Gardening volunteer

“I have been involved since around 2018

“I got involved initially via Archaeological Dig in 2017, and heard about the garden project a short time later.

“I enjoy working in a natural setting and being busy with well planned tasks. This is good for my mental health and my self-esteem.

“When I am not volunteering here, I am a model railway enthusiast and volunteer at Ty Hafan most Saturdays.”

Gardening volunteer, nature recording and birdwatching.

“I started volunteering at Bishop’s Park in April 2022

“I live in the village next to the Park which I have visited and walked around on many occasions over the decades.

“I enjoy meeting my fellow colleagues/volunteers and working in the garden with them. The work is physical and helps keep me fit. Also, it’s a good excuse to leave the house!

“I retired from full time work at Glangwili Hospital over five and a half years ago. After that, I started volunteering in the garden of Newton House, owned by the Dinefwr National Trust near Llandeilo, in the orchard of Abergwili village and archaeology excavations with Heneb (Dyfed).

“In addition to the above, I enjoy hill and mountain-walking and I’m a keen birdwatcher.”

Gardening volunteer at the park for approximately 5 years.

“I have walked children and dogs in the park for over 40 years. On retirement I was looking for a volunteering role and spoke to Piers Lunt (former Head Gardener). I enjoy working outdoors and meeting people. Volunteering here is good for the soul.”

We have really enjoyed having Ben and Connie here this year. It has given us more capacity to do our work, an additional set of skills and, most importantly, a fresh perspective.

At the start of their placement, Connie and Ben were asked to consider how we could better engage with young people. As well as assisting us in a variety of activities, from gardening to interviewing visitors, to supporting in meetings and school sessions, Ben has produced a draft marketing plan for engaging young people and Connie has produced a draft script for an interpretive tour which we hope will speak to people from primary school age upwards.

We have learned from them that providing work experience placements for young people is, in itself, a great way to involve them. They have given us excellent ideas for capturing the imagination of a different range of people and stimulating interest in the park’s heritage and history.

Here’s what Connie and Ben have to say about the experience:

Connie: “I am a 22 year old Public History and Heritage Master’s student from Swansea University.  I have just finished my placement at Parc Yr Esgob, and I have had such an amazing time.

“Before I joined Parc Yr Esgob I was worried that I did not know enough about the heritage industry to find a job after I graduated, but through my time here I have learnt so much and I am so much more confident in every aspect of the heritage sector. I have learnt a lot about the importance of volunteers, how to engage visitors, and the role of interpretation. I have also found a passion for engaging young people in heritage, which I hope to carry forward into my future career.

“I enjoyed my time at Parc Yr Esgob greatly, and I am incredibly grateful for everyone there for everything I have learnt.”

Ben: “I have had a great experience at Parc Yr Esgob during my 100-hour placement. My placement at Parc yr Esgob has been invaluable, as it has given me experience of what it is like to work at a heritage site and the skills necessary to do so, as before I volunteered at the park, I had no true understanding of how heritage sites are run and what it is like to work in one.

“My time at the park has enhanced my communication, leadership, and marketing skills, and it has been a joy to work alongside the volunteers and staff at the park. I have really enjoyed my time at the park, and I thank all the staff and volunteers who have made my time at the park so pleasant. I recommend anyone interested in history and desires a job in the heritage sector to volunteer at the park, for you will surely enjoy it.”

Plant growers and retailers from across West Wales joined volunteers and staff at Parc yr Esgob (Bishop’s Park), Abergwili, to deliver a highly successful Spring Plant Fair on Saturday 9 May.

The event featured 12 stalls offering a wide range of horticultural and botanical products, including vegetable seedlings, flowering plants, dried flowers, and reclaimed garden fixtures and fittings. Visitors also enjoyed a live performance from the Rock Choir, who entertained the crowd with uplifting and well‑known rock songs, alongside demonstrations from Carmarthen Spinners, Weavers and Dyers.

Head Gardener Blue Barnes‑Thomas welcomed the success of this fundraising event: “Parc yr Esgob is managed by a charitable trust, and it costs £300 a day to maintain. These funds are much needed for the upkeep of the park, to keep it safe and beautiful for community and visitors, and to manage the habitats that support a wide range of wildlife.”

Organisers extended their thanks to all the volunteers, performers, and stallholders who helped make the day such a great success.

Supporters who wish to contribute to the ongoing care of Parc yr Esgob can donate via:
https://parcyresgob.org.uk/support-us/donate/

Our 6 historical costume volunteers have created a range of costumes inspired by some of the ancient stories included in the Mabinogi.

On May 11 we opened our doors to the public (actually it was the doors of our marquee, which was pitched on the lawn!) for them to view the costumes.

We provided basic information about the costumes, the characters and their places within the stories.  The volunteers were joined by members of Carmarthen Spinners, Weavers and Dyers.

In the afternoon, we invited pupils from Ysgol Wirfoddol Abergwili (Abergwili Voluntary Controlled County Primary School), who loved hearing about the costumes. Volunteer Helen read the story of Blodeuwedd to the children and Engagement Officer Anne May read the story about how Lleu Llaw Gyffes won his name.  The children asked many many questions….

Trustees and staff at Parc yr Esgob (Bishop’s Park) will be using the name “Parc yr Esgob Trust” as the public working name for the charity from April 2026, although The Tywi Gateway Trust remains  our legally constituted title.

Betsan Caldwell, Trust chair explained “We wanted to improve name recognition of Parc yr Esgob and the trust which manages it amongst visitors, partners and others, and our new working name aligns us with our mission much more clearly.”

The change will not affect the trust’s constitution or trading information but all marketing material, social media sites and staff e-mail addresses will feature the new working name.

