South Africa

Carmarthenshire’s greatest treasure are its incredible flower gardens. Visiting Aberglasney House and the surrounding Aberglasney Gardens is a must for anyone visiting the county. The place boasts history so old that no one can really trace it. What is certain is that the mansion and the gardens are more than 400 years old. The twentieth century, with its war-time perturbations and complicated changes of ownership, left a mark on the place, which fell into something of an oblivion. Fortunately the Gardens, now under the supervision of the Aberglasney Restoration Trust, have undergone some immense restoration work and are currently open to the public every day except Christmas Day. The visitors can take a stroll through three walk-through gardens, namely the Elizabethan / Jacobean Garden, Cloister Garden, and Ninfarium. But that’s not the only stunning place where you can commune with nature on a sunny day.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales is another site that will let you see the beauty of nature. Once there, you may take a look at one of the Garden’s immense plant collections, featuring organisms unique not only for Wales and the UK, but for the world. Its flora originate from such places as Chile, Australia, California, and South Africa. The thing you just have to see is the NBGW’s unique Great Glasshouse: the world’s biggest glasshouse, designed by an architecture guru Norman Foster. Almost 100 metres high, the spectacular glasshouse creates the environment suitable for all the exotic plants the Garden has on offer. The Garden provides many special events and surprises throughout the year, such as free admission for mums on Mother’s Day or craft fairs. Still, it’s good to remember that the place is much more than a just a tourist attraction. It also functions as a research and education facility, which aims at preserving biodiversity for future generations.

Another place on the list of thing to see in Carmarthenshire is certainly Dinefwr Park, together with Dinefwr Castle and Newton House, both of which are situated on its perimeters. The place offers not only alluring nature, but also a chance to see deer, not to mention the stunning view over the Tywi valley. The Dinefwr Castle, remembering the times of Rhodri the Great, King Henry II, and King Edward I, is one of Carmarthenshire’s most well-known historical sites. Newton House will take you right back into the Edwardian era, allowing you to take a peak at the lives of the family and the servants of the days long gone by. Also, if you want to learn more about the history of the Dinefwr Park and Castle, you have come to the right place.

As you can see, the title of the Garden of Wales held by Carmarthenshire is well deserved. The county offers some of the most beautiful and unique flower gardens in the UK, or even the globe. Whether you are a passionate gardener, or just enjoy a leisurely stroll in a park, Carmarthenshire is the place to go.