Spring is on its way and the longer days are great news for visitors and gardeners alike. This month in the Park look out for Primroses which are starting to flower in various areas, as well as those cheerful little Lesser Celandines with lots of fresh new foliage and some sporadic flowering – but only on bright days! Daffodil and Snowdrop foliage are pushing their way through the leaf litter all around the park – the ‘haha’ edge (the gap between the main park and the Great Meadow / Waun Fawr) is the perfect place to spot snowdrops – but beware the drop into the ditch there! Hazel catkins are dangling from some of the larger hazels now and you can easily lose half an hour watching the mallards on the Bishop’s Pond; they are very meditative to watch, if you have the time!
At the moment too we are blessed with some really beautiful sunrises and sunsets – looking particularly stunning over the Great Meadow, with the sun silhouetting the bare branches of the mature trees. We’ve been busy too – you’ll see Piers out and about with chainsaw as lots of Cherry Laurel is being coppiced and cleared to improve conditions for native tree and ground flora species.
Copyright Caryl Thomas 2020 – The Great Meadow at Bishops Park, Abergwili
PRESS RELEASE 18-12-2020
New wildlife-friendly gardens at the Bishop’s Park, Abergwili made possible by Welsh Government and National Lottery support
The Tywi Gateway Trust has received a grant of £22,900 from Welsh Government and the National Lottery Heritage Fund ‘Local Places for Nature’ to create two new garden areas at the Bishop’s Park, Abergwili, as part of wider restoration and conservation of the site. The Park surrounds the old palace of the Bishops of St David’s, now home to Carmarthenshire Museum, where outbuildings will also be converted to house a new café and learning and interpretation centre. The award will enable the purchase of historic plant varieties to create attractive new planting displays beneficial for wildlife, as well as providing educational opportunities and activities for visitors and children.
Andrew White, Director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales said:
“Nature is our oldest form of heritage and it has never been more important to look after nature and help people to understand its importance. Nature can also boost our mood; reduce stress; help us to relax; improve our physical and mental health and it should be accessible to everyone.
“Funding nature and landscapes is one of The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s key strategic funding priorities in Wales and we are very happy to be working in partnership with the Welsh Government to award this ‘Local Places for Nature’ grant to the Tywi Gateway Trust so that people of the area can learn more about and benefit from their own natural heritage.”
The entrance area which currently greets visitors to the site will be transformed to provide a new garden for year-round interest taking its design inspiration from the time of Bishop John Jenkinson (1825 to 1840). It will be circular in design, with attractive planting including espalier Welsh heritage apple and pear trees, and a large range of culinary and medicinal herbs and plants available in the mid-19th century. The garden is designed to provide a combination of native and ornamental plants providing nectar and pollen sources for insects, reflecting both the sustainable aims of the project and the rich history of the site.
The new woodland garden area lies at the edge of the main woodland at the Bishop’s Park and was first opened up 5 years ago when a mature beech tree had to be felled due to fungus making the tree unstable. This now forms an attractive sheltered open area in a natural bowl, looking out across the flood plain meadow where visitors will be able to sit and enjoy the plantings with the backdrop of the Tywi Valley and enjoy the wellbeing benefits of being in woodland. New ornamental shrubs, small trees and spring-flowering bulbs and the introduction of bird and bat boxes will enhance the native flora and fauna and benefit woodland wildlife.
Louise Austin, Trust Manager, said “We are thrilled to receive this Welsh Government and National Lottery grant which will enable us to create attractive new garden and woodland areas, using heritage plant varieties and benefitting pollinating insects and other wildlife. We are greatly looking forward to working with local schools and community groups to develop a wide range of educational activities and materials for visitors, children and the local community.“
The Tywi Gateway Trust are keen to ensure the park is accessible for and enjoyed by all. The project will enable local young people to work with the Tywi Gateway Trust’s Head Gardener Piers Lunt learning how to prepare, plant and care for the garden areas, including planting traditional Welsh varieties of apple trees such as Tinyrwydd and Bardsey.
