Rising from the rolling Carmarthenshire countryside like a giant glass raindrop, the Great Glasshouse of the National Botanic Garden of Wales is one of the most architecturally stunning structures in Britain. But this world-renowned landmark is just the beginning of what makes this 568-acre garden one of Wales’ most extraordinary destinations.
As Britain’s first botanic garden of the new millennium, the National Botanic Garden of Wales represents a perfect marriage of past and future. This cutting-edge scientific institution built within a magnificent Regency landscape that tells a story spanning over two thousand years. Whether you’re a passionate gardener, a history enthusiast, a wildlife lover, or simply searching for a beautiful place to spend the day, this remarkable garden offers something truly special.
A Landscape With Stories to Tell
The land on which the National Botanic Garden now sits has witnessed an incredible sweep of Welsh history. As far back as the 7th century AD, this area formed part of Seisyllwg, a Welsh kingdom possibly descended from the pre-Roman Demetae tribe. After the Norman invasion, it became an outpost of the Princes of Deheubarth before eventually passing into English crown control.
By the early 17th century, the estate was leased by Christopher Middleton, vicar of Llanarthne Church, from the Duchy of Lancaster. The Middleton family built a mansion here and maintained the estate for six generations. In 1644, Henry Middleton served as High Sheriff of Carmarthen, and the family became deeply rooted in the local landscape and history.
Sir William Paxton’s Magnificent Vision
The estate’s transformation into something truly spectacular began in 1789 when Sir William Paxton purchased the property for £40,000. This was an enormous sum at the time. Paxton, a wealthy merchant who had made his fortune in India, dreamed of creating a landscape that would rival the greatest estates in Britain.
He commissioned Samuel Pepys Cockerell, one of the most eminent architects of the day, to design and build a new Middleton Hall. The result was described as “one of the most splendid mansions in South Wales” that “far eclipsed the proudest of the Cambrian mansions in Asiatic pomp and splendour.”
But Paxton’s ambitions extended far beyond the mansion itself. He created an ingenious water park, developing a system of interconnecting lakes, ponds, and streams linked by a network of dams, water sluices, bridges, and cascades. Spring water was stored in elevated reservoirs that fed into a lead cistern on the mansion’s roof, providing the house with piped running water and the very latest luxury of the age water closets.
The park was richly landscaped in the picturesque style popular in the late 18th century, with carefully designed vistas that extended to Paxton’s Tower in the distance.
A folly he built on a nearby hilltop as a memorial to Lord Nelson. By the time of Paxton’s death in 1824, the Middleton Hall estate covered some 2,650 acres.
From Glory to Ruin and Back Again
The estate passed through several hands after Paxton’s death. Edward Hamlin Adams, a Jamaican-born West India merchant, purchased it for £54,700. Unfortunately, Adams was more interested in country sports than gardens or water features, and many of Paxton’s ingenious creations fell into disrepair.
The mansion’s eventual fate was tragic. In 1931, Middleton Hall was completely gutted by fire, leaving only the walls standing, covered in globules of molten lead from the melted roof. Twenty years later, these remaining walls were pulled down. The estate was subsequently bought by Carmarthenshire County Council and leased to young farmers, and the once-magnificent gardens seemed lost forever.
However, in 1978, local walkers exploring the woods at Pont Felin Gat discovered the ruins of Paxton’s water features. One of these walkers was the aunt of artist William Wilkins, and her discovery sparked a remarkable resurrection. Wilkins lobbied for the creation of a national botanic garden incorporating these historic garden features, and after years of planning and work, the gardens opened to the public in 2000.
Interestingly, the estate has another connection to Welsh history through Alice Abadam, daughter of Edward Abadam who inherited the estate. Alice was a leading suffragist, and in 2018, the centenary of women’s suffrage. A blue plaque was unveiled in her honour in the gardens of what had been Middleton Hall, her childhood home.
