Gardens of South and West Wales
10th Apr 2026
Key Highlights
- Beautiful woodland gardens surrounding the castles of Upton and Picton
- An imaginative private garden at Llwyngarreg
- A day of striking contrasts at the innovative National Botanic Gardens of Wales and historic Aberglasney
- Stunning Pembrokeshire scenery
Summary
Tucked away in the rolling countryside of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire are some fine parks and gardens, both large and small; ancient and modern. The centrepiece of our tour is the National Botanic Garden of Wales, the first garden of its type to be created in the United Kingdom for 200 years. This spectacular re-interpretation of the historical garden blends the careful restoration of the historic, double-walled garden with Norman Foster’s Great Greenhouse, the largest single span glasshouse in the world, where mere panes of glass separate the familiar green hills of Wales from a panoramic sweep of warm, Mediterranean scenery.
By contrast Aberglasney is a superb 16th/17th century garden, which was discovered after 50 years of neglect and has been restored to produce a garden with immense appeal, including a unique Elizabethan/Jacobean cloister and parapet walk. We visit superb woodland gardens at Upton Castle and Picton Castle along with some interesting private gardens, including Dyffryn Fernant, built from scratch by Christina Shand and Llwyngarreg, which makes the most of the local climate and soil.
What's included
- Services of a professional tour manager
- Accommodation
- Comfortable coach travel throughout
- Meals - as per itinerary
- Entries to all sites as per the itinerary
Meet your tour manager
Tony Russell
A former Head Forester at Westonbirt Arboretum, Tony Russell is widely regarded as one of Britain's leading authorities on trees and shrubs, having written 18 books and presented many programmes for both TV and radio. Tony Russell's career with plants and gardens began in 1978 when he joined the Forestry Commission in Snowdonia. In 1980 he went to Newton Rigg, Cumbria to study forestry and horticulture and after qualifying in 1983 he took up post as Forester for the New Forest in Hampshire. In 1989 he was appointed Head Forester of Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire, one of the finest collections of tree and shrubs in the temperate world. Tony left Westonbirt in 2003 and over the past fifteen years he has presented many gardening, horticultural and countryside programmes for both TV and radio, and regularly writes for several magazines and newspapers, including The Daily Telegraph, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and Country Life. His travels have taken him to Japan, Costa Rica, China and New Zealand and he has built up a loyal following among Brightwater guests.
Day by Day Itinerary
We depart from our pick-up points (London, Reading, Swindon, Bristol) and travel to Cardiff, near which lies the magnificent Dyffryn Botanic Gardens, a Grade 1 listed Edwardian garden designed by landscape architect Thomas Mawson displaying a series of garden ‘rooms’ enclosed within clipped Yew hedges. There is something to see year round at Dyffryn – a Roman garden; Japanese garden; fountains and pools and an arboretum containing trees from all around the world including the original Acer Griseum collected by ‘Chinese Wilson’. Dyffryn is one of the best 100 gardens in the UK as selected by the British Tourism Association. Our tour manager Tony Russell will join us here and conduct a guided tour of the garden. Lunch is available here (not included).
We continue our journey to Pembrokeshire and our accommodation at the Beggars Reach Hotel, Burton. Prior to dinner, Tony will give us an introductory talk on the gardens of the region.
Meals includedDinner
Departure Routes
| Location | Pickup Time | Dropoff Time |
|---|---|---|
| To be advised | 00:00 | 00:00 |
| London, Tothill St, Westminster | 07:00 | 21:00 |
| Reading, Sainsbury’s, Jcn 12, M4 | 08:15 | 19:45 |
| Swindon, Holiday Inn Express, Frankland Rd | 09:30 | 18:30 |
| Bristol, Doubletree by Hilton Hotel | 11:00 | 17:00 |
** Please note that all timings are approximate and subject to change. Final timings and pick-up points will be confirmed with your joining instructions approximately 10 days prior to departure. **
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