Aviary Terrace in Powis Castle Gardens

Cadw's description

Location

Forms the upper tier of the terraces immediately S of the castle

Exterior

History: The design of the terrace gardens at Powis is attributed to William Winde, who is known to have been employed to rebuild the Powis London residence between 1684 and 1688, and who is also thought to have been responsible for work on the castle from c1673. There is no firm dating evidence for the gardens but it is unlikely that the gardens predate 1668, and they were probably largely completed by 1705. From 1703, the name of a Frenchman, Adrian Duvall, is also associated with these gardens (to him is attributed the blasting away of rock to create the terraces, and the hydraulics of the lost water-garden). It may be that Winde began work before 1688, and that Duvall was brought in to continue construction, possibly working for Winde.

Description: Stone steps with stone copings to brick parapet lead down in an angled flight from the top terrace at the right of the aviary which forms the centrepiece of the terrace. This is symmetrically arranged as an arcaded structure of 7 bays, the central 3 bays slightly advanced. Brick, with moulded stone imposts. A further wide arched niche to the left has rusticated stone quoins and voussoirs; a similar arch is shown to the right in the Bucks' illustration of 1742. To either side of the aviary, a brick revetment wall with rubble base and stone copings forms the retaining wall of the top terrace. To the left, a further wall descends in a series of curves, retaining the aviary terrace level at its western extremity.

Listed at grade I as part of the outstanding late C17 terraced gardens at Powis, highly important as a very rare British example of an Italianate garden.

References: The National Trust, Powis Castle, 1988, pp.38-42.
Elizabeth Whittle, The Historic Gardens of Wales, 1992, pp.30- 31.