Engaging young people with heritage can be difficult, so we were delighted to welcome Rosie for 4 days of work experience in February 2026.

This is Rosie’s Blog:

Day 1

The day started with a quick tour of the parkland, beginning outside the Carmarthenshire museum in Jenkinson’s Garden, which I learned would once have been used to grow herbs and medicinal plants for the bishop’s house. The surrounding park and woodland garden contain a variety of large and beautiful trees, ranging from sequoias to huge beeches, which dominate a lot of the woodland. I was also shown the wetland meadow and Bishop’s pond, which I found very exciting – it’s really an oxbow lake (something I had never seen but learnt about in school), an SSSI, and an otter habitat!

I also spent some time in the polytunnel potting plants grown from cuttings around the park – it’s nice to think that in a few months’ time they’ll be thriving outside, in a small way because of me.

Day 2

Went on a quick walk first thing, just noticing things and taking photographs of fungi around the park

Met the rest of the volunteering team, everyone was so inviting and lovely, we split into groups, and we went to plant wildflowers to make the lawn more diverse. I found that working in a team meant that you learnt from others – I learnt a mushroom I’d found earlier was called Turkey Tail.

We had lunch (including cake!), and after I had finished the wildflower planting, I weeded some flower beds and dug out some molehills, finding that even though it was cold outside, I kept warm by working.

I finished the day seed packaging so they could be sold in the shop – amazed at how varied seeds are, calendula seeds look like octopus tentacles!

Day 3

I started by sowing seeds. Something I really enjoyed learning to do properly especially that I might come back in the summer and see plants growing.

For most of the day I took a camera and took photographs of anything that I found interesting in the park, there’s so much more to see in the winter than you’d expect! Highlights were crimson elf cup mushrooms, fiery coloured dogwoods, slime mould on a log and a beautiful flowering fruit tree.

Had lunch with a different group of volunteers, enjoyed chatting and learning about and from the new people, and then packaged some different seeds.

Sat in on a meeting about the projects in progress at the park, like the walled garden project which sounds like it’ll be really cool and came to understand the amount of management and coordination that it takes to run the park.

Day 4 – Final day

Took tools and cut down a load of invasive non-native laurel from along the banks of the oxbow lake, and further up into the woodland, which meant I got a nice look at the lake, and had fun scrambling about on the steep sides to get to the laurels.

Helped to unload a delivery of trees that will be planted in the woodland and on the lake banks – the categorising of which allowed me to learn to identify some species of tree saplings, including my favourite – hawthorn trees.

Finished laurel cutting and then had lunch in the café (Very nice food!)

After, I visited the museum, that despite not having all floors open had lots to look at and learn about. I was very excited for the Egyptian exhibit – and it did not disappoint! Took lots of photos of artifacts, art and information in books that I’ll pore over later.

To end my time volunteering, I replenished the stock of plants to sell in the shop.

I’ve had a fantastic time volunteering in Bishop’s park, and I feel like I’ve got to know lots of the people that work and volunteer here and learnt a lot from them. I feel like I have contributed at least a bit to a special and unique landscape and now have more understanding in what it takes to care for a parkland and woodland environment. The most important thing I have learnt is that no matter what you’re interested in, there will be something for you to obsess over in Bishop’s Park, or something more for you to learn.

Thank you for letting me volunteer!

Engaging young people with heritage can be difficult. Working with students from Swansea University helps us understand how to do that better.

This is Connie’s story.

“Hi! My name is Connie.  I’m a 21-year-old Public History and Heritage Master’s student at Swansea University, and I’m doing my work placement at Parc Yr Esgob. I am originally from Surrey, but I have been in Swansea for nearly four years now as I also did my undergraduate degree at Swansea University. I am very passionate about making history accessible, and enabling everyone to understand both local and non-local history, something I believe the Park greatly succeeds in. I particularly feel that making Welsh heritage accessible for everyone is an important part of preserving cultural identity within the smaller communities as well for the country as a whole.

I am looking to build a career in the heritage sector, and I’m looking forward to being presented with a well-rounded experience of the Park’s area of the sector and all it has to offer. In particular, I would like to learn about how the team at Parc Yr Esgob engages the public, and about horticultural heritage, an area I have not previously explored.

I’m really excited for this opportunity to begin as I am looking forward to discovering everything I can learn from my time at Parc Yr Esgob, as well as what I can learn about the history of the park and the people there. I hope to positively contribute to the development of such a significant part of the local history.”

Welcome Connie!

The photo shows Connie supporting Education Officer Gemma on a school visit.

Engaging young people with heritage can be difficult. Working with students from Swansea University helps us understand how to do that better.

This is Ben’s story.

“Hi, my name is Ben and I am a 23-year-old History Master’s student at Swansea University.  I have selected Parc Yr Esgob for my work placement. I am from Swansea, where I have lived for most of my life, apart from spending a year studying in the United States, which gave me the opportunity to experience how heritage is explored in a different culture. I have a real passion for Welsh history, particularly the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and I am especially interested in how local history helps to connect communities to places and environments around them.

I am hoping to build a career in the heritage sector, and by volunteering at Parc yr Esgob I aim to develop practical skills and the experience needed to do so. Through my time at the Park, I hope to learn more about its rich history, contribute to its ongoing development, assist with conservation work, and support efforts to make the site more accessible.

I am really looking forward to volunteering at the Park to learn new skills, meet new people and help to  introduce a wider community to the history of the Bishops of St Davids and the Park, while also playing a small part in ensuring this important site can be enjoyed by future generations.”

Welcome Ben!

The photo shows Ben working as part of the Horticultural Volunteer team.