We’re working with our volunteers and groups of local young people around the Carmarthen area to collect and record recollections and stories of the site of the Old Bishop’s Palace, Abergwili, which will then feed into the 15 Minute Digital Heritage project. The site has over 800 years of history & our historical research volunteers have worked hard to collate it, but we don’t have much on record from the 1930’s onwards. We have a number of visitors who tell us how they were allowed into the gardens on a Sunday afternoon, or how they would fish the Bishop’s Pond, or that their aunt was a maid in the Palac, or that they had their wedding photos taken in the grounds etc. Well, this project is a chance for us to collect these stories and memories and to keep them on record. We’ve received a grant from the 15 Minute Digital Heritage Fund in order to do this and to feed into the trust’s digital content, through working with young people from the Carmarthen area to create short films which will be based around the recollection & stories that we collect.
We’d like to invite anyone who has any connection to the Old Bishop’s Palace, Abergwili site to come for a cup of tea or coffee & cake in our brand new café area to share their stories, memories and recollections and our trained volunteers will be on hand to record them.
The drop-in sessions will be held:
02/08/22 (Wednesday) 2pm – 4pm
03/08/22 (Thursday) 10am-12pm and 4.30pm-6.30pm
09/08/22 (Tuesday) 11am – 4pm
For further details please contact Ffiona on 07395082719 email: FfionaJones@tywigateway.org.uk
Posted: 16/09/2022 by Ffiona Jones
Autumnal Guided Tour
Thursday 20th October at 11.00am
A guided tour of the Parc Yr Esgob-Bishop’s Park, including the walled garden, with information on the history of the site and the restoration project.
To book a place please go to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/435652507377
or call into the reception at Parc Yr Esgob-Bishop’s Park visitor centre (open 11-4.30 Mon-Sat).
Posted: 14/09/2022 by Ffiona Jones
Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
@Stacey’s kitchen will be offering ‘Afternoon Tea’ boxes which will need to be ordered in advanced and picked up between 10am & 11am on Monday morning. Please contact them directly to order.
Posted: 10/08/2022 by Ffiona Jones
New Skill Opportunities for Young People
14 -25 years old? An opportunity to learn new skills for free!
Scripting and film-making workshops at Bishop’s Park this month as part of out 15 Minute Digital Heritage project.
Scripting workshops – Thursday 25th & Friday 26th August 10.30am
Film workshops – Tuesday 30th August – Friday 2nd September 10am- 4pm
Contact Ffiona for more details or to book your place: 07395082719, FfionaJones@tywigateway.org.uk
Posted: 04/08/2022 by Ffiona Jones
Café Open!
It is with great pleasure that we can announce the long-awaited café has finally opened!
We welcome Stacey & Lisa, two local business women who live in Abergwili, who run ‘Stacey’s Kitchen’, along with their team.
There has been much excitement since they opened – long may it continue!
Stacey’s Kitchen’s opening times are 9.00am – 5.00pm, Monday – Sunday
Dogs are welcome & we are fully accessible
Posted: 26/07/2022 by Ffiona Jones
Bishop’s Park Recollections
We’re working with our volunteers and groups of local young people around the Carmarthen area to collect and record recollections and stories of the site of the Old Bishop’s Palace, Abergwili, which will then feed into the 15 Minute Digital Heritage project. The site has over 800 years of history & our historical research volunteers have worked hard to collate it, but we don’t have much on record from the 1930’s onwards. We have a number of visitors who tell us how they were allowed into the gardens on a Sunday afternoon, or how they would fish the Bishop’s Pond, or that their aunt was a maid in the Palac, or that they had their wedding photos taken in the grounds etc. Well, this project is a chance for us to collect these stories and memories and to keep them on record. We’ve received a grant from the 15 Minute Digital Heritage Fund in order to do this and to feed into the trust’s digital content, through working with young people from the Carmarthen area to create short films which will be based around the recollection & stories that we collect.
We’d like to invite anyone who has any connection to the Old Bishop’s Palace, Abergwili site to come for a cup of tea or coffee & cake in our brand new café area to share their stories, memories and recollections and our trained volunteers will be on hand to record them.