The installation of the new gardens are part of the wider programme of restoration and enhancement of the Bishop’s Park managed by the Tywi Gateway Trust to conserve and restore the park and gardens to the period of their last major re-design in the 1840s. This includes bringing the attractive walled kitchen garden back into production and improving public access to the adjacent Great Meadow, which will be managed to benefit the rare flood plain meadow habitat. The project will also conserve the Bishop’s Pond ox-bow lake which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and restore the outbuildings of the Old Bishop’s Palace for use as a learning and interpretation centre with café, which will open in Autumn 2021.
Copyright Caryl Thomas 2020 – The Great Meadow at Bishops Park, Abergwili[/caption]
Caroline and Ffiona with Piers and colleagues from Carmarthen Museum on a tour of the Walled Garden
The Tywi Gateway Trust are delighted to announce that we have now appointed our Community Engagement and Learning officer. In fact we have appointed two great new members to our team as a job share in the post. Ffiona Jones who started in September and Caroline Welch who will be joining us in November.
Ffiona Jones comes from a farming background, having studied agriculture at The Welsh Agricultural College, Aberystwyth in the late 1980’s. In 2008, she studied at the University of Wales Trinity St David, Carmarthen, where she gained her BA Primary Education with QTS in 2011. She has spent the following years working mainly as a supply teacher across Carmarthenshire. She is also currently studying for her MA in Local History at UWTSD.
Having grown up on a dairy farm in the Kidwelly area, Ffiona farms in the Tywi Valley at Pontargothi with her husband and 3 grown-up children, where they have a small herd of prize-winning pedigree Jersey cattle. It has been farmed by the family for over a hundred and twenty years.
Ffiona is a fluent Welsh speaker and has been involved with numerous organizations since moving to the area in the 1990’s, including YFC, local agricultural shows and cattle breed societies, the Urdd, Llanegwad Parish Church, Ysgol Nantgaredig and Ysgol Gyfun Bro Myrddin to name but a few.
Ffiona hopes that her role will enable her to engage with all that she loves about the Tywi Valley – the ecology, the history, heritage and culture and of course, the people.
If you are passionate about heritage and the environment, excited by the prospect of developing a new site-specific community engagement and learning programme – then this is a unique opportunity to lead a team of volunteers and others in creating a truly special, enjoyable, rewarding and safe learning experience for visitors, staff and volunteers alike.
This two year post will encourage and increase visitors of all ages to the Bishop’s Park as a place to enjoy and learn in. It will bring together and build links between the community, the park, the Old Bishops Palace and Carmarthenshire County Museum and its collections.
The Trust is delighted to announce the continued support by Abergwili Community Council for the restoration of the Bishops Park.
The Community Council have donated a further £2,000 towards the creation of a Community Engagement and Learning Officer post. Starting in September 2020 this post will encourage and develop a network of park users from across Carmarthenshire. The post will work with groups, clubs, societies and interest groups, as well as schools and colleges developing learning opportunities and creating activities to explore what makes the Bishops Park, the Old Bishops Palace and the Museum’s collections special.
Trust Chair, Betsan Caldwell, said “We are delighted that the Community Council is continuing to support our work to conserve and protect what makes the Bishops park special. The project, due to be completed in September 2021, will also create a café and learning space encouraging more people to come and explore the amazing history, ecology and horticulture here at the Bishops Park.
“There are already many members of the Abergwili community actively taking part in the park’s restoration as Trustees and volunteers, all helping to bring back the Bishops Park to its former glory and we hope that more will continue to get involved.”
Despite lockdown and the closure of the Bishops Park to the public, great progress is being made with the restoration of these historic gardens at Abergwili. In May specialist conservation builders David Siggery Ltd. started on the repair of the 250 year old walls of the walled garden, where fruit and veg were once grown for the table of the Bishops of Saint Davids. The builders are also repairing the 300m long Ha-ha, a ditch and sunken wall built to separate the Bishop’s gardens from the animals grazing on the meadows beyond. This early 19th century garden features was designed so that the Bishops gardens appeared to extend uninterrupted across the Tywi valley, like the water of an infinity pool becoming one with the ocean.
Alongside the Tywi Gateway Project the County Council’s repairs to the Old Bishops Palace roof are also progressing well with the contractors, TAD Builders Ltd., making the most of the fine weather.
