Bangor University unveils Welsh herbal garden at Treborth to celebrate medicinal plant heritage

A new Welsh Herbal Garden will be officially opened at Bangor University’s Treborth Botanic Garden, during its National Garden Scheme open gardens event at 3:00pm on Sunday, 13 July.   

The new Welsh Herbal Garden forms a central part of the 45-acre Treborth Botanic Garden, which is owned by Bangor University and is one of only seven accredited botanical gardens in the country. It is located adjacent to a Conservation Area and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.  

The Welsh Herbal Garden celebrates the fascinating heritage and folklore surrounding medicinal plants used in Wales through the ages. The new garden takes inspiration from the Welsh landscape using local materials, with the design centring around two circular seating spaces connected by gently curving pathways. Raised drystone planters will provide seating and the opportunity to get up close with the planting.   

The rich and vibrant planting will tell the story of how people in Wales, including 12th century pioneers of modern medicine, the Physicians of Myddfai, used plants to treat all manner of ailments. Visitors will be able to discover the history of plants, learn about remedies such as how drinking a distilled water of red roses for toothache, bruised saffron as a sobering tonic and using apples to remove warts.     

The Garden’s Welsh Slate centrepiece, installed by countryside management specialists Kehoe Countryside, comprises a 2.5m diameter circular mural of pavers of Welsh Slate’s Penrhyn Heather Blue riven slate – two rings around the circumference and ‘spokes’ emanating to them from the centre.   

Designed by Nicola Oakey, the ½-acre garden will be used by students at the University’s North Wales Medical School as a teaching resource to reflect modern as well as historical uses of plants as sources of medicines.    

The Welsh Slate centrepiece at Treborth, which was installed on a concrete pad with mortar, is complemented by Welsh Slate pitched slate pathways also installed, over six months, by Kehoe Countryside. The Welsh Slate pavers for the centrepiece were supplied by Cerrig Granite and Slate.   

Kehoe contract manager Celyn Kehoe said: “Creating the new Welsh Herbal Garden at Treborth Botanic Garden showcased traditional skills including slate pitched pathways, slate mosaic art and stone walling as well as locally-made milled benches from sustainable timber.   

“The centrepiece was very well made and easy to assemble, while the traditional pitching and walling was more time consuming but the slate looks great in place, and is a real asset to the garden.”   

Nicola Oakey said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to work with Treborth Botanic Garden to design the Welsh Herbal Garden which tells a story about plants that are deeply connected to Welsh history and heritage. That's why it was so important that we used local materials in the garden. The slate helps us to tell that story and creates a garden that feels absolutely 'right' in its setting."   

Professor Stephen Doughty, Head of the North Wales Medical School, said, “This wonderful teaching resource is so timely, as the North Wales Medical School launches a new Pharmacy programme this coming year to complement our growing and developing Medicine programmes. To have our students being able to interact with this garden and to understand more fully the rich heritage of drug and medicines development arising from plants, and indeed culture, is a real value and advantage to studying here in Bangor.”  

Head of Treborth Botanic Garden, Natalie Chivers-Cross, said: “We are delighted to open this special garden to the public this weekend. With support from the University, local artists, and craftspeople, we have created a space inspired by the heritage and folklore surrounding medicinal plants used in Wales through the ages. The Garden is a true celebration of the past, present and future importance of plants.”  

For more information about the National Garden Scheme event on Sunday, 13 July between 2:00pm – 5:00pm, visit: https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/35006/treborth-botanic-garden-bangor-university