Walled Garden at Llantysilio Hall

Cadw's description

Location

The walled garden lies at the foot of the steeply sloping S lawn, some distance from the house.

History

The walled garden and cross-walk were probably built in or shortly after 1724, as part of the landscape setting of the earlier house on the site. The upper cross-walk is extended to the E as an avenue of oaks to the churchyard, and the axis from the house is developed as a lime tree avenue behind the garden southwards to the River Dee.

Exterior

A large almost square area of sloping land, approximately 71.6m x 79.2m, enclosed by stone walls on three sides, lined with brick internally and coped with a cavetto edged stone coping weathered outwards. The walls vary in height, being generally approximately 2.5m, but rising to 3.5m, and faced with red brick, probably made locally, and laid in an irregular flemish bond, the courses sloping with the ground. At the top, brick piers with stone cornices flank a gated entry with 5 steps from a walled cross-walk that runs E-W, between the garden and the lawns. Similar piers also to the steps which lead from the cross-walk to the lawns. Midway down there is a narrow terrace with a small pond, where the sundial formerly stood. The fourth side of the garden, at the bottom, is a low stone wall forming a simple ha-ha, and is now topped with a box hedge. At the SW corner there is a contemporary hemispherical summerhouse or alcove - the facade gabled with stone copings rising to a carved feature and a pedestal for a finial, now missing. Internally it is rendered and lined out, and provided with semi-circular slatted seating. The 1st edition OS map shows what is probably a corresponding alcove at the SE corner. The upper section of the W wall has been rebuilt in the late C19 to incorporate coldhouses or potting sheds.

Reason for designation

Included as an interesting surviving element of an early C18 planned garden, of group value with Llantysilio Hall.