In the light of the announcement by Carmarthenshire County Council on the 11th of June to re-open Carmarthenshire parks and gardens, the Tywi Gateway Trust are working with the Council and the site contractors to find a safe way to re-open the Bishops Park, Abergwili to the public on the 3rd July.
As well as social distancing amongst the park’s visitors, arrangements need to be made to keep our site contractors, volunteers and staff safe. With the increased activity and vehicle movements of two contractor teams on site we will have to restrict further vehicle access to the site. On re-opening we will therefore be initially welcoming visitors on foot only.
An early morning view out over the cleared ha-ha and across the Tywi Valley
We have reached an exciting point in the restoration of the Bishops Park with the first of our contractors about to start on the restoration of the walls of the walled garden and the Ha-ha. And alongside this work, in collaboration with the museum, we were about to announce a programme of public activities and events.
However, this comes at a difficult time. Following government guidance, we have decided that to keep visitors, volunteers and staff as safe as possible from coronavirus we will be delaying our activities and events programme for three months.
All being well we will be relaunching our line up of events for the summer holidays at the end of July with living history performances in the Walled Garden exploring medieval medication and the traditional uses of herbs for healing.
Where safe, and in line with government guidance, volunteering opportunities assisting Piers in the management and maintenance of the Park and Gardens will continue.
In the meantime the Bishops Park will remain open to all.
The Trust is now ready to implement the next phase of tree work at the Bishop’s Park. Working again with local arborists Extreme Tree Services we will be continuing the restoration of this nationally significant park and garden, creating better conditions for the fabulous historical and specimen trees across the site; aiding the restoration of our listed structures; providing new planting and habitat opportunities; and maintaining the park as a safe and exciting place to visit.
From September 23rd Stuart, Dan and Harry will be selectively clearing self-sown scrub trees along the ha-ha, one of the most impressive landscape features in the park. This 315-metre retaining wall was constructed in the early 19th Century to provide uninterrupted views from the estate into the stunning Tywi Valley beyond, views that have been completely lost over a number of decades. Once complete this clearance work, and the conservation stonework to follow, will reinstate a major aspect of the park’s unique character, which is also unique to the Tywi Valley.
Unfortunately ash dieback continues to wreak havoc across the region, and all ash trees at the park have become infected. As a consequence it is necessary for us to remove them to maintain a safe environment for visitors. We hope for this work to be carried out in November. It is vital that all landowners are aware of their responsibilities regarding ash dieback, and that they take all appropriate health and safety measures.
We here at the Trust are incredibly excited to be restoring the park, bringing its history vividly to life while maintaining it as an enjoyable place to visit for years to come. We apologise for any inconvenience this tree work may cause but urge you to abide by all signs and instructions while work is undertaken. If you have any queries or would like to find out more about the project, please feel free to contact us.
This autumn tree surgeons will be back at the Bishop’s Park. Sadly, all our ash trees are infected with ash dieback and we have to fell them to make the park safe for visitors. However, by removing the ash and some of the other trees that have grown up along the Ha-ha, we will restore the fabulous historic views across the Tywi Valley.
Come and start to your exploration of the Tywi Valley at Parc yr Esgob – Bishops Park. Parc yr Esgob volunteer Nigel Bailey has designed and described a series of walks which can all be started at Parc yr Esgob and the Museum. All the information you need, including a map, explanation of the route and fascinating insights into the area you are walking through, are on this site.
This walk takes you through a landscape of historic places and characters that go back 1000 years; from Rhain “The Irishman” and the Battle of Abergwili to the 18th century Carmarthen tin-plate works and the site of a WWII Prisoner of War camp.
Posted: 02/02/2021 by Caroline Welch
What to see now: February
Spring is on its way and the longer days are great news for visitors and gardeners alike. This month in the Park look out for Primroses which are starting to flower in various areas, as well as those cheerful little Lesser Celandines with lots of fresh new foliage and some sporadic flowering – but only on bright days! Daffodil and Snowdrop foliage are pushing their way through the leaf litter all around the park – the ‘haha’ edge (the gap between the main park and the Great Meadow / Waun Fawr) is the perfect place to spot snowdrops – but beware the drop into the ditch there! Hazel catkins are dangling from some of the larger hazels now and you can easily lose half an hour watching the mallards on the Bishop’s Pond; they are very meditative to watch, if you have the time!
