Stable future: The east and south wings will be repaired

Aberglasney mansion, a medieval estate in Carmarthenshire, has the cash it needs to restore two wings of its main house and create a roofed winter garden in its courtyard.

The work will secure 31 jobs and create one new post at the site which in tourist attraction terms is barely a stone's throw from the great glasshouse at struggling Middleton.

On Tuesday, the Wales Tourist Board holds a "brain-storming" session at Middleton - where most of the staff have been made redundant - with leading figures in the industry to see if they can hammer out a future for the site, which is �2m in the red.

But the future is already looking bright for neighbouring Aberglasney following the announcement that it to receive European Objective One support.

Economic Development Minister Andrew Davies said the money would help to strengthen the local economy by helping to draw visitors to Aberglasney throughout the year, even in wet weather, and boost the economy of the Towy valley by extending the normal visitor season.

Green shoots: The EU cash will protect west Wales economy

He said: "This grant will help to make Aberglasney more attractive to visitors and extend its use into the winter months.

"This will bring benefits not only to Aberglasney but to the wider economy too, by increasing the amount of money spent in the local economy and the use of local services.

"This is a prime example of how Objective One money is helping to transform the rural economy of west Wales by supporting sustainable economic development."

The �296,000 grant - with cash from the private sector - will fund two phases of the restoration project at Aberglasney.

This will involve stabilising and repairing the east and south wings of the mansion so that they can be used for cultural exhibitions, seminars and trade evenings.

It will also fund an atrium to cover the central courtyard to create a winter garden within its ruins.