Apothecaries Hall at The National Botanic Gardens of Wales

The Apothecaries Hall sits at the heart of the National Botanic Gardens of Wales, just outside Carmarthen, and it's genuinely worth carving out time for if you're spending a few days in the area. This is a working recreation of a 17th-century apothecary's shop - all dark wood, glass bottles, and the kind of medicinal plants that would've kept Tudor physicians in business. You can walk through at your own pace, handle some of the specimens, and get a proper sense of how people actually treated illness before modern medicine showed up.

The museum works best for adults with a genuine interest in medical history or botany. Kids under ten might find it a bit dry unless they're already into plants - it's not interactive in the theme-park sense. Allow 45 minutes to an hour, longer if you're one of those people who reads every label. The gardens themselves are sprawling and lovely, so you could easily spend a full day here if you factor in a walk through the glasshouses and the wider botanical collections.

It's a straightforward fit with a caravan or glamping holiday in Carmarthenshire. You're within striking distance of Towy Valley Caravan Park and Coedhirion Farm Holidays if you want to base yourself locally. Carmarthen itself is close enough for supplies and meals. The whole National Botanic Gardens operation is free to enter - check their website for specific opening hours and whether the Hall charges separately, as details weren't available at the time of writing. Worth the short drive from wherever you're staying.