The Birch Garden

The three birch trees represent the laws of ‘Tort and Crime' and the examples engraved on the five plaques illustrate the fairness and ‘common sense' so evident in all sections of the laws. Much emphasis was placed on paying compensation to the injured party:

"Pob cyflafan a wnêl dyn o'i anfodd, diwygied o'i fodd"
"All damage which a man does unwittingly, let him compensate for wittingly"

The next one speaks for itself:

"Tystiolaeth a ellir ar air ac ar weithred ac ni ellir ar feddwl"
"Testimony is possible for word and for deed and is not possible for thought"

i.e. the only offence we can bear witness to is one that we see or hear – what we ‘think' or ‘believe' is inadmissible.

If a starving man was caught stealing food when he had not been offered any hospitality or alms, he was set free.

You enter the main garden through the symbolic gate designed and made by Gideon Petersen, Llandissilio, who also made the decorative wrought iron panel at the end of the Willow garden