Project

Colby Gazebo Appeal

The Colby Gazebo, a small, cream coloured building with tall windows and a pointed roof sites at the end of a garden path which is lined with flowers, plants and trees. — The Colby Gazebo sits at the heart of the Walled Garden in Colby Woodland Garden, Pembrokeshire | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

The Gazebo sits at the heart of the Walled Garden in Colby Woodland Garden. However, closed since 2019, its walls and artworks are beginning to crumble. Donate today and help restore this treasured building and decide how it’s used in the future.

The history of the Colby Gazebo

Built in the 1970’s by Peter and Pamela Chance, the Colby Gazebo is a fusion of art and nature.

Surrounded by a garden which brims with colour and life, the Gazebo has always been a place of joy and haven of tranquillity.

Inside, the walls are painted with remarkable trompe l’oeil or ‘trick of the eye’ 3D artworks by American artist Lincoln Taber. Finished 50 years ago after being commissioned by Peter they are now in urgent need of restoration.

We want to return this much-loved historical gem to its former glory. Restoring it means more than saving a building; it means preserving a living legacy.

A man holds a piece of honey comb on the rooftop of Colby Gazebo during removal of a bee colony, Colby Woodland Garden, Pembrokeshire — A piece of honeycomb is removed from the Gazebo roof during reroofing works | © National Trust Images/Jack Abbott

A sticky problem

In 2019 a colony of honeybees moved into the Gazebo’s roof space, closing it to visitors. The protective bees meant regular maintenance was impossible and so the building deteriorated. In hot weather wax and honey melted through the ceiling, damaging the precious artworks.

Finally, last year after many attempts the bees successfully were rehomed. The Gazebo was reroofed and is now ready for its next phase of restoration, to revive the space for everyone to enjoy again.