Beautiful birch at Plas Newydd ready for next season

Work has been progressing at Plas Newydd (pictured), now that the main visitor season is over, to recreate a birch avenue in the historic garden.

When the Ladies of Llangollen lived in Plas Newydd they had an avenue of birch trees which has long since gone. 

As part of the National Lottery Heritage Funded Our Picturesque Landscape project, a previously heavily shadowed entranceway into the Dell has been opened up and planted with 24 birch trees comprising of six different birch varieties including the beautiful Betula Jacquemontii and Betula Albosinensis.

Volunteers and staff from the wider Denbighshire Countryside Service and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team helped to plant the trees. 

Thousands of native wildflower bulbs such as English bluebells and snowdrops are being planted this autumn under the birch trees ready to put on a spectacular display in the spring.

The Our Picturesque Landscape project is leading on a five-year restoration of the Dell which has started with repairing many of the crumbling stone walls and will be replacing the existing handrail with something more in keeping with the garden as it would have been two hundred years ago.

* If you would like to get involved by volunteering with the restoration projects please get in touch with the team on 01824 706163 or contact: our.picturesque.landscape@denbighshire.gov.uk

Mike Fawcett a regular dog walker at Plas Newydd said: “It seems a small thing now as we head into winter but it will grow and establish and look wonderful when the trees are in leaf next spring with all the bulbs in flower too, I look forward to seeing it then and seeing the project progress.”