The drop-in sessions will be held:
02/08/22 (Wednesday) 2pm – 4pm
03/08/22 (Thursday) 10am-12pm and 4.30pm-6.30pm
09/08/22 (Tuesday) 11am – 4pm
For further details please contact Ffiona on 07395082719 email: FfionaJones@tywigateway.org.uk
Posted: 07/07/2022 by Ffiona Jones
Max Pulford
It is with great sadness that we have to let everyone know that our newly appointed Commercial Manager, Max Pulford, died suddenly last week. Although only a few weeks into the job Max had already begun to make an impact, and all of us were benefitting from his infectious enthusiasm, drive and ability to connect with everyone he met. His wife Penny said that Max was thrilled to have joined our team at the park, and that he came home from his last day at work feeling he’d had a particularly good day. Max evidently enjoyed his new role building practical relationships with local businesses and organisations, and encouraging them to view the park as a valuable asset that could enhance their work. Max was clearly dedicated to the ethos of the Trust, and to making Bishop’s Park a better place for everyone. Our thoughts and condolences go to his family and friends at this difficult time.
Posted: 24/06/2022 by Ffiona Jones
Wildlife Walk – 21st June 2022
Wildlife Walk – 21st June 2022, 2pm. The Bishop’s Park
8 attendees, led by Max Pulford
Phew what a scorcher! Bright sunshine, 27oC and light winds greeted the best turn out on the on the longest day of the year. Large numbers of bees (honey, bumble and carder) and hover flies were collecting pollen as we headed out from the Jenkinson Garden. The 200-year-old London Plane tree, standing proud was undergoing a June drop of leaves – whether this is because of the hot weather, the lack of rain or just what happens we don’t know but the wild bees’ nest was very active in the crevice up the left trunk. A song thrush was singing and then the fluty song of a male blackcap was heard whist the group looked at Carex pendula (the pendulous sedge) in a typical damp woodland edge. Sedges are easy to identify because sedges have edges on their stems. A flowering dog rose and St John’s wort and red campion were nearby in amongst the usual woodland plants including mallow and hedge woundwort. One of the attendees, a tree surgeon in previous life regaled the group with interesting facts about trees.
At the Bishop’s Pond (very low in water) two mallards and a heron were seen in amongst the starting to flower yellow water lilies, Nupar Lutea. Common blue damselflies were skimming over the water. Wrens and chaffinches were heard, and jackdaws seen but the highlight was a pair of spotted flycatchers with food in their beaks suggesting the likelihood of a nest with young. It was hoped a slow worm might be seen in the walled garden, but the day was even too hot for them. Ice creams were a fine finish to the walk and although not many birds were seen, a lovely and interesting walk was had by all. The next walk is Tuesday 19th July.
Max Pulford
Posted: 18/06/2022 by Louise Austin
National Meadows Day 2022
Come and celebrate National Meadows Day with us at Parc Yr Esgob-Bishop’s Park. There will guided tours of Y Waun Fawr, our floodplain meadow, with ecologist, Laurence Brooks. Matthew Collison will be demonstrating his scything skills and how to look after your scythe and there will be a chance for children to go on a bug hunt around the Park.
Posted: 17/06/2022 by Louise Austin
Monthly Wildlife Watch
Join us on our monthly wildlife watch walk at Bishop’s Park – next Tuesday, 21st 2022
2-3pm to help monitor what’s growing and living in the Park.
Wildlife enthusiasts warmly welcomed but no prior knowledge needed. Meet in the Jenkinson Garden at 2pm.
Posted: 23/05/2022 by Louise Austin
Pollinator Logo Competition
The competition winner was Seren Atherton from Talley Primary School and in 2nd place was Oliver Hedd Horn from Nantgaredig Primary School.
Our Community Engagement & Learning Officer and two of our trustees, Betsan Caldwell & Anne Loughrane, visited the schools recently to present Seren & Oliver with their prizes.
Seren’s picture can be seen on our new interpretation boards to note information on the park’s wildlife and Oliver’s picture will soon be seen in our new centre.
There’s a gallery of the contestants pictures on our website.