The Great Glasshouse: An Architectural Marvel
The centerpiece of the National Botanic Garden is undoubtedly the Great Glasshouse, designed by the renowned architectural firm Foster and Partners. Officially opened in 2000 by Charles, Prince of Wales, this stunning structure earned Foster and Partners the Gold Medal for Architecture at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Engineering Excellence
The Great Glasshouse is the largest single-span glasshouse in the world, measuring an impressive 95 meters (312 feet) long and 55 meters (180 feet) wide. The toroidal (doughnut-shaped) roof contains 785 panes of glass and rests on twenty-four tubular steel arches that spring from a concrete ring beam, rising to 15 meters at the dome’s apex.
The elliptical design swells from the ground like a glassy hillock, deliberately echoing the undulations of the surrounding Welsh landscape. Because the roof curves in two directions, only the central arches rise perpendicular to the base. The outer arches lean inwards at progressively steeper angles, creating an elegant mathematical form that’s both structurally sound and visually stunning.
The building represents a twenty-first-century reinvention of the traditional glasshouse, with its aluminium glazing system and supporting structure designed to minimize materials while maximizing light transmission. It’s a model for sustainable development, utilizing biomass recycling to provide heating and incorporating cutting-edge conservation technology.
A Mediterranean World Under Glass
Step inside the Great Glasshouse and you enter a carefully crafted Mediterranean landscape covering 3,500 square meters. Landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson designed the interior terrain, which features a dramatic six-meter-deep ravine with rocky terraces, sandstone cliffs, and gravelled scree slopes. Streams and waterfalls tumble down to a lake at the foot of the ravine, creating varied microclimates with different moisture levels, light conditions, and temperatures.
The glasshouse houses some of the most endangered plants on the planet from six Mediterranean climate regions around the world:
Western Australia – Home to remarkable plants like the Grevillea macutcheoni, a species discovered on a spoil heap in Perth and now one of the rarest plants in the glasshouse collection.
Chile – Including stunning fuchsias and other plants adapted to the region’s distinctive climate.
The Canary Islands – Featuring unique endemic species from these Atlantic islands.
California – Showcasing plants from the chaparral and coastal sage scrub ecosystems.
South Africa – A spectacular collection of proteas, ericas, and other fynbos plants that burst into color from January onwards.
The Mediterranean Basin – Including recreations of Spanish olive groves and plants from the region that gave these climates their name.
What’s remarkable is how plants from such geographically distant regions share similar characteristics. The small leathery evergreen leaves, dense shrubby forms, and fire-adapted features. They have evolved independently to cope with the same environmental challenges: hot dry summers, cool moist winters, intense sunlight, strong breezes, and occasional ground-clearing fires.
These magnificent collections represent more than just botanical curiosities. They’re living conservation libraries, protecting plants that are increasingly threatened by modern developments in agriculture, tourism, housing, and climate change. The National Botanic Garden holds what is considered the finest collection of Mediterranean climate-zone plants in the Northern Hemisphere.
Beyond the Great Glasshouse: A Garden for All Seasons
While the Great Glasshouse captures immediate attention, the National Botanic Garden offers countless other attractions across its 568 acres.
The Double Walled Garden
This unique historic structure has been magnificently restored from ruins. One of only a handful of double-walled gardens in Britain, it features walls built in two layers with a cavity between them. This ingenious Victorian design created better insulation, allowing gardeners to grow more tender plants.
Today, the Double Walled Garden houses the Tropical House. A steamy glasshouse designed by Welsh architect John Belle and opened in 2007. It’s bursting with palms, pineapples, coconuts, cardamom, and scores of orchids. The garden also features a modern interpretation of a kitchen garden and ornamental beds displaying the classification and evolution of flowering plant families.
Running along the garden walls is Europe’s longest herbaceous border, featuring 17,000 herbaceous plants that provide a spectacular display through the growing season.
