National Botanic Garden of Wales Celebrates 25 Years
The National Botanic Garden of Wales is set to celebrate a significant milestone this summer as it marks 25 years since opening to the public at the turn of the new millennium.
Since welcoming its first visitors on May 24 2000, the Garden has grown into a globally recognised centre for biodiversity, conservation, horticulture, education and wellbeing.
To commemorate the anniversary, a special Garden Party will be held over the late May Bank Holiday weekend (Saturday 24th – Sunday 25th May), offering a packed programme of live entertainment, family-friendly activities, and a showcase of Welsh music and culture.
And in a nostalgic tribute to its opening year, admission prices on Saturday will be rolled back to year 2000 rates – £6.50 for adults and £3 for children.
Established as a flagship Millennium project, the National Botanic Garden of Wales was one of the first new botanical gardens to be created in the UK in more than 200 years. The Garden gained international recognition for the innovative Norman Foster designed Great Glasshouse. In 2000, it was the world's largest single-span glasshouse and lauded for both its environmental design and seamless integration into the rural Welsh landscape.
Among the Garden's most notable contributions to science is the ground breaking Welsh Flora DNA barcoding initiative, which made Wales the first country in the world to DNA barcode all native flowering plants and conifer species. The resulting open-access database, covers more than 1,473 native plants, continues to support global research and conservation efforts and has been replicated worldwide.
In recent years, the Garden has further developed its vast estate and has undergone an extensive landscape restoration, including a £6 million transformation of the original Regency landscape supported by many funders, including the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project restored the lakes and waterfalls, and introduced accessible trails, enhancing biodiversity and creating new ways for visitors to connect with nature and heritage.
Looking ahead, the garden is set to develop a living collection of Welsh flora, featuring plant species found only in Wales. Designed as a botanical journey through the nation's diverse habitats, from coastal cliffs to the peaks of Yr Wyddfa, the project will also address the urgent threats of habitat loss and plant extinction.
Dr Lucy Sutherland, Director for the National Botanic Garden of Wales, said:
'As we celebrate a quarter of a century of the National Botanic Garden of Wales, we reflect on a remarkable journey of conservation, education, and connection with the natural world around us. No other organisations can merge science, culture and the arts in a way that a botanic garden can, and the National Botanic Garden of Wales has really put itself on the map in this regard.
'The Gardens are a truly special place that Wales should be enormously proud of and this milestone is a tribute to the dedication of our staff, volunteers, visitors and supporters who have helped make the Garden a beacon of biodiversity and inspiration for so many. We're proud of what we've collectively nurtured together over the last 25 years, and even more excited for what lies ahead.
'Our garden party will be a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our first 25 years and for people to rediscover the Garden, reflect on all that we've achieved so far, and look forward to what lies ahead. We're excited to welcome visitors, old and new, to share in this special milestone and to be part of the next chapter of our journey.'
Beyond its conservation work, the Garden plays a role in supporting community wellbeing. Collaborations with Health Boards have established therapeutic gardening programmes, offering inclusive spaces where individuals with learning disabilities, neurological conditions or brain injuries can build confidence and wellbeing through nature-based activities.
Education is also central to the Garden's mission. More than 11,000 schoolchildren engage with its programmes annually, and a new goal, supported by the Welsh Government and the philanthropic community, aims to connect every child in Wales with the Garden through visits or outreach. A new vehicle will soon bring interactive biodiversity workshops and lessons to schools in underrepresented and harder-to-reach communities across the country.
Following the May Bank Holiday celebrations, a full summer programme of events will continue to mark the anniversary, including the Garden's flagship BioBlitz Festival in July, as well as a series of exhibitions, workshops and performances throughout the year aimed at further exploring the Garden's evolving story and vision for the future.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Daily Record
Katie Price sends son Harvey back to college early after he 'smashes' £3k TV
Katie Price previously revealed that Harvey is "on the verge of a heart attack" after tipping the scales at 30 stone Katie Price has revealed that her son Harvey had to return to college earlier than planned after he wrecked her telly. The ex-glamour model took to Snapchat to recount the episode in which her eldest boy "smashed" the £3,000 set. Harvey, aged 23, left his mum gobsmacked when his tantrum resulted in the need for a fresh TV. The mother of five relayed the tale to her social media fans before explaining to her son the repercussions of his behaviour. In the video, Katie captured Harvey, who is visually impaired due to septo-optic dysplasia, a brain development disorder, and also has autism and Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that can lead to overeating. She described being roused by the noise of the telly breaking at six in the morning. In the footage, Katie, 47, enquired: "What has mummy just heard?" To which Harvey calmly responded: "Smashing the TV." Asking more about what happened, Harvey claimed something on the screen had annoyed him. However, she later expressed scepticism