PRESS RELEASE 29-06-2021
Carmarthenshire’s unique heritage celebrated this Summer at the Bishop’s Park & Gardens, Abergwili
The rich history and diverse wildlife of rural Carmarthenshire are celebrated in a series of activities this Summer at the Bishop’s Park & Gardens, Abergwili. The programme is being organised by the Parc yr Esgob Trust, a tiny charity restoring, conserving and maintaining the historic 13 hectare park and gardens, laid out by successive Bishops of St David’s since 1283. The Park surrounds the old palace of the Bishops of St David’s, now home to Carmarthenshire Museum, CofGâr, and while the Museum is currently closed for refurbishment there’s lots going in the Park around it.
A Haymaking Picnic marking National Meadows Day will take place on 3rd July, inviting local people and visitors to celebrate the rich heritage of farming in the area, with vintage machinery, scything demonstration, Bishop’s Park apple juice tasting, childrens’ activities and a haymaking exhibition. Share your memories of haymaking in the area and find out how the Trust is managing the Bishop’s Great Meadow to benefit the rare flood plain meadow habitat, with conservation grazing and meadow monitoring.
A Kite Festival on August 14th will focus on handmade, traditional crafts and nature and heritage- themed trails for children are planned weekly throughout the Summer holidays, linking in with the aims of the Trust to promote sustainability and 
natural play, and bring more families into the Park.
The Bishop’s Park Horticultural, Craft and Produce Show will be held (in person, or virtually, as restrictions allow) on 4th September 2021. This popular village show, first held in 1893, is being revived for the 21st century to bring together the community and celebrate all things grown and produced locally. Enter your prize tomatoes, your best lemon drizzle, and see how your dahlias measure up! With craft stalls and activities for all, including a consultation event by West Wales Willow on the intriguing history of the Carmarthenshire ‘Butter Basket’.
More heritage activities are being planned for the Autumn include willow weaving and fermentation and preserving workshops, a celebration of apple day, Halloween and Christmas activities. Booking is essential for all organised activities; for the full programme visit: https://parcyresgob.org.uk/visit-us/whats-on/
Trust Manager Louise Austin said, “We’re thrilled to be holding a series of activities aimed at bringing the community together and celebrating 800 years of history, horticulture and wildlife at the Bishop’s Park. We hope local people will join us and help us make the restored park a place for all to enjoy and to cherish for the future.”
About the Restoration of the Park
The activities taking place at the Park are part of the wider programme of restoration and enhancement of the Bishop’s Park managed by the Parc yr Esgob Trust to conserve and restore the park and gardens to the period of their last major re-design in the 1840s.
The project includes restoring the Bishop’s brewhouse and laundry for use as a café and learning and interpretation centre, the installation of the new Jenkinson Garden greeting visitors to the Museum, designed by Head Gardener Piers Lunt with TACP UK Ltd, a new Woodland Garden with a giant felled beech at its centre and improved public access to the adjacent Great Meadow. A huge amount of garden conservation and restoration work has also taken place in the Park itself, including clearing invasive species and diseased trees, and the installation of a whole series of attractive new paths and benches. The Trust relies on Piers and a team of volunteers to undertake all the garden work – and we need more help – to volunteer with the Trust please contact enquiries@tywigateway.org.uk
The project is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Welsh Government – Enabling Natural Resources and wellbeing in Wales Funding and The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe Investing in Rural Areas (Cronfa Amaethyddol Eewrop ar gyfer Datblygu Gwledig: Ewrop yn Buddsoddi mewn Ardaloedd Gwledig) and Carmarthenmshire Council, with Brechfa Forest West Wind Farm Community Fund, Carmarthenshire County Council Targeted Finance Fund and the Welsh Church Fund – to whom we extend our heartfelt thanks.
For hi-res images visit: https://photos.app.goo.gl/JY6mDVjZjDbBGxXN6
Notes to editors
About the Parc yr Esgob Trust
The Trust was set up in 2016 to: “promote for the benefit of the public at the Bishop’s Park and its cultural setting in Abergwili the conservation, protection, improvement and understanding of the built and natural environments.”
The Parc yr Esgob Trust are currently delivering the Tywi Gateway Project at the Bishop’s Park, Abergwili, a £2.4m Parks for People project funded with a £1.2m grant by the National Lottery.
The Trust are a tiny charity with the equivalent of just 3 full time staff, relying on the generosity of volunteers and supporters to continue our work.
