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Historic Gardens 2010
BCD Special Report
HISTORIC PARKS AND
GARDENS IN WALES
Protection, legislation and the role of
the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust
Ros Laidlaw
T
he system that protects historic parks
and gardens in Wales is significantly
different from that of England and
Scotland. Statutory responsibility for heritage
protection lies with the National Assembly
for Wales and is administered by Cadw, its
historic environment service. The Royal
Commission on the Ancient and Historical
Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) maintains
the National Monuments Record for Wales
and the four Welsh archaeological trusts
maintain the regional Historic Environment
Records and advise on heritage management
and development control. The Welsh
Historic Gardens Trust (WHGT) is the
only amenity organisation based in Wales
specifically concerned with the protection and
conservation of historic parks and gardens.
The WHGT was set up in 1989 in
response to the very real threat to many
historic parks and gardens in Wales. Of
primary concern at the time were the historic
parks and gardens of Middleton Hall and
Aberglasney in Carmarthenshire and the
Hafod estate in Ceredigion. The trust was
instrumental in setting up the Aberglasney
Gardens Trust and the Hafod Trust, and
in establishing the Middleton estate as
the chosen site for the National Botanic
Gardens Wales. Its main aims and objectives
are to conserve, document and promote
the historic parks, gardens and designed
landscapes of Wales and to campaign for
their protection. The trust gained charitable
status in 1994 and consists of a central body
with county branches throughout Wales.
The freshly-restored Aberglasney Mansion and Cloister Garden in June 2003 (Photo: ©Caroline Palmer)