The Physicians of Myddfai and the Apothecaries’ Garden
This fascinating area celebrates Wales’ ancient medical traditions. The Physicians of Myddfai were legendary medieval Welsh herbalists whose knowledge was passed down through generations. The exhibition and garden explore how plants have been used for healing throughout history, from ancient remedies to modern pharmaceuticals.
The Japanese Garden: Sui Ou Tei
This remarkable garden was created for the 2001 Chelsea Flower Show, where it won the coveted “Best in Show” award. It was then carefully disassembled and transported piece by piece to the National Botanic Garden, where it was reassembled in its current location.
Named Sui Ou Tei, which reflects the national flowers of Japan and Wales (the cherry tree and daffodil), the garden incorporates three traditional Japanese elements: a tea garden, a stream and lake garden, and a gravel garden. Every material is symbolic and carefully selected to create a scaled-down version of Japanese scenery, offering visitors a space of profound peace and harmony.
Just steps from the Japanese Garden stands a striking Peace Statue depicting a runner in the world’s longest relay run, the Peace Run, carrying a flaming torch as a symbol of universal hope.
The Wallace Garden
Named for naturalist Alfred Wallace, whose work on natural selection prompted Charles Darwin to publish his own research, this educational garden explores plant breeding and genetics. The paths are arranged in the shape of a DNA double-helix, and themed garden beds illustrate how humans have cultivated varieties of wild plants such as dahlias and sunflowers.
The Boulder Garden and Beyond
On an exposed slope overlooking the water features sits the Boulder Garden, showcasing Mediterranean-themed terraced plantings. Throughout the garden, you’ll discover numerous other specialized areas:
- The Wild Garden – Featuring wildflower meadows filled with orchids, ragged robin, yellow rattle, knapweed, great burnet, and eyebright
- The Bog Garden – A wetland habitat showcasing plants adapted to waterlogged conditions
- The Bee Garden – Demonstrating the vital relationship between plants and pollinators
- Themed plant collections – Including spectacular displays of ornamental grasses, maples, and seasonal highlights
The Restored Regency Landscape
One of the garden’s most ambitious achievements has been the restoration of Sir William Paxton’s water park. Over 300 acres of the historic Regency landscape are now open, featuring:
- Restored and new lakes
- Historic bridges and dams
- Dramatic cascades and a waterfall
- Miles of purpose-built trails through peaceful woodland
- The extraordinary view from the site of Middleton Hall extending to Paxton’s Tower
These restored water features are particularly spectacular in winter when seasonal rains fill the lakes and ensure dramatic flow over the cascades and waterfall.
Waun Las National Nature Reserve
The garden includes a national nature reserve where traditional Welsh farming methods maintain unique habitats. In the sheep-chewed pastures, something magical happens every October, wild waxcap meadows become treasure hunts for rare fungi. Visitors to Cae Waxcap can discover brightly coloured red, green, and yellow fungi nestling like improbable gems in the tufty grass.
The reserve is also home to rare-breed Balwen sheep, distinctive white-faced sheep in dark brown fleeces, and a herd of Welsh Black cattle. The hedgerows and trees throng with birds including whitethroats and flycatchers.
The British Bird of Prey Centre
A major attraction for many visitors, the British Bird of Prey Centre offers daily flying displays featuring magnificent hawks, kites, owls, and eagles. The center is open every day and provides opportunities for amazing close encounters with these spectacular birds.
Visitor experiences include personal owl encounters where guests can hold and fly different owl species while learning about their behavior and conservation. The flying displays showcase the natural hunting abilities and incredible flight skills of various raptors, including snowy owls, falcons, buzzards, and golden eagles.
A Garden Through the Seasons
The National Botanic Garden is designed to offer beauty and interest throughout the year, with each season bringing its own special attractions.
Spring (March-May)
Spring is a time of awakening at the garden. The Great Glasshouse erupts in a riot of color in April and May when flowers from all six Mediterranean regions bloom simultaneously. South African flowers begin their display from January, followed by spectacular blooms from California, Australia, Chile, the Canary Islands, and the Mediterranean itself.
