Snowdonia gardens back in bloom after storm devastation

A Victorian garden devastated by storms is back in full bloom in Snowdonia after two years of restoration work.

Gales hitting 100mph (161 km/h) ripped through parts of Gwynedd in 2014, laying waste to the gardens at Plas Tan y Bwlch at Maentwrog.

A specialist consultant was recruited by the Snowdonia National Park Authority to restore the landscape to its former glory.

It involved planting 400 new plants - and has now erupted into colour.

"The gardens were originally created by the Oakeley family who owned the estate in the Victorian era," said Plas Tan y Bwlch's head of business, Andrew Oughton.

"They were particularly fond of magnolias, rhododendrons, camellias and Japanese maples, so we have planted new varieties of these, along with many other species."

Then:

And now:

The venue had to be closed initially following the storms in February 2014 and could not reopen until the summer.

But it has still needed another 18 months of constant work to clear fallen trees, replant shrubs and plants and reinstate paths.

New trails and a tearoom have also been installed as part of the restoration project.

"Only in the past few days everything has burst into flower, creating a spectacle of colour the like of which has not been seen for many years," added Mr Oughton.