Places to visit in Wales: National Botanic Garden of Wales

This gardeners’ delight deserves to be better known! 

The National Botanic Garden of Wales was opened in 2000.  It had been only open for a few years when it was in danger of closing due to low visitor numbers.

The Garden is somewhat off the tourist trail, but it is worth a detour.  It is possible to combine a visit to the National Botanic Garden of Wales with other local attractions and enjoy a weekend (or longer) in this part of South Wales.

Suggested places to visit while you are in the area include Aberglasney Gardens, Dinefwr Park and Castle (National Trust), Pendine Sands (especially the Museum of Speed), Laugharne (with Dylan Thomas connections) and the National Wetlands Centre.

If you are a serious gardener, you may wish to spend a whole day at the National Botanic Garden, or possibly visit two days in a row!

For those of you interested in languages, the Welsh name is Gardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol Cymru

You will find an award-winning glasshouse, designed by Lord Foster.  This is the largest single span glasshouse in the United Kingdom.  It contains plants from the Mediterranean, South Africa, Australia, Chile and California.  The plants are displayed in zones, all clearly labelled and very attractively displayed.

The glasshouse also contains a small cafe and rest room facilities.

The double walled garden dates from the days when the land was part of a private estate.  Within the walls there you will find a tropical glass house, fruit trees, vegetables and flowering plants.  When I visited I was particularly taken with a domestic-size greenhouse that was made almost entirely from recycled materials.  Plastic bottles had been used as insulation.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales includes a children’s play area with a difference – it is filled with archways and dens made from living willow plants.

Other features include a Japanese Garden, a bee garden with bee hives and an exhibition about plants for health.

There is a very attractive conference centre located in the old house that was the main residence on the estate.

The area next to the house has been laid out as the Wallace Garden.

Who was Wallace?

Alfred Russell Wallace (1823 – 1913) came up with the idea of the evolution of species by natural selection. That concept is usually associated with Charles Darwin, but evidence suggests that both men came up with the idea at about the same time.  Wallace wrote to Darwin about his ideas on evolution in 1858.

Wallace was born in Usk in Wales.  He learned how to name species while he was working as a Land Surveyor in South Wales.  He went on to visit the Amazon and Malay Archipelago, and discovered over 1000 species that had not been recorded.

Wallace’s and Darwin’s ideas were presented to the Linnaean in 1858.  The following year Charles Darwin produced his book “On the Origins of Species”.

The Wallace Garden at the National Botanic Garden of Wales is dedicated to the history of plant breeding and genetics.  The curving pathways in the garden represent the double helix of DNA.  This layout breaks up the garden into attractive curved areas. 

Within the Wallace Garden you will find examples of natural plant mutations, and every year there are fresh examples of plants that have been selectively bred by humans.

A few centuries ago there was a large house on the site called Middleton Hall.  The old foundations and layout are on display, near the Wallace Garden.

Middleton Hall was built between 1793 and 1795, and was constructed to replace an older hall which was turned into a farm house.  Sadly, Middleton Hall burnt down in 1931 and was demolished.

The hall was surrounded by landscaped gardens, including a necklace of lakes.

Middleton Hall was owned by William Paxton a man of considerable wealth and an involvement in politics.

Paxton was proud to call Admiral Nelson a friend.  When Nelson died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, Paxton had a tower built to commemorate his friend.  The tower was used as a place to entertain friends.

The tower still stands today, and can be seen from the National Botanic Garden of Wales.  It is known as Paxton’s Tower or Nelson’s Tower.  It is maintained by the National Trust.  You can walk or drive up to it for a closer look.

The garden is open every day except Christmas Day. 

In summer it is open from 10 until 6; in winter from 10 to 4.30.

It costs £8.00 for an adult to visit.  There are concession prices for children and pensioners, and package prices for families.

Many areas of the garden are under cover and nearly all are easily accessible for wheelchair users.