At the moment too we are blessed with some really beautiful sunrises and sunsets – looking particularly stunning over the Great Meadow, with the sun silhouetting the bare branches of the mature trees. We’ve been busy too – you’ll see Piers out and about with chainsaw as lots of Cherry Laurel is being coppiced and cleared to improve conditions for native tree and ground flora species.
Posted: 18/12/2020 by Admin
Bishop’s Park wins Local Places for Nature Grant
PRESS RELEASE 18-12-2020
New wildlife-friendly gardens at the Bishop’s Park, Abergwili made possible by Welsh Government and National Lottery support
The Tywi Gateway Trust has received a grant of £22,900 from Welsh Government and the National Lottery Heritage Fund ‘Local Places for Nature’ to create two new garden areas at the Bishop’s Park, Abergwili, as part of wider restoration and conservation of the site. The Park surrounds the old palace of the Bishops of St David’s, now home to Carmarthenshire Museum, where outbuildings will also be converted to house a new café and learning and interpretation centre. The award will enable the purchase of historic plant varieties to create attractive new planting displays beneficial for wildlife, as well as providing educational opportunities and activities for visitors and children.
Andrew White, Director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales said:
“Nature is our oldest form of heritage and it has never been more important to look after nature and help people to understand its importance. Nature can also boost our mood; reduce stress; help us to relax; improve our physical and mental health and it should be accessible to everyone.
“Funding nature and landscapes is one of The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s key strategic funding priorities in Wales and we are very happy to be working in partnership with the Welsh Government to award this ‘Local Places for Nature’ grant to the Tywi Gateway Trust so that people of the area can learn more about and benefit from their own natural heritage.”
The entrance area which currently greets visitors to the site will be transformed to provide a new garden for year-round interest taking its design inspiration from the time of Bishop John Jenkinson (1825 to 1840). It will be circular in design, with attractive planting including espalier Welsh heritage apple and pear trees, and a large range of culinary and medicinal herbs and plants available in the mid-19th century. The garden is designed to provide a combination of native and ornamental plants providing nectar and pollen sources for insects, reflecting both the sustainable aims of the project and the rich history of the site.
The new woodland garden area lies at the edge of the main woodland at the Bishop’s Park and was first opened up 5 years ago when a mature beech tree had to be felled due to fungus making the tree unstable. This now forms an attractive sheltered open area in a natural bowl, looking out across the flood plain meadow where visitors will be able to sit and enjoy the plantings with the backdrop of the Tywi Valley and enjoy the wellbeing benefits of being in woodland. New ornamental shrubs, small trees and spring-flowering bulbs and the introduction of bird and bat boxes will enhance the native flora and fauna and benefit woodland wildlife.
Louise Austin, Trust Manager, said “We are thrilled to receive this Welsh Government and National Lottery grant which will enable us to create attractive new garden and woodland areas, using heritage plant varieties and benefitting pollinating insects and other wildlife. We are greatly looking forward to working with local schools and community groups to develop a wide range of educational activities and materials for visitors, children and the local community.“
The Tywi Gateway Trust are keen to ensure the park is accessible for and enjoyed by all. The project will enable local young people to work with the Tywi Gateway Trust’s Head Gardener Piers Lunt learning how to prepare, plant and care for the garden areas, including planting traditional Welsh varieties of apple trees such as Tinyrwydd and Bardsey.
The installation of the new gardens are part of the wider programme of restoration and enhancement of the Bishop’s Park managed by the Tywi Gateway Trust to conserve and restore the park and gardens to the period of their last major re-design in the 1840s. This includes bringing the attractive walled kitchen garden back into production and improving public access to the adjacent Great Meadow, which will be managed to benefit the rare flood plain meadow habitat. The project will also conserve the Bishop’s Pond ox-bow lake which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and restore the outbuildings of the Old Bishop’s Palace for use as a learning and interpretation centre with café, which will open in Autumn 2021.
