First time tropical fruit grown on site for over 100 years

Pineapples have been planted for the first time in over 100 years at Cardigan Castle.

But it will be a long wait before castle visitors can see the tropical fruits – they take two years to grow!

Castle gardener Mark Dellar was inspired to plant the pineapples after finding out that in Victorian times pineapples were grown in the Castle Green hot house. They were an exotic addition to the tea table of the Davies family who lived in the house at the time.

The glass hot house was demolished in the 1920s following the national coal strike when it became too expensive to heat.

But visitors to the castle can still see the brick pattern on the garden wall where the heating pipes were laid. The broken pipes are placed in the garden.

“It’s an interesting experiment,” said Mark. “We will be watching the plants very closely!”

Pictured is volunteer gardener Huw Davies holding the potted pineapple seedlings.