to her followers, saying nothing was probably on the screen at the time, reports the Mirror. Katie then informed Harvey: "You was going to college tomorrow to get some new meds [medication], but now when are you going? You are going now." A downcast Harvey uttered: "Oh god," as his mum clarified that she needed to send him back so she could sort out a new telly for the house. She labelled the whole scenario as "sad". Later, Harvey said sorry to the former glamour model and promised it wouldn't occur again. Katie insisted to her son: "Well you've got to go to collage now and get some meds." Katie commemorated Harvey's 23rd birthday last month with a heartfelt display of affection. She posted a lovely snapshot on Instagram showing her and Harvey cosying up in bed before his birthday festivities. On Bank Holiday Monday, Katie shared her delight over Harvey reaching another milestone on her Instagram stories. The charming post featured the pair lying cheek-to-cheek in bed, having a leisurely day relaxing at home. Brimming with anticipation for the celebration ahead, Katie said: "Bank holiday cuddles before lots of celebrations tomorrow." It comes amid Katie's transparency about Harvey's escalating health issues as he tipped the scales at 30 stone. In a frank conversation with her sister Sophie on The Katie Price Show, Katie did not shy away from discussing the gravity of their circumstances. "He's just under 30st and that's huge," she disclosed. "He's on the verge of a heart attack. He won't have a long life if he carries on putting more and more weight on." Katie then revealed that they are actively collaborating with a medical team to attempt to improve his health. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Wales Online
5 hours ago
- Wales Online
Hidden railway exposed by tide at popular Welsh beach
Hidden railway exposed by tide at popular Welsh beach Low tides have revealed the ghostly remnants of a railway line A section of old rail track uncovered but still submerged (Image: Sheila Rosemary Stephenson ) As the tide slips away, the sands of Barmouth beach in Gwynedd reveal a haunting spectacle: the ghostly skeleton of an old railway line, stretching out across the shore as if travelling out to sea. Rusted wheels and axles, long hidden beneath layers of silt, have emerged alongside narrow bands of iron track, now gently rusting on the sand. This eerie scene on Barmouth beach in Gwynedd is reminiscent of the Welsh legend of the submerged kingdom of Cantre'r Gwaelod in Cardigan Bay. Unlike the kingdom's bells, which are said to still ring beneath the surface, Barmouth's mysterious beach railway remains eerily silent, save for the sounds of the seashore. It's believed that this track has remained hidden on the beach for over a century. In recent years, it's been occasionally exposed by shifting sand patterns on a coastline that's constantly evolving. The old railway tracks are thought to be a legacy of the resort's rapid expansion in the 19th century (Image: Sheila Rosemary Stephenson ) There have been several theories proposed to explain the existence of the railway. Some speculate it was an historic lifeboat launch site, while others suggest it was a ramp for bringing fishing ships ashore for repairs. As far as anyone knows, the tracks end at the low tide line, so disappointingly, they're unlikely to be part of a long-lost smuggling route from Ireland, as commonly supposed, reports North Wales Live. Article continues below It's often imagined that these narrow-gauge tracks were installed to move Edwardian bathing machines up and down the beach – the idea being to preserve the modesty of ladies taking to the waters. Historical sketches from the mid-19th century confirm that Barmouth did have these machines, but they were never on tracks. Instead, horses are depicted hauling the huts to the water's edge. Sketch by William Home Lizars from around 1845 showing the seafront in Barmouth and visiting families enjoying leisure time on the beach. Bathing machines can be seen lined up by the sea, drawn there by horses, not rail tracks (Image: National Library of Wales/Wiki ) A significant amount of construction was carried out on the beach after the resort's promenade was severely damaged by the Great Storm of 1928. Photos from the time show the entire seafront transformed into a massive building site, with steam-powered machinery doing much of the heavy lifting. In 1930, iron tracks were laid along the promenade to remove debris, and more on the beach for the construction of a new wave-return wall. A plausible conclusion is that the railway tracks seen today are remnants from that period of intense building activity. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here However, this theory has been dismissed by Barmouth historian Hugh Griffth Roberts, who believes there's a rather more mundane explanation. Ironically, the existence of the beach railway may owe much to the arrival of rail travel in the mid-19th century. For centuries, Barmouth was a crucial port serving the woollen, slate and herring sectors in Meirionnydd. It also had a ship-building industry that stretched up along the majestic Mawddach Estuary. A pair of rusting iron wheels poke up from the water's edge (Image: Sheila Rosemary Stephenson ) Despite the poor roads of the times, by the 1750s the port town was already attracting affluent tourists drawn by its location between the sea and the 'romantic' landscapes of Eryri. Visitors included the likes of William Wordsworth, Shelley, Byron and Charles Darwin. The unveiling of Cambrian Railways' new coastal line to Barmouth in 1867 significantly changed the town's fortune, with the Barmouth Heritage Trail highlighting a substantial tourism and building boom as a result. The heritage site states: "When the first train arrived some 1,200 passengers got off and the town was barely ready!" With tourism came fresh challenges, including increasing incidents of drunkenness that led to the construction of a modest lock-up during that period. A particularly unpleasant problem also arose — the disposal of waste from the burgeoning guesthouse industry. The heritage trail's solution to this issue involved the construction of a sewage holding tank at the north end of the beach in 1890. This allowed for waste to be released into the sea during high tide through a long cast-iron pipe. While discharging into the sea was common practice then and continues to some degree today, Barmouth modernised its wastewater management in 1987 by replacing and burying the old discharge pipe under the beach. Moreover, a new sewage treatment plant and pumping station were established. It is believed that rail tracks visible on the beach today were originally used for laying down the Victorian discharge pipe, which may have been left there to become buried over time, re-emerging more than a hundred years later. Article continues below
