Culture

Historic Welsh gardens keep hold of prestigious award for another year

21 Jul 2026 3 minute read

Amelia Jones

A historic Welsh garden has retained its prestigious Visit Wales Gold Award following a glowing assessment of its visitor experience.

Aberglasney Gardens has retained its Visit Wales Gold Award, meaning the heritage garden of excellence in the Towy valley will continue to be a Quality Assured Visitor Attraction for future years.

Responding to the award, Aberglasney Gardens’ Director Helen Scutt said:“We’re thrilled to have retained our precious gold award from Visit Wales. This is very special to us in the tourism industry as this award recognises our hard work in delivering an outstanding and memorable experience for visitors.

“You can always be confident of a great visit to a gold-rated attraction and we’re honoured and very proud to have held this accolade for many years. Awards are always gratefully received but the Visit Wales gold attraction standard is highly prized.

“The assessors check out every aspect of a visit to the gardens including our website and presence on social media before visitors arrive, the car park, having a meal in our Tearooms, the cleanliness of our loos and the friendliness of our team.”

The Visit Wales Visitor Attraction Assessment evaluates and grades tourism sites to ensure a high standard of visitor experience. Assessors conduct incognito visits to inspect every touchpoint from digital bookings and car parks to staff knowledge, cleanliness, and accessibility, providing detailed feedback and official accreditations.

Aberglasney’s Visit Wales Visitor Attraction Assessment (VAQAS) 2026 report stated: “The gardens were looking magnificent during the visit. Significant improvements are underway in the Asiatic Garden, while extensive work in the Kitchen Garden and Upper Walled Gardens has created vibrant displays full of colour.

“The Woodland Garden offers a peaceful contrast, with a more natural and tranquil atmosphere.’

“Staff encountered throughout the visit were welcoming, helpful and knowledgeable. Their enthusiasm and passion for Aberglasney Gardens was evident and contributed positively to the overall visitor experience.”

Aberglasney is one of Wales’ finest gardens, and at its heart lies a fully restored Elizabethan Cloister Garden that is the only surviving example of its kind in the UK today.

Beyond this, visitors can explore 10 acres of over 20 different garden styles from formal to woodland, right through to exotic and modern along with the fully restored ground floor of the grade II* listed mansion which offers a stunning venue for exhibitions, events and weddings.

You can visit their website for more information.

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