To find out more about the work of the Trust visit: https://parcyresgob.org.uk/
To give monthly to the Trust visit: https://localgiving.org/charity/parc-yr-esgob-trust
Follow @ParkYrEsgob on Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – YouTube
Further information
For further information, images and interviews please contact Louise Austin at Parc yr Esgob Trust on 07399 265237, email: louiseaustin@tywigateway.org.uk
The Bishop Park & Gardens, Abergwili, Carmarthenshire SA31 2JG
Parc yr Esgob Trust is a Registered Charity: CIO Registered No. 1167244 https://parcyresgob.org.uk/
Posted: 29/06/2021 by Caroline Welch
Celebrating our unique heritage this Summer
Carmarthenshire’s unique heritage celebrated this Summer at the Bishop’s Park & Gardens, Abergwili
The rich history and diverse wildlife of rural Carmarthenshire are celebrated in a series of activities this Summer at the Bishop’s Park & Gardens, Abergwili. The programme is being organised by the Parc yr Esgob Trust, a tiny charity restoring, conserving and maintaining the historic 13 hectare park and gardens, laid out by successive Bishops of St David’s since 1283. The Park surrounds the old palace of the Bishops of St David’s, now home to Carmarthenshire Museum, CofGâr, and while the Museum is currently closed for refurbishment there’s lots going in the Park around it.
A Kite Festival on August 14th will focus on handmade, traditional crafts and nature and heritage- themed trails for children are planned weekly throughout the Summer holidays, linking in with the aims of the Trust to promote sustainability and
natural play, and bring more families into the Park.
The Bishop’s Park Horticultural, Craft and Produce Show will be held (in person, or virtually, as restrictions allow) on 4th September 2021. This popular village show, first held in 1893, is being revived for the 21st century to bring together the community and celebrate all things grown and produced locally. Enter your prize tomatoes, your best lemon drizzle, and see how your dahlias measure up! With craft stalls and activities for all, including a consultation event by West Wales Willow on the intriguing history of the Carmarthenshire ‘Butter Basket’.
More heritage activities are being planned for the Autumn include willow weaving and fermentation and preserving workshops, a celebration of apple day, Halloween and Christmas activities. Booking is essential for all organised activities; for the full programme visit: https://parcyresgob.org.uk/visit-us/whats-on/
About the Restoration of the Park
The activities taking place at the Park are part of the wider programme of restoration and enhancement of the Bishop’s Park managed by the Parc yr Esgob Trust to conserve and restore the park and gardens to the period of their last major re-design in the 1840s.
The project includes restoring the Bishop’s brewhouse and laundry for use as a café and learning and interpretation centre, the installation of the new Jenkinson Garden greeting visitors to the Museum, designed by Head Gardener Piers Lunt with TACP UK Ltd, a new Woodland Garden with a giant felled beech at its centre and improved public access to the adjacent Great Meadow. A huge amount of garden conservation and restoration work has also taken place in the Park itself, including clearing invasive species and diseased trees, and the installation of a whole series of attractive new paths and benches. The Trust relies on Piers and a team of volunteers to undertake all the garden work – and we need more help – to volunteer with the Trust please contact enquiries@tywigateway.org.uk
The project is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Welsh Government – Enabling Natural Resources and wellbeing in Wales Funding and The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe Investing in Rural Areas (Cronfa Amaethyddol Eewrop ar gyfer Datblygu Gwledig: Ewrop yn Buddsoddi mewn Ardaloedd Gwledig) and Carmarthenmshire Council, with Brechfa Forest West Wind Farm Community Fund, Carmarthenshire County Council Targeted Finance Fund and the Welsh Church Fund – to whom we extend our heartfelt thanks.
For hi-res images visit: https://photos.app.goo.gl/JY6mDVjZjDbBGxXN6
Notes to editors
About the Parc yr Esgob Trust
The Trust was set up in 2016 to: “promote for the benefit of the public at the Bishop’s Park and its cultural setting in Abergwili the conservation, protection, improvement and understanding of the built and natural environments.”
The Parc yr Esgob Trust are currently delivering the Tywi Gateway Project at the Bishop’s Park, Abergwili, a £2.4m Parks for People project funded with a £1.2m grant by the National Lottery.
The Trust are a tiny charity with the equivalent of just 3 full time staff, relying on the generosity of volunteers and supporters to continue our work.
