A forgotten landscape in the terraced ‘burgage’ gardens* below the 900-year-old Haverfordwest Castle has been transformed into a tranquil and restful green space, thanks to a project led by Pembrokeshire County Council and supported by Welsh Government.
Wildflower meadows, native plants, new paths and seating have replaced the previously overgrown areas. The historic terrace walls have been refurbished and medieval bee hives (known as skeps) have also been introduced.
The project is one of the first in Wales to receive funding under Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity grant. It also received funding from Pembrokeshire County Council and Welsh Government’s Local Places for Nature programme.
The wildlife and biodiversity features on the site include:
· Bat boxes (these are also within the walls of Haverfordwest Castle)
· Boxes for swifts, hedgehogs and birds
· Planting of small trees and hedges to provide food for birds, insects and bats.
· Wildflower meadows edged with winter bulbs
Our former Production Manager and now the owner of Meadow Creations, Trevor Bendall, worked closely with Pembrokeshire County Council to bring wildflowers to the historic space.
Trevor utilised 60m2 of Wildflower Turf® Landscape 34 turf to ‘top off’ the stone walls and the installation work was carried out towards the end of May, 2021.
To ensure there was enough of a growing / water retention medium to allow the turf to flourish, hessian sacks filled with Wildflower Turf® roof substrate were utilsed on top of the wall, underneath the Wildflower Turf®.
This work is Phase One of the Haverfordwest Castle project and we look forward to bringing you further updates over time.
*A burgage plot is usually characterised as a long walled plot, garden or yard, behind a building, the front of which faces one of the older streets in a town or city with medieval origins.