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The 230ha garden is both a visitor attraction and a centre for botanical research and conservation, and has the world's largest single-span glasshouse measuring 110 m (360 ft) long by 60 m (200 ft) wide. It was conceived in the mid-1980s by the painter William Wilkins, and opened to the public in May 2000. The NBGW is a few km east of Carmarthen and easily accessible from the A48.

The garden occupies a historic estate of the Middleton family - the first Middleton Hall was built in the mid-17C. When the Middletons fell on hard times, losing their wealth, the estate was sold in 1776 to pay off debts. bought by William Paxton in 1789. The old mansion was turned into a home farm and a new mansion was built in 1793-5, which was of neo-classical design. This is now Principality House. The whole estate was landscaped, with the help of landscape architect Samuel Lapidge and engineer James Greer. In 1931 the mansion was gutted by fire, and the lakes, which had distinguished the estate in Paxton`s day, were drained in 1939. The estate was bought by Carmarthenshire County Council in the 1930s and divided it into farming starter units. The derelict walls of the mansion were pulled down in 1954, and public access to some parts of the park was restored in 1978.

Plans are now afoot to restore some of the lakes that were drained 75 years ago, and to restore the historic 400-year-old landscape. The garden also hosts permanent and temporary art and scientific displays, and Principality House can be used for corporate events and wedding.

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