Walled Garden Restoration Project
Read about our exciting plans for the Walled Garden Restoration Project in our Press Release! A Garden of Memories: National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to bring Abergwili Walled Garden and its hidden stories back to life – Parc yr Esgob – The Bishop’s Park.
Please note that the Walled Garden is not open to the public at the moment due to the restoration work. We will announce future public open days here.
This forgotten walled garden in Abergwili, once the beating heart of the bishop’s estate, is set to bloom again thanks to a £1.2 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. But it’s not just the bricks, glasshouses or ancient orchard being revived – it’s the memories of the people who lived, worked and grew here.
The Tywi Gateway Trust is placing these personal stories at the centre of our ambitious new 30-month Walled Garden Restoration Project. As well as rebuilding three historic glasshouses and the gardener’s bothy, the carefully designed restoration will create a multi-functional facility for learning, training, health recovery, wellbeing and celebration events. The project will also bring the stories of those who once lived and worked there vividly back to life.
This isn’t just a restoration – it’s a conversation across generations. It’s about learning from the past while creating something meaningful for the present. We want visitors and volunteers alike to feel a personal connection to this place, and to draw inspiration and experiences from it that can help them in their own lives today.
Accessibility, inclusivity and wellbeing are key to our mission. We particularly want to welcome people who have not been well-served by heritage.
The restored garden will host community celebrations, educational activities, and public performances, all shaped by the living memories of those who have walked its paths before.
A new horticultural trainee programme will carry this storytelling tradition forward. Young gardeners involved in the project will share their experiences, adding fresh voices to the garden’s evolving legacy.
The Walled Garden Restoration is also receiving match funding of £300,000 from Welsh Government’s Community Facilities Programme, £150,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation, £100,000 from a heritage philanthropist in Wales and £20,000 from the Pilgrim Trust, as well as much-valued match-funding in kind from volunteer involvement. Altogether the project has a value of around £2 million.
Introducing the Walled Garden Project Architects – See the Video here https://youtu.be/DzDUKVSMEwE
We are still able to organise tours of the walled garden for groups, but from September 2025 to April 2027, these will be “hard hat tours” i.e. tours of building work in progress with a strong emphasis on safety.
Our Engagement Officer Anne May is always happy to discuss the activities we can provide to groups. Email Anne.
Walled Garden Restoration Project
Read about our exciting plans for the Walled Garden Restoration Project in our Press Release! A Garden of Memories: National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to bring Abergwili Walled Garden and its hidden stories back to life – Parc yr Esgob – The Bishop’s Park.
Please note that the Walled Garden is not open to the public at the moment due to the restoration work. We will announce future public open days here.
This forgotten walled garden in Abergwili, once the beating heart of the bishop’s estate, is set to bloom again thanks to a £1.2 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. But it’s not just the bricks, glasshouses or ancient orchard being revived – it’s the memories of the people who lived, worked and grew here.
The Tywi Gateway Trust is placing these personal stories at the centre of our ambitious new 30-month Walled Garden Restoration Project. As well as rebuilding three historic glasshouses and the gardener’s bothy, the carefully designed restoration will create a multi-functional facility for learning, training, health recovery, wellbeing and celebration events. The project will also bring the stories of those who once lived and worked there vividly back to life.
This isn’t just a restoration – it’s a conversation across generations. It’s about learning from the past while creating something meaningful for the present. We want visitors and volunteers alike to feel a personal connection to this place, and to draw inspiration and experiences from it that can help them in their own lives today.
Accessibility, inclusivity and wellbeing are key to our mission. We particularly want to welcome people who have not been well-served by heritage.
The restored garden will host community celebrations, educational activities, and public performances, all shaped by the living memories of those who have walked its paths before.
A new horticultural trainee programme will carry this storytelling tradition forward. Young gardeners involved in the project will share their experiences, adding fresh voices to the garden’s evolving legacy.
The Walled Garden Restoration is also receiving match funding of £300,000 from Welsh Government’s Community Facilities Programme, £150,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation, £100,000 from a heritage philanthropist in Wales and £20,000 from the Pilgrim Trust, as well as much-valued match-funding in kind from volunteer involvement. Altogether the project has a value of around £2 million.
Introducing the Walled Garden Project Architects – See the Video here https://youtu.be/DzDUKVSMEwE
We are still able to organise tours of the walled garden for groups, but from September 2025 to April 2027, these will be “hard hat tours” i.e. tours of building work in progress with a strong emphasis on safety.
Our Engagement Officer Anne May is always happy to discuss the activities we can provide to groups. Email Anne.