Copyright Caryl Thomas 2020 – The Great Meadow at Bishops Park, Abergwili[/caption]
Posted: 07/10/2020 by Admin
Two New Team Members
Caroline and Ffiona with Piers and colleagues from Carmarthen Museum on a tour of the Walled Garden
The Tywi Gateway Trust are delighted to announce that we have now appointed our Community Engagement and Learning officer. In fact we have appointed two great new members to our team as a job share in the post. Ffiona Jones who started in September and Caroline Welch who will be joining us in November.
Ffiona Jones comes from a farming background, having studied agriculture at The Welsh Agricultural College, Aberystwyth in the late 1980’s. In 2008, she studied at the University of Wales Trinity St David, Carmarthen, where she gained her BA Primary Education with QTS in 2011. She has spent the following years working mainly as a supply teacher across Carmarthenshire. She is also currently studying for her MA in Local History at UWTSD.
Having grown up on a dairy farm in the Kidwelly area, Ffiona farms in the Tywi Valley at Pontargothi with her husband and 3 grown-up children, where they have a small herd of prize-winning pedigree Jersey cattle. It has been farmed by the family for over a hundred and twenty years.
Ffiona is a fluent Welsh speaker and has been involved with numerous organizations since moving to the area in the 1990’s, including YFC, local agricultural shows and cattle breed societies, the Urdd, Llanegwad Parish Church, Ysgol Nantgaredig and Ysgol Gyfun Bro Myrddin to name but a few.
Ffiona hopes that her role will enable her to engage with all that she loves about the Tywi Valley – the ecology, the history, heritage and culture and of course, the people.
Posted: 30/07/2020 by Admin
New Role at the Bishop’s Park – Community Engagement and Learning Officer
If you are passionate about heritage and the environment, excited by the prospect of developing a new site-specific community engagement and learning programme – then this is a unique opportunity to lead a team of volunteers and others in creating a truly special, enjoyable, rewarding and safe learning experience for visitors, staff and volunteers alike.
This two year post will encourage and increase visitors of all ages to the Bishop’s Park as a place to enjoy and learn in. It will bring together and build links between the community, the park, the Old Bishops Palace and Carmarthenshire County Museum and its collections.
Find further information HERE
or contact Louise Austin – Tywi Gateway Trust Manager – louiseaustin@tywigateway.org.uk.
Application deadline 12 noon Friday 21st August.
Posted: 25/06/2020 by Admin
Project Support from Abergwili Community
The Trust is delighted to announce the continued support by Abergwili Community Council for the restoration of the Bishops Park.
The Community Council have donated a further £2,000 towards the creation of a Community Engagement and Learning Officer post. Starting in September 2020 this post will encourage and develop a network of park users from across Carmarthenshire. The post will work with groups, clubs, societies and interest groups, as well as schools and colleges developing learning opportunities and creating activities to explore what makes the Bishops Park, the Old Bishops Palace and the Museum’s collections special.
Trust Chair, Betsan Caldwell, said “We are delighted that the Community Council is continuing to support our work to conserve and protect what makes the Bishops park special. The project, due to be completed in September 2021, will also create a café and learning space encouraging more people to come and explore the amazing history, ecology and horticulture here at the Bishops Park.
“There are already many members of the Abergwili community actively taking part in the park’s restoration as Trustees and volunteers, all helping to bring back the Bishops Park to its former glory and we hope that more will continue to get involved.”
Posted: 25/06/2020 by Admin
Bishops Park to re-open to pedestrians in July
Despite lockdown and the closure of the Bishops Park to the public, great progress is being made with the restoration of these historic gardens at Abergwili. In May specialist conservation builders David Siggery Ltd. started on the repair of the 250 year old walls of the walled garden, where fruit and veg were once grown for the table of the Bishops of Saint Davids. The builders are also repairing the 300m long Ha-ha, a ditch and sunken wall built to separate the Bishop’s gardens from the animals grazing on the meadows beyond. This early 19th century garden features was designed so that the Bishops gardens appeared to extend uninterrupted across the Tywi valley, like the water of an infinity pool becoming one with the ocean.