Wales Online
7 hours ago
- Wales Online
Welsh seaside town with cobbled streets and an ancient pub features in Death Valley
Welsh seaside town with cobbled streets and an ancient pub features in Death Valley Viewers of the show may have spotted this Vale of Glamorgan seaside town within the first few seconds of Death Valley's recent episode when a car drove through its streets as it headed to the church for a wedding Llantwit Major became the fictional town of Cwmishel in the latest episode of BBC's Death Valley (Image: BBC ) Llantwit Major has been transformed into the fictional town of Cwmishel for the third episode of Death Valley. Viewers of the show may have spotted the Vale of Glamorgan seaside town within the first few seconds of the latest episode as a car drove through its streets as it headed to the church for a wedding. In this week's episode, which aired on BBC One on Sunday, June 8, Janie (played by Gwyneth Keyworth) was tasked with solving the murder of best man Gethin Bennion the night before the wedding. Gethin's body was found in the graveyard of the church, which some may have spotted as the grounds of St Illtud's Church. And a bit later fans got to see inside the beautiful church. Some may say it is this church that put Llantwit Major on the map. Around the fifth century St Illtud established the oldest seat of Christian learning in Britain. Now the place is a charming little town with its cobbled streets, quaint shops, and eateries and is only a stone's throw away from the seaside. Article continues below Known in Welsh as Llanilltud Fawr this town is about a 40-minute drive from the Welsh capital and about a 25-minute drive from Barry. Its nearby Cwm Colhuw Beach (or Llantwit Major Beach) is the perfect place to go surfing or for a coastal walk. For a decent walk in the area start your journey at the beach car park before embarking on the path that offers spectacular views of the Bristol Channel, 12th-century castle, limestone crags, cliffs and caves hollowed out by the sea, before reaching the Nash Point Lighthouse. Janie (played by Gwyneth Keyworth) was tasked with solving the murder of best man Gethin Bennion the night before the wedding (Image: BBC ) This was in service for two centuries before it was one of the UK's last manned lighthouses to switch to an automatic operation. This walk, which is great to spot fossils, is also a circular walk and can take you back to Cwm Colhuw Beach. And after that walk you might be fancying a sit-down meal and there are plenty of options in this corner of Vale of Glamorgan. Rosedew Farm's Acorn Café is a popular venue. Tucked away on a farm this café is known for serving mouth-watering roast dinners. For the latest restaurant news and reviews sign up to our food and drink newsletter here. Diners can opt for roasted topside of beef, pork shoulder, turkey crown, lamb, or butternut squash, lentil, and almond Wellington with a selection of veggies, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, roast parsnips, and stuffing for a decent price. The view near Nash Point Lighthouse (Image: Lewis Smith ) And on the colder days you can enjoy its cosy log-burning stove, a selection of homemade cakes, and a hot drink making it the perfect pit stop following your coastal walk. In 2016 the town's beloved pub The Old Swan Inn underwent a drastic £40,000 makeover. The 12th-century pub is now home to a dedicated restaurant area so you can enjoy a hearty pub meal with your pint. The inn serves dishes such as a slow-cooked pork belly, vegan curry, and the classics including fish and chips and steaks making it the perfect spot that caters for anyone's appetite. Other places to dine or drink include The Old White Hart – the 18th-century pub on the aptly-named Wine Street – while its sister pub Tudor Tavern, just around the corner in Church Street, is just as old. If Italian and Mediterranean dishes are what you're looking for head over to Porto Due nestled in Pound Field. And for your cosy cafés you have Bakehouse in Commercial Street, Café Velo in Church Street, and The Cwtch Restaurant in East Street. And Llantwit Major would not be the town we know it as today without its array of shops. The Old Swan Inn, a 12th century pub in Llantwit Major For all things vintage, whether that be furniture, fashion, fabric, or even teddy bears and doll houses, Pretty Vintage Things is the ideal place for a touch of nostalgia. To find the perfect gift for a special someone Stwff-Stuff is the place to go, especially if you are looking for a Welsh gift. They have soaps, chocolates, jams and preserves, candles, vases, keyrings, ceramic tokes and much more and all were crafted here in Wales. Rio Fashions is the place to try on and buy female fashion and accessories from dresses to fascinators, hats, scarves, jackets, and cardigans. To grab your next book Nickleby's Bookstore in Pound Field has all kinds of new and second-hand literary choices. Article continues below And Church Street Bakery, as spotted on Death Valley, stands out with its green sign. Head over here for their brownies, sausage rolls, lemon drizzle cake, or any bake your heart desires.
