Stackpole’s historic rose garden has gone back to its roots, following major restoration work by the National Trust in Pembrokeshire to reintroduce roses and specimen trees that were recorded at the site in the 1800s.

The ornamental garden was originally created by the Cawdor family during their ownership of the Stackpole Estate in the 18th and 19th century, but eventually fell into disrepair. Over the last nine months, the ranger team at Stackpole have begun work to restore key historic features of the garden for visitors to sample the sensory experience once enjoyed by the Cawdors.

A collection of old rose varieties have been planted, including cuttings from the original Cawdor roses, along with specimen trees such as the gingko, tulip tree, strawberry tree, cork oak and Indian bean tree, kindly donated by Pembrokeshire National Trust Association.

Visitors are now welcomed into the garden by a traditional rose arbour which leads onto a circular route around the informal arboretum.

The first phase of work began at the garden in October 2015, with the clearing of species like ash and sycamore which were felled to create space for the historic trees. The felled timber is now being used for biomass fuel to heat Stackpole Outdoor Learning Centre.

Chris Oliver, Stackpole’s head ranger, said: “We’ve worked hard to restore the rose garden and have received fantastic support from volunteers and community groups throughout the project.

“The planting is a celebration of the rose garden’s history and story, and we’re excited to share this with our visitors.

“Historic roses are blooming at Stackpole for the first time in generations and it’s a chance for people to see a variety of trees from all over the world.

“In terms of future management, we’ll keep the area open by regular cutting and are planning to plant more specimen trees.”

The rose garden can be easily accessed from the Lodge Park Woods car park and is dog-friendly. The roses are currently in bloom and will be at their best until the end of July.

Further work will now be undertaken by the rangers to restore the historic paths around the site.

Find out more about Stackpole at nationaltrust.org.uk/stackpole