North of Swansea and east of Carmarthenshire, in an attractive pocket of open Welsh countryside known as the Towy Valley, is the town of Llanarthney.

The town is home to around 738 people but is famous for being the home of the National Botanic Garden of Wales since the year 2000. The National Botanic is the most visited garden in Wales and holds more than 8,000 different species of plant across 560 beautiful acres of countryside, and in the world’s largest single-spanned glasshouse.

Another of Llanarthey’s attractions is Paxton’s Tower, a Neo-Gothic tower erected in honour of Lord Nelson. The views from the hilltop on which it is located are the best in the area.

Generous wartime benefactor M. E. Griffith Jones left a financial legacy that allowed the people of Llanarthney to build a village hall, which holds regular craft fayres, country dances and markets.