Enjoy Our Open Gardens Day Sunday June 22nd 2025
Our biggest annual event is our Open Gardens Day when our members open their gardens to the public organised in conjunction with the National Garden Scheme, raising funds for charities including Marie Curie and Macmillan.
This event fosters a fun, healthy competitive spirit, as well as lots of camaraderie in the village.
Cefn Cribwr is an old mining village atop a ridge with views of Swansea to the west, Somerset to the south, ome to Bedford Park and the Cefn Cribwr Iron Works.
Our individually styled and worked allotments can be found behind the Village Hall.
Children, art and relaxation are just some of the themes to be found in the gardens besides the flower beds and vegetables.
Enjoy water features, fish ponds, wildlife ponds, summerhouses and hens adding to the diverse mix in the village.
Explore hemed colour borders, roses, greenhouses, recycling, composting and much more.
The chapel grounds are peaceful with a meandering woodland trail. Visitors may travel between gardens courtesy of the Glamorgan Iron Horse Vintage Society.
Travel through the village, transported by a tractor led trailer and resturn inspired to the Village Hall to enjoy teas, cakes, crafts and plants for sale.
Cen Cribwr Gardening Club Invites you to Join in their Love of Gardening
You could drive through Cefn Cribwr and almost miss it. The village five miles from Bridgend, once home to an industrial ironworks, is spread out with a road running through it. People driving through might pass with barely a backward glance. But behind the unassuming houses and side roads are the hidden jewels in Cefn Cribwr's crown - the carefully tended and beautiful gardens of the village community and members of the thriving gardening club.
As secretary of the club, Veronica Davies is keen to join new members uo and has arranged for the allotments and private gardens in the village to open for the annual National Garden Scheme Open Garden Day.
As a keen plantswoman she's always on the look out for tips and says all gardeners enjoy sharing cuttings. She even moves wild flowers around her own garden to get them in just the right spot to enjoy.
It took 18 months of work to clear the area before allotments could even be dreamed of. Once the ground was cleared there was a fantastic response,with more people interested than plots.
"The joy of the allotments is the friendship up here. You can come up here on any day and there is always someone about, " says John Loveluck.
"The gardening club started from a conversation in The White Lion," John recalls. "We were talking about the lack of allotments in Cefn Cribwr although we were keen gardeners."
Soon the then leader of Bridgend Council, Huw David, was approached and it was agreed that an area of wasteland behind the village community hall on the main road through could be cleared. Mr David is now chair of the gardening club.
About us
Cefn Cribwr Gardening Club was established in 2008, initially formed to manage allotments provided by Bridgend County Borough Council.
The club has now grown substantially and via an annual £12 a year club membership, offers members opportunities for growing their own produce, attending monthly meetings, talks, discounts at a range of gardening outlets and bus trips - heading off to visit gardens of interest together.
The golden thread that joins all of the members together is their love of gardening and they welcome you to join them to share your love of gardening with them soon!
Testimonials
Being part of a community in our small village brings so much inclusion, friendships and sharing of information, including plant knowledge and gardening techniques. I'm so very proud to be part of it.
Helen & Tom Noble
We feel a sense of belonging, to be members of a community, who shares our love of gardening and being outdoors in nature and always able to gain extra gardening knowledge from our fellow members.
Tracey & Neil Jones
I've been openning my garden for the NGS Open Day since the very beginning. I have a rustic garden with exceptional views of the mountains and to north of the village that I love sharing with others.
Kevin & Kathryn Burnell
We really love being part of our club and enjoy the great company. The time spent with other gardeners is always a learning curve. It's very social , fun filled, packed with friends old and new. What more could you want!
John Loveluck & Chris Early