Outside, spring bulbs carpet the grounds, and the wildflower meadows begin their transformation. The restored Regency landscape comes alive with fresh green growth and birdsong.
Summer (June-August)
Summer brings the garden to full glory. The herbaceous borders reach their peak, the wildflower meadows reveal treasuries of orchids and almost-forgotten countryside blooms, and the Tropical House steams with exotic flowers and rare plants.
The organic farm pastures are dotted with sheep and cattle, and the trees throng with nesting birds. On hot days, the cool woodland areas and tranquil lakeside walks provide welcome respite. The Great Glasshouse remains spectacular, and the water features throughout the estate offer refreshing vistas.
Autumn (September-November)
As temperatures ease, autumn color emerges through light September mists. The vistas around the Great Glasshouse, the lakesides, the woodlands, and the Japanese Garden provide stunning palettes of color. Red hot pokers, asters, dahlias, and maples create a spectacular show, while ornamental grasses sway softly in the breeze.
The Autumn Tree Trail leads visitors from the magnificent Tulip Tree to towering oaks and chestnuts, hornbeams, maples, and the Dawn Redwood. October brings the magical appearance of waxcap fungi in the national nature reserve meadows.
Winter (December-February)
Winter has its own quiet beauty at the garden. Grasses, dogwoods, evergreen shrubs, lichens, and mosses provide subtle color, while winter-flowering jasmines and viburnums offer unexpected blooms. Frost adds another layer of beauty, encrusting plants in crystalline formations.
The Great Glasshouse becomes a warm haven, with South African flowers beginning to burst into life from January. The seasonal rains fill the lakes and ensure that the cascades and waterfall put on dramatic winter displays, perfect for woodland walks.
The garden also hosts a magical Light Trail during the festive season, illuminating the landscape with spectacular installations.
Family-Friendly Features
The National Botanic Garden is designed to engage visitors of all ages:
The Gruffalo Trail – New in 2023, this magical trail brings Julia Donaldson’s beloved character to life throughout the gardens.
Children’s Play Areas – Multiple play zones designed to blend with the natural environment.
Discovery Centre – Interactive exhibits about plants, science, and conservation.
The Working Farm – Where children can see traditional Welsh farming practices and rare breed animals up close.
Educational Programs – The garden offers workshops, courses, and activities throughout the year for all ages.
Events and Activities
The National Botanic Garden hosts a packed program of events year-round, including:
- Food festivals celebrating local Welsh produce
- Antiques fairs
- Live music concerts
- Outdoor theatre productions
- Art exhibitions
- Horticultural shows
- Seasonal celebrations
- The spectacular winter Light Trail
Science, Research, and Conservation
While the garden is a wonderful visitor attraction, it’s also a serious scientific institution dedicated to conservation, research, and education. The garden’s mission is “to develop a viable world-class national botanic garden dedicated to the research and conservation of biodiversity, lifelong learning and the enjoyment of the visitor.”
Key conservation work includes:
Plant Conservation – Protecting some of the world’s most endangered plant species, including the Welsh whitebeam Sorbus leyana and the remarkable Grevillea macutcheoni from Australia, which was distributed to botanic gardens worldwide and hasn’t been seen outside protected environments since its discovery.
Biodiversity Research – Studying plant genetics, evolution, and adaptation to inform conservation strategies.
Seed Banking – Preserving genetic material from threatened species.
Educational Outreach – Promoting understanding of plant science and conservation among visitors and students.
Sustainable Practices – Demonstrating twenty-first-century approaches to recycling and conservation, including biomass recycling for heating facilities.
The garden is a registered charity that relies on funding from visitors, supporters, grants, and gifts. Three-quarters of its income is now self-generated through admissions, events, and other activities.
Practical Information
Location and Access
The National Botanic Garden of Wales is located in Llanarthne in the River Tywi valley, Carmarthenshire, approximately one hour west of Cardiff via the M4/A48 dual carriageway. Take the B4310 exit towards Nantgaredig and follow the brown tourist signs.
