Aberglasney Gardens, A Picnic, and the Botanic Garden of Wales

It's not very often that you will find two horticultural delights so close by to each other and we've also pulled out all the stops to find you a stunning picnic area situated below the remains of a ruined Welsh Castle practically half way between the two gardens.

Aberglasney Gardens

We'll start with Aberglasney - Wales' answer to the Lost Gardens of Heligan.
Although not quite on such a grand scale as Heligan, Aberglasney has a wealth of history to discover and the quality on the restoration of it's gardens is up there with the best of them.

There is a cloister garden, a woodland garden plus herb, vegetable and fruit gardens to explore and a large water garden with a cafe to sit around and enjoy. You can also venture in to the house and discover a large hidden glass house full of exotic plants.

Map of Aberglasney Gardens, Dryslwyn Castle and the National Botanic Garden of Wales

Dryslwyn Castle and Picnic Area

Situated practically half way between Aberglasney and the Botanical Garden of Wales are the ruined remains of Dryslwyn Castle, perched high on a hill overlooking the valley in all directions.
Below the Castle is a small picnic area lying alongside the River Towy. There are picnic benches and a good sized grassy area plus parking for around 15 cars.
From the car park you can cross the road and climb the steep hill to the Castle for spectacular views of the Towy Valley.
Please be aware that there are no facilities here.

National Botanic Garden of Wales

Some 7.5 miles south west of Aberglasney is the National Botanic Garden of Wales. Covering some 570 acres of the Carmarthenshire countryside the garden is home to the world's largest single span glasshouse, a huge double walled garden and lakes.

There are cafe's, a small garden centre plus many events are held in the grounds throughout the year.

If you're taking the children with you, there is a small play area behind the single span glasshouse to keep them occupied and plenty of space for them to run wild in the areas beyond the more formal gardens.