Alongside the Tywi Gateway Project the County Council’s repairs to the Old Bishops Palace roof are also progressing well with the contractors, TAD Builders Ltd., making the most of the fine weather.
In the light of the announcement by Carmarthenshire County Council on the 11th of June to re-open Carmarthenshire parks and gardens, the Tywi Gateway Trust are working with the Council and the site contractors to find a safe way to re-open the Bishops Park, Abergwili to the public on the 3rd July.
As well as social distancing amongst the park’s visitors, arrangements need to be made to keep our site contractors, volunteers and staff safe. With the increased activity and vehicle movements of two contractor teams on site we will have to restrict further vehicle access to the site. On re-opening we will therefore be initially welcoming visitors on foot only.
Posted: 18/03/2020 by Admin
News March 2020
Interesting Times
An early morning view out over the cleared ha-ha and across the Tywi Valley
We have reached an exciting point in the restoration of the Bishops Park with the first of our contractors about to start on the restoration of the walls of the walled garden and the Ha-ha. And alongside this work, in collaboration with the museum, we were about to announce a programme of public activities and events.
However, this comes at a difficult time. Following government guidance, we have decided that to keep visitors, volunteers and staff as safe as possible from coronavirus we will be delaying our activities and events programme for three months.
All being well we will be relaunching our line up of events for the summer holidays at the end of July with living history performances in the Walled Garden exploring medieval medication and the traditional uses of herbs for healing.
Where safe, and in line with government guidance, volunteering opportunities assisting Piers in the management and maintenance of the Park and Gardens will continue.
In the meantime the Bishops Park will remain open to all.
Posted: 06/09/2019 by Caroline Welch
Phase 2 – Autumn 2019
The Trust is now ready to implement the next phase of tree work at the Bishop’s Park. Working again with local arborists Extreme Tree Services we will be continuing the restoration of this nationally significant park and garden, creating better conditions for the fabulous historical and specimen trees across the site; aiding the restoration of our listed structures; providing new planting and habitat opportunities; and maintaining the park as a safe and exciting place to visit.
From September 23rd Stuart, Dan and Harry will be selectively clearing self-sown scrub trees along the ha-ha, one of the most impressive landscape features in the park. This 315-metre retaining wall was constructed in the early 19th Century to provide uninterrupted views from the estate into the stunning Tywi Valley beyond, views that have been completely lost over a number of decades. Once complete this clearance work, and the conservation stonework to follow, will reinstate a major aspect of the park’s unique character, which is also unique to the Tywi Valley.
Unfortunately ash dieback continues to wreak havoc across the region, and all ash trees at the park have become infected. As a consequence it is necessary for us to remove them to maintain a safe environment for visitors. We hope for this work to be carried out in November. It is vital that all landowners are aware of their responsibilities regarding ash dieback, and that they take all appropriate health and safety measures.
We here at the Trust are incredibly excited to be restoring the park, bringing its history vividly to life while maintaining it as an enjoyable place to visit for years to come. We apologise for any inconvenience this tree work may cause but urge you to abide by all signs and instructions while work is undertaken. If you have any queries or would like to find out more about the project, please feel free to contact us.
Posted: 06/09/2019 by Admin
More tree work at the Bishops Park – Autumn 2019
This autumn tree surgeons will be back at the Bishop’s Park. Sadly, all our ash trees are infected with ash dieback and we have to fell them to make the park safe for visitors. However, by removing the ash and some of the other trees that have grown up along the Ha-ha, we will restore the fabulous historic views across the Tywi Valley.
More Information
Posted: 22/08/2019 by Admin
Explore the Tywi Valley
Come and start to your exploration of the Tywi Valley at Parc yr Esgob – Bishops Park. Parc yr Esgob volunteer Nigel Bailey has designed and described a series of walks which can all be started at Parc yr Esgob and the Museum. All the information you need, including a map, explanation of the route and fascinating insights into the area you are walking through, are on this site.
The first of these self-guided walks is the 3¼ MILES ‘Gwili River and Railway Walk’.
This walk takes you through a landscape of historic places and characters that go back 1000 years; from Rhain “The Irishman” and the Battle of Abergwili to the 18th century Carmarthen tin-plate works and the site of a WWII Prisoner of War camp.