The Welsh Historic Gardens Trust (WHGT) is a national organisation campaigning to save historic gardens and parks from neglect, indifference, insensitive planning and planting, for future generations.

Congratulations to Simon Baynes MP

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Congratulations to Simon Baynes elected MP for Clwyd South.

This inevitably means that Simon is now a full-time politician and WHGT has sadly lost a Chairman.

WHGT members should be assured that the Trust remains in good hands as Joanna Davidson, the Vice Chair has kindly stepped in as Acting Chairman until the next AGM.
Joanna has been long established with WHGT and was for many years Chairman of the Gwynedd branch. Joanna also runs Out of the Common Way, a specialist plant nursery, with Margaret Mason and has often offered planting advice, most recently for the Incredible Edible sensory garden at the new Conwy Culture Centre which opened in December 2019. The landscaped areas around the centre will include a peaceful sensory garden with dementia friendly and accessible paths and seating. This garden has been supported by the WHGT small grants scheme.
We would like to thank Simon for his considerable contribution to WHGT. Simon hosted the WHGT 2018 AGM at Bodfach Hall, and he will be remembered for his enthusiasm and support for various events such as the Seminar on Industrialist’s gardens in South Wales in May 2019, and particularly for his successful membership drive. WHGT celebrated their target of 1000 members in 2019 the 30th Anniversary year of the Trust..
We wish Simon a successful political future and trust that he will long continue to campaign on behalf of parks and gardens for our aesthetic enjoyment, health and well-being as well as for the conservation of our cultural heritage.

Congratulations! Michael Norman awarded an MBE

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Michael Clive Norman awarded MBE. Congratulations!

Since retiring from the Royal Tank Regiment Michael’s first project in Wales was to manage the initial restoration and re-opening of access to Thomas Johnes’s great picturesque landscape at Hafod in Ceredigion and this led to the setting-up of the independent Hafod Trust in partnership with the then Forestry Commission..

Working as a volunteer he also established the independent charitable Penllergare* Trust that is conserving and revitalising the once-neglected and vandalised remnants of John Dillwyn Llewelyn’s secret and magical place at Penllergare Valley Woods, on the northern outskirts of Swansea. While there he helped to protect the associated Parc Llewelyn from inappropriate development.

At the former Bishop’s Palace in Abergwili he founded the Tywi Gateway project that aims to reintegrate and restore the gardens and parkland in partnership with the Carmarthenshire County Museum in which the gardens are set.

All three major projects originated with the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust and have been supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

His highpoint in the nearly 30 years of volunteering in Welsh parks and gardens was when at Penllergare he met some teenagers at the iconic waterfall. “This is our place”, they called out. “In that case please help us to look after it”, was Michael’s reply.