeing people enjoy using the park, particularly seeing families with several generations coming in and enjoying it.”