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Gelli Aur
Country Park
Golden Grove
NEWSFLASH
We are urgently looking for a NEW TREASURER!
This is a volunteer role and a great opportunity to use your financial experience and be part of this exciting crucial phase in the recovery and development of the Gelli Aur Estate.
We are also looking for additional TRUSTEES.
Please contact us at info@goldengrove.org.uk with your expression of interest and for further information.
A Phased Reopening
2024 marked a turning point for Gelli Aur. The Trustees and volunteers have taken on the challenge of restoring the Estate, driven by a passion for preserving its historical and cultural significance. Their vision is ambitious yet rooted in respect for the Estate's heritage.
The restoration project has been, and still is a massive undertaking. It involves the rejuvenation, maintenance and development of the Parkland, Arboretum and Gardens, and extensive repairs to the Stable Block, Service Quarters and the Mansion House. The Trustees and volunteers are working tirelessly, drawing on expertise from heritage experts, historians, architects, gardeners and the community to ensure the restoration is both authentic and sustainable.
Phase 1 - Completed
The reopening of Gelli Aur is not just about restoring buildings, it’s about breathing life back into the Estate and making it a vibrant part of the community once more. Phase 1 was delivered with the opening on Saturday 13th July 2024 of the parkland, café, toilets and playground. This included restoring walks and pathways through the meadows and woodlands, and building an online community (website and social media) for better communication and transparency for all.
Phase 2 - In Progress
The restoration and maintenance of the arboretum. This is critical for preserving biodiversity, supporting ecological functions, providing educational and research opportunities, as well as enhancing cultural heritage and community well-being. As we face growing environmental challenges, the role of the arboretum becomes increasingly significant, offering a beacon of hope and a reminder of the enduring relationship between humans and the natural world. We are working to improve security and signage around the site also.
Phase 3 - In Progress
Pursuing grant applications and funding to enable the Trust to evaluate the options available to resurrect/transform the stable block, service quarters and mansion house.
Priority Projects
The Golden Grove Trust will be focusing on the following current priorities:
Saving the Mansion House central staircase Atrium. Deterioration of this 'skylight' structure above the central staircase has been caused by the theft of roof lead during past burglaries. We have obtained a grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund for a Structural Survey, but this can only take place once we have structural scaffolding in place. We are in the process of applying for this, whilst collaborating with Carmarthenshire County Council and Cadw to help expedite the works in an attempt to prevent collapse into the central staircase.
​Re-opening the Arboretum. This 'Phase 2' of our Phased Reopening (see above) was on track for Easter, but has seen some serious set-backs with storms Bert, Darragh and Éowyn. Remediation work is carried out in preparation for the completion of this Phase.
Grounds Maintenance. As we gradually improve our visitor’s experience with regenerating, making safe and expanding what is accessible to our Visitors, our amazing Grounds Team has an ever increasing task at hand. They are also clearing and improving the Stable Block to make that their base, whilst helping with the remedial work towards the Arboretum re-opening. We are applying for funding for machinery, as our trusted John Deere sit-on lawn mower is on its last legs.
Generating Income Streams. Whilst Caffi Ceirw and the various donations are continuing to help the Trust move forward, the funds needed to support a place like the Gelli Aur Country Park require us to do more. And as we are slowly moving from a Rescue Plan to a Business Plan, we can now start thinking about how to do this. The Trust will be hosting a monthly Farmers Market (the last Sunday of every month, see ‘Events’ tab), and there is a plan for a series of other exciting events that will provide income and draw in visitors, helping to put Gelli Aur back on the map as a go-to destination.
Other Projects
Other ways in which the Trust is working at shaping its future, in addition to the above:
Public Consultation & Feasibility Study. With a grant from the Rural Innovation Fund, the Trust has now successfully completed a Public Consultation and Feasibility Study. This aimed to ensure the Trust works with its second objective - to "provide opportunities for education, leisure, well-being, or other identified local needs which are exclusively charitable, by maintaining public access to and use of this space for the benefit of the local and wider community, as well as ensuring that it is sustainably managed for the future." The work started in July 2024, and included a Condition Survey on the Mansion House complex, a Public Consultation held both online as well as at the Twyi Centre in November, a Feasibility Study to prioritise the outcomes of the Consultation, and Multimedia Work (Social Media posts, Podcasts and Blog posts) running in parallel. Download the actual report below.
The outcome of this project showed the following top options in decreasing order of preference and recommendation through the points system applied:
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Medium-scale events usage
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The remarkable heritage of trees as a visitor experience (Arboretum)
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Stable block: self-catering accommodation, craft (or similar) units, potentially including an educational space for workshops etc.
The report also mentions the Public's and the Trust's desire educational provision across the Estate, which the Trust aims to implement by means of, e.g., history boards, name tags with QR codes on trees in the Arboretum.
Click to download
Rewilding / Biodiversity Project. Hereford cattle have been grazing the Eastern field adjacent to the Mansion House for the second year running, as part of our longer-term Rewilding and Biodiversity Project. The aim of this is to gradually and sustainably turn the field into a wildflower meadow that can be incorporated into a future vision of the 'Visitor Experience'.
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