Address: Middleton Hall, Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire, SA32 8HN
Opening Times
Open year-round (closed Christmas Day)
- Summer: 10am to 6pm
- Winter: 10am to 4:30pm
- Last admission: 1 hour before closing
Always check the official website for current opening times and any special closures.
Admission
Admission prices vary (check the website for current rates)
- Adults
- Concessions
- Children (5-16 years)
- Family tickets
- Group rates available
- Annual membership options
Dogs
Dogs are welcome on designated days throughout the week. Check the website for dog-friendly days before your visit, as the schedule varies. The garden is perfect for walking enthusiasts with miles of unique trails.
Facilities
Dining – Multiple eating areas serving quality local produce, including the Med café inside the Great Glasshouse
Shopping – Gift shop showcasing local and Wales-wide arts and crafts, plus plant sales
Parking – Free parking on site
Accessibility – Wheelchair-accessible routes available; contact the garden for specific accessibility information
Facilities – Modern toilets (including accessible facilities), baby-changing areas
Tips for Your Visit
Plan enough time – You need at least half a day to see the main attractions, and a full day to explore everything properly. Many visitors return multiple times to fully experience the gardens.
Check the weather – While the Great Glasshouse and Tropical House provide shelter, much of the garden is outdoors. Bring appropriate clothing and footwear for walking on paths and potentially muddy trails.
Bring binoculars – Excellent for birdwatching and getting close-up views of the birds of prey displays.
Photography – The garden offers incredible photo opportunities year-round. The Great Glasshouse is particularly photogenic, as are the water features and seasonal displays.
Special events – Check the events calendar before your visit—you might time your trip with a food festival, concert, or other special activity.
Combine your visit – The garden is well-positioned for exploring West Wales. Nearby attractions include Carmarthen, the Brecon Beacons, and the Pembrokeshire coast.
Why Visit the National Botanic Garden of Wales?
In a country blessed with stunning natural landscapes, remarkable castles, and rich heritage, the National Botanic Garden of Wales stands out as something truly unique. It’s where you can:
- Stand inside an architectural masterpiece housing some of the world’s rarest plants
- Walk through a landscape shaped by one of Georgian Britain’s most ambitious visionaries
- Experience six different Mediterranean climate regions in a single afternoon
- Learn about ancient Welsh herbal medicine and modern plant science
- See magnificent birds of prey in daily flying displays
- Discover peace in an award-winning Japanese garden
- Explore 568 acres of diverse habitats from wildflower meadows to woodland walks
- Watch rare-breed Welsh animals grazing historic pastures
- Enjoy excellent local food in beautiful surroundings
- Let children discover nature through interactive trails and play areas
- Support important conservation work protecting endangered species
Whether you’re a serious botanist studying plant evolution, a family seeking a fun day out, a photographer chasing the perfect shot, or simply someone who appreciates beautiful places, the National Botanic Garden of Wales delivers.
The Llanarthne Oak: A Living Monument
Before leaving, seek out the Llanarthne Oak—a magnificent tree that narrowly escaped destruction when the estate was cleared for farming in the 1950s. This survivor was named Wales’s Tree of the Year in 2016, a fitting symbol for an estate that has itself survived fire, abandonment, and near-destruction to emerge as one of Wales’ greatest treasures.
Like that oak, the National Botanic Garden of Wales represents resilience, renewal, and hope. It stands as a testament to what can be achieved when vision, science, art, and nature work in harmony, and it remains one of the most compelling reasons to explore the beautiful Tywi Valley of Carmarthenshire.
Plan Your Visit
For current opening times, admission prices, event schedules, and more information:
- Website: botanicgarden.wales
- Phone: Check website for contact details
- Address: National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire, SA32 8HN
Follow the garden on social media for updates on seasonal highlights, events, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of conservation work.
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Note: Information in this article is accurate as of October 2025. Always check the official website for current opening times, admission prices, and special event schedules before your visit.