To find out more about the work of the Trust visit: https://parcyresgob.org.uk/
To give monthly to the Trust visit: https://localgiving.org/charity/parc-yr-esgob-trust
Follow @ParkYrEsgob on Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – YouTube
Further information
For further information, images and interviews please contact Louise Austin at Parc yr Esgob Trust on 07399 265237, email: louiseaustin@tywigateway.org.uk
The Bishop Park & Gardens, Abergwili, Carmarthenshire SA31 2JG
Parc yr Esgob Trust is a Registered Charity: CIO Registered No. 1167244 https://parcyresgob.org.uk/
Posted: 10/06/2021 by Caroline Welch
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Posted: 27/05/2021 by Caroline Welch
Staying Safe in the Park
The Park is a wonderful place to explore and play, but it does have some narrow and uneven paths, trip hazards like tree roots and steep drops – and a rather large, fenced off, pond. Our ha-ha (a long and deep ditch) runs the length of the Park, separating the Park itself from the Great Meadow; it is not fenced off and contains standing water. Please therefore ensure children are supervised at all times in the Park.
You may have also noticed lots of new planting in the Park. To protect the ground flora, and make sure the new plants and wildlife can flourish here it’s important for visitors and children to stick to the paths and not pull apart living plants.
Find out What’s On
Posted: 20/05/2021 by Caroline Welch
2021 Events in the Park
We’re really excite
d to announce some of our public events finalised for the year – we hope there’s something for everyone, but if you have any ideas, comments or feedback do let us know. These events will also be promoted on social media – so do share our posts and help us spread the word!
Booking is essential for these activities to ensure we can Covid Track & Trace and to help us plan ahead. There will be an Eventbrite page for each event so please keep checking our website and the Eventbrite page as it will be updated with the booking link.
View and Book Events
Posted: 27/04/2021 by Caroline Welch
Bishop’s Park Apple Juice for sale!
For the very first time ever we have pressed the heritage apples from the Bishop’s own walled garden into delicious apple juice. Available on 20th May, from 4-6pm, on a first come first served basis – for cash payments only at the moment.
About the Juice
We have 3 types of juice for sale – single variety apple juices from individual trees within the Old Bishop’s Palace orchard in Abergwili.
Bramley – rich sharp acidity
Blenheim Orange – a characteristically “nutty” flavour
Newton Wonder – sharp acidity slightly sweeter than Bramley
The apples are all 19th century varieties grown naturally on apple trees which were planted for the Bishops of St David’s in the Bishop’s own walled kitchen garden. The garden is being brought back in to production by the Tywi Gateway Trust’s Head Gardener, Piers Lunt, working with local volunteers.
Cost
Please let us know with your booking how many bottles you would like.
one bottle – £3.60
three bottles – £10
six bottles – £20
Timed Slots 4pm-6pm
We are operating a booking system so please choose your half-hour slot from 4pm until 6pm . If there is a queue please keep 2 metres between you and the people in front and behind.
BOOK YOUR SLOT NOW
Posted: 08/04/2021 by Caroline Welch
We’re in Gardens Illustrated this month!
We are just thrilled to be featured in @Gardens Illustrated this month! Our project to breathe new life into the Bishops Park & Gardens at Abergwili, including two beautiful new garden areas, a new café and learning centre is well underway – and it’s featured on page 103 of ‘The Vogue’ of gardening magazines this April!
The new gardens were designed by our Head Gardener Piers Lunt with TACP UK Ltd, and the landscaping is being carried out by Afan Group. We are so grateful to them and to all who volunteer in the park and gardens and keep it looking so beautiful
Read more about the work taking place in our press release here.
Posted: 23/03/2021 by Caroline Welch
Work begins on the new Café and Learning Centre!
When finished, the learning centre will enable visitors of all ages to enjoy, to learn, to socialise and to engage with history, culture, gardening and wildlife of this exceptional place – a real community asset with wellbeing at its heart.
Posted: 18/03/2021 by Caroline Welch
What to See Now: March
In the first in a new series of blogs from our Head Gardener, Piers Lunt, we explore the changes that are taking place in the Park and Gardens this March.
March is living up to the first half of the old saying ‘comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb’; let’s hope the second half also holds true!
We’ve had some furious weather over the last few weeks, but despite the best efforts of gales, floods and frosts to take the upper hand spring has sprung in the Bishop’s Park, and we’ve finally turned our backs on a hard winter, if not quite yet for good.
Wildflowers that have been making sporadic appearance since late January are taking advantage of longer days, lifting themselves up in hope of discovery by early pollinators braving the still muted temperatures. Look out in particular for celandine, open when the sky is bright and closing against the rain; and primroses that are virtually untroubled by any inclement weather, somehow maintaining their poise even when faced by the full-throated lion’s roar. The snowdrops came a little later this year than last, and
true to their ephemeral nature are nearly over, but if quick you’ll catch the last of them down on top of the HaHa and under the ancient common-lime in the Park, nodding their little white heads quietly among glaucous foliage.
