Points of interest

THE Old Bishop’s Palace: The connection between the Bishops of St David’s and Abergwili goes back over 700 years. It began at the end of the 13th Century when Bishop Thomas Bek established a church college in Abergwili. This was at a time when the church owned extensive lands in the area and Abergwili was one of four towns owned by the bishops of St David’s. The college Bek founded would remain in Abergwili until the mid16th Century.

In 1541, the then bishop, William Barlow, finding St David’s too remote a place to live; decided to move the college to Brecon so he could turn Abergwili into his new home. His palace would remain the home of the Bishops of St David’s for the next 431 years. When Richard Davies became bishop in 1561, he turned the palace into the home of the Welsh Renaissance. Whilst staying in Abergwili and working with Bishop Davies he produced the first Welsh translations of both the New Testament and the Book of Common Prayer. Despite this within a few years of Davies’s death in 1581 the palace was described as being in most extreme ruin.

When under Charles I, William Laud became Bishop of St David’s he would only visit Abergwili twice. Despite this he did however leave a lasting legacy at Abergwili as the chapel on the first floor was built at his request. Bishop Laud consecrated the chapel when visiting for the second and last time in 1625. The chapel still remains today, though what we see now is the result of a major rebuild following a fire in 1903 that gutted the palace. The palace changed little over the remainder of the 19th Century then in 1903 disaster struck. A chimney fire destroyed most of the building, including Laud’s Chapel.

The Carmarthenshire County Museum is housed in the former palace of the Bishops of St David’s (1542-1974), an old building that has been in continuous use since about 1290. A new house for the Bishop, built in 1978, occupies part of the site.

The County Council is investing £1.2million at this site. Extensive repairs are being carried out to help make the museum watertight. Works to the main entrance porch are also being undertaken to include restoration of the stonework and access improvements.

Since the 16th Century a college of bishops has occupied the palace at Abergwili. The ruinous earlier building was incorporated into a 19th Century structure, simplified after a fire in 1903. In 1978 the old palace became the

County Museum. There is an octagonal lodge (1802) by John Foster, and his Tudor Gate has been moved from the adjoining position.

St David’s Park: The grounds, which are now the centrepiece of the Tywi Gateway projects, owes much to Bishop Jenkinson. When Bishop Jenkinson became bishop in 1825 both the palace and grounds had fallen into decay. The palace was rebuilt and the grounds redesigned in a style where the plants were the centre of attention, all paid for by the Bishop. This was to be the last time the Bishop’s Park had any major landscaping works undertaken. Bishop Jenkinson died in 1840 but his legacy at Abergwili was already secured as in the same year his palace was described as being a ‘noble mansion’.

Now nearly 200 years later with Carmarthenshire Council and Heritage Lottery and other funding the gardens will be restored to their mid-1800s glory. The grounds however remain open to the public and the Tywi Gateway Trust will continue to provide opportunities for visitors and volunteers as it restores the park and walled kitchen garden. The trust is also restoring the former palace outbuildings to create a café and learning space, and the park’s historic paths, walls and plantings.