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About Annwyn Arboretum
The 12-acre site was originally a dairy farm built in 1830. In 1976, Bill Willmott retired from dentistry and realised a long-term retirement dream. Bill and his family bought the farm to run a small holding and a B&B business. He also built a swimming pool spa and a 9 hole golf course.
Bill had a passion for trees and botany, he travelled all over the UK to specialist nurseries to find unusual specimens. Bill planted over 1000 trees.
The golf course closed in 1992 and the garden was subsequently used for sheep grazing. Bill passed away in 2016 and the site was sold in 2022. The new owners fell in love with the gardens (the trees had matured and some had become beautiful specimens – thanks to Bill’s original vision in 1976). In 2025 the gardens opened for the first time for the NGS as ‘Annwyn Arboretum’.
The original golf course had a swimming pool spa which is still in use today and is called the ‘Four Seasons Health Club’. The site also has a variety of self catered accommodation, which is available to book on annwyn.co.uk.
Annwyn and the Mabinogion
Annwyn was chosen as it is the name of the Welsh underworld in the Mabinogion. A world of delights where disease is absent and there is an abundance of food. The Mabinogion has stories which relate to the local area (it is partly set in Dyfed, and the wizard Merlin is from Carmarthen).
The site is not far from Myddfai. Which is featured in the Mabinogion as ‘The Lady of the Lake and the Physicians of Myddfai’. A farmer saw a beautiful woman sitting on a rock in Lyn-y-Fan Fach. She agreed to marry him if he promised to treat her well. Some believe this myth may have inspired the Arthurian legend of the Lady of the Lake and Excalibur.
There is a treasure hunt for kids to enjoy (based on mythical Welsh legends from the Mabinogion).
There are various picnic tables (sheltered and unsheltered) for you to use.
There are views of the Tywi Valley for you to enjoy.
Walk the route around Annwyn Arboretum and enjoy the various trees (map provided).
Enjoy tea or coffee and some biscuits.
Current Vision
Agnieszka Mirgos, the new head gardener, is excited to implement an absorbing experience for young and old alike. The Annwyn Arboretum will have a focus on unusual trees, rare UK trees, wildlife conservation and exploring the mysticism of the Mabinogion (Welsh Fairytales).
Arboretum
Behind the Four Seasons Spa is a Wingnut tree (Pterocarya fraxinifolia) and a New Zealand ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), as well as various Maple and Magnolia. Magnolia campbellii, Magnolia delavayi, Magnolia obovata, Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Plum pine (Podocarpus), Silverbell tree (Halesia), Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), and Winters Bark (Drimys winteri).
Opposite the spa is a 40 year old Dove tree (Davidia Involucrata) which produces a plentiful supply of seeds every year (which we pot and sell).
From the Spa is a 1 km trail that loops around the gardens with a variety of picnic tables and views of the Tywi Valley for you to enjoy. There is a large variety of unusual trees and bushes, including:
Snakebark Maple(Acer davidii), Norway Maple(Acer platanoides),Chinese Fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata), Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), Korean Fir (Abies koreana), Noble Fir (Abies procera), Wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis), Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Blue Spruce (Picea pungens), Scotch Pine (Pinus Sylvestris), Brewer Spruce (Picea Breweriana), Eastern White Pine (Pinus Strobus), Great Laure l(Rhododendron maximum), Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), Monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), Coastal Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Bird Cherry (Prunus padus), Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), European Spindle (Euonymus europaeus), Black Poplar (Populus nigra,) Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), Large-leaved lime (Tilia platyphyllos), Juniper (Juniperus), Copper beach (Fagus sylvatica), Dogwood tree(Cornus kousa), Black Mulberry (Morus nigra), Camellia (Camellia japonica), Caucasian Wingnut (Pterocarya fraxinifolia), the small-leaved fig tree (Ficus obliqua), Himalayan cedar (Cedrus deodara), Eastern Black walnut (Juglans nigra), Corsican pine (Pinus nigra, subspecies laricio).
Website:
https://www.annwyn.co.uk
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