A Professional Landscape Architect, Serving WALES and South West England
At Bronwen Thomas Landscape Architect, I provide comprehensive services at all stages of the landscape design process. From the development of the brief and site surveys through to contract administration, every job receives my personal attention. Serving a variety of clients throughout Wales and South West England, I have more than 30 years of experience in all aspects of environmental design.
Historic Landscape Restoration
It’s possible to create new landscapes for today’s needs while respecting and conserving their historical context and enhancing their heritage value. Successfully integrating the new with the old requires a thorough understanding and appreciation of the cultural significance, and historic fabric of the specific landscape. I have long had a keen interest in this aspect of landscape design.
Urban Environmental Improvements
Increasingly, everyone is encouraged to have a say in their local environmental change and regeneration. Bringing insight, imagination, and practical environmental design expertise, I aim to improve urban environments by achieving lasting benefits for individuals and communities and reinforcing a sense of place.
Countryside Recreation
Development
Increasingly, everyone is encouraged to have a say in their local environmental change and regeneration. Bringing insight, imagination, and practical environmental design expertise, I aim to improve urban environments by achieving lasting benefits for individuals and communities and reinforcing a sense of place.
My Landscape Design Projects
Dolaucothi Roman Gold Mines, Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire
Client: The National Trust
These are the only known Roman gold mines in Britain, last worked in the 1930s, where some of the mine workings are open for tours. Along with my heritage interpretation expert, I was engaged to prepare the Visitor Experience Development Feasibility and Design Study, proposing how to make the mine yard more inspiring for visitors. Our recommendations included:
- expanding the gold-panning troughs into a focal place of activity and interest
adding a new central orientation point
updating and re-organising the interpretation throughout the mines
introducing a gold theme to planting within the margins of the mine yard
I was subsequently engaged to prepare detailed designs and oversee the construction of the new gold-panning troughs and outlet rill. The curving troughs are at three levels, allowing access for wheelchair users, and the water flows into a rill crossing the mine yard and disappears under a blacksmith-made cover based on the Roman gold sun disc found on the site.
This work was beautifully constructed and has proved to be a great attraction to visitors of all ages and abilities.
PROJECT GALLERY
Llanrhidian Community Hall Garden
Client: Llanrhidian Village Garden Steering Group
In this small village on the north coast of the Gower Peninsula, the Community Hall was built on a platform cut across the slope, leaving a difficult-to-manage steep slope above the hall and an unused disconnected space on the lower side (see first two images).
I worked with the community to create usable and attractive outdoor spaces, the main requirements being a community garden, children’s play, and a patio area. The new garden includes:
a paved patio area cut into the slope adjacent to the hall for a ‘break-out’ area
a terraced ornamental garden on the steep slope overlooking the patio
raised growing beds, a soft fruit hedge, and a mini orchard
a small safe space for toddlers to play
a lawn and upper seating area, making the most of views over the loughor estuary
stepped and ramped access-for-all throughout the garden
I developed the layout, gained planning consent within the Conservation Area, provided all technical documentation, and advised on necessary design adaptations (e.g. bedrock near the surface) and planting design (carried out by the community).
PROJECT GALLERY
Rhossili Car Park, Gower
Client: The National Trust
Worm’s Head and Rhossili Bay are at the far end of the Gower Peninsula. A few years ago, the National Trust acquired the popular, but inadequate car park and arrival point for these iconic landscapes.
I led a multidisciplinary team in designing and implementing major improvements to the car park. These considered the important medieval open field system that survives there, restored stone field boundaries, made the most of the wonderful views, and provided an accessible, comfortable parking and arrival area for the increased flow of visitors.
I developed the master plans, prepared the LVIA, heritage impact assessment, design, and access statement, and the analysis of surface materials and construction details. I was also the contract administrator.
PROJECT GALLERY
Llampha Storage Lagoon, Vale of Glamorgan
Client: Private Landowner
A storage lagoon covered with a black LDPE sheet, for agricultural fertiliser produced locally from food waste was to be sited in the corner of an arable field in the rolling countryside of the Vale of Glamorgan. The landowner was keen to ensure that the lagoon fitted into this landscape.
I was brought in by the developer Agrivert to consider adjustments to the shape, location, cut and fill, and planting to mitigate the visual impact of the lagoon. Several layouts and cut-and-fill sections with visual assessments were produced and refined to come up with the best solution.
The resulting lagoon is now barely visible from the surrounding landscape.
PROJECT GALLERY
Restoration of the Dell, Plas Newydd, Llangollen
Client: Cadwyn Clywd
The grounds of Plas Newydd were developed in a picturesque style, on a small scale between the 1780s and 1820s. The Dell, was an integral and contrasting part of these grounds, becoming one of the must-see places to visit for tourists of the time. Since then various features have been lost or changed and its picturesque character diluted.
I prepared designs for the restoration of the Dell project as part of the ‘Our Picturesque Landscape’ Heritage Lottery Fund Landscape Partnership Bid. This consisted of an appraisal plan, a concepts plan, a series of project descriptions, historic references, appraisal and proposals, outline costs, and an accompanying report providing additional information.
The heritage significance and the current significance and condition were assessed, and the three overarching themes for restoration were identified as:
- enhancement of the picturesque character
- improvements to access
- community engagement
Outline proposals were drawn up for four key area improvement projects, three new or re-created feature projects for site-wide enhancements, and one for tree/vegetation management and planting.
PROJECT GALLERY
Hensol Castle and Parkland, Vale of Glamorgan
Client: Leekes Ltd
Hensol Castle is a Grade I-listed, 18th-century castle that was latterly a psychiatric hospital, sitting in registered Grade II parkland with a series of lakes.
The plan was to convert the castle into a luxury hotel, with other buildings converted for residential use. I was brought in to ensure that the restoration and conservation of the historic landscape met planning requirements, and in preparing designs for the integration of the new development.
Over the years, I have carried out a variety of work relating to ongoing developments. These include:
- landscape masterplan for the historic parkland, woodlands, and garden
- layout for parking, access, and associated planting for the castle and residential apartments
- walled garden restoration plan based on archival research and site survey
- heritage impact assessment for enabling development
PROJECT GALLERY
Expert Landscape Design and Management
Experienced in environmental and landscape design, I offer complete design solutions.