The more perceptive among us might notice subtle changes in the trees too. April is the month of most obvious growth, as buds en masse begin to break and leaf out, but for now you’ll notice them swell and sometimes change colour too, a development that never fails to instil the excitement of expectation in me. It’s this pause before the new season really blooms that quickens the blood or, better perhaps, raises the sap.
We are also witnessing changes in the wildlife too. Love is undeniably in the air for our feathered friends…
Some, like the collared dove above my office door at the Lodge, are already incubating eggs in fresh nests, with others still gathering materials and building with purpose. I’ve seen my first honeybees of the year too, taking advantage of the increased warmth of the Walled Garden, adding daffodil to the bulging pollen baskets on their legs while drinking deeply of its nectar.
noticed significant development over the last month. Afan Landscapes are back on site, starting with development of the Jenkinson Garden, our homage to its namesake and the formal design he constructed in the area in the 1830s. Our redesign not only mimics his circular garden, but also primarily uses plants that would have been available to his gardeners. Inspiration was taken from John Claudius Loudon’s Encyclopaedia of Plants from 1843. Incidentally, it appears Loudon was a contemporaneous inspiration to Bishop Jenkinson too; so we are bringing things full circle in more ways than one.
If you regularly spend time in the Park you cannot fail to have
Once complete Afan will be moving around the east and south of the museum, converting the old tarmac path to our new hoggin surface, knitting it together with the sections improved last year. I know this is something many people have been waiting for – it’s just a few short weeks away now! Thereafter we’ll have a fully restored and integrated, vastly improved, major path network; it even, by and large, survives the floods.
But let’s hope we’ve seen the back of those for a while.
Posted: 09/03/2021 by Caroline Welch
New wildlife-friendly gardens take shape this month at the Bishop’s Park, Abergwili, Carmarthenshire
PRESS RELEASE 09-03-21
New wildlife-friendly gardens take shape this month at the Bishop’s Park, Abergwili, Carmarthenshire
Two new gardens are being created at the Bishop’s Park, Abergwili this month, thanks to a grant of £22,900 from Welsh Government and the National Lottery Heritage Fund ‘Local Places for Nature’ fund. The Park surrounds the old palace of the Bishops of St David’s, now home to Carmarthenshire Museum, and the new gardens form part of the wider restoration and conservation of the site, including the transformation of derelict outbuildings to house a new café and learning and interpretation centre. Historic plant varieties are being used to create attractive new planting displays beneficial for wildlife, as well as providing educational opportunities and activities for visitors and children. Educational resources and lesson plans showcasing the planting and installation of the garden are being created in partnership with local primary schools.
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 new Bishop Jenkinson’s Garden
The entrance area which currently greets visitors to the site is being 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.
New Woodland Area
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. The new woodland garden area will be planted up with the help of two apprentices from the Dyffryn Tywi project, Dan and Ossian.
Louise Austin, Trust Manager, said “We are thrilled to receive this Welsh Government and National Lottery grant which is enabling 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 more local schools and community groups to develop a wide range of educational activities and materials for visitors, children and the local community.“
Community Focus
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.
Notes to editors
About the Tywi Gateway Trust
The Trust was set up in 2016 to: “promote for the benefit of the public at the Bishop’s Park and its cultural setting in Abergwili the conservation, protection, improvement and understanding of the built and natural environments.”
The Tywi Gateway Trust are currently delivering the Tywi Gateway Project at the Bishop’s Park, Abergwili, a £2.4m Parks for People project funded with a £1.2m grant by the National Lottery.
The Trust are a tiny charity with the equivalent of just 3 full time staff, relying on the generosity of volunteers and supporters to continue our work.
To give monthly to the Trust visit: https://localgiving.org/charity/the-tywi-gateway-trust/
To find out more about the work of the Trust visit: https://parcyresgob.org.uk/
Follow @ParkYrEsgob on Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – YouTube
About the Grant
‘Local Places for Nature’ is a Welsh Government grant scheme intended to enable communities in Wales to restore and enhance nature. The National Lottery Heritage Fund provides a financial contribution to the scheme and manages the scheme on behalf of Welsh Government.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we Inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk. Follow @HeritageFundCYM on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund
Further information
For further information, images and interviews please contact Louise Austin at the Tywi Gateway Trust on 07399 265237, email: louiseaustin@tywigateway.org.uk
Posted: 04/03/2021 by Caroline Welch
Bishop Jenkinson’s Garden Takes Shape!
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