Garden walls to N side of formal garden including gatepiers, gates and alcove

Cadw's description

Location

The wall runs along the N side of the formal garden to the E of Erddig and returns at right angles at the end of the garden.

History

The walls relate to a garden laid out by John Meller in 1718-33 based on a plan by Stephen Switzer and shown on an engraving of 1740 by Thomas Badeslade. They have been repaired and rebuilt and some new openings have been made at various times since the early C18. Major restoration undertaken by the National Trust during the 1970s.

Exterior

The wall is of a mixture of bonds, with some sections in English Garden Wall bond and some Flemish bond. The brick is generally red or reddish brown and various different sizes relate to different areas of rebuilding and repair. The wall has a flat stone parapet for most of its length and about half way down there is a set of square-section brick gatepiers with flat brick caps and iron gates of later C19 character. There is a seating alcove in the angle where the wall returns at the end of the garden which consists of a gabled opening to a curved recess flanked by square-section brick piers with flat stone caps. The wall continues and curves round terminating at the iron screen.

Reason for designation

Listed as a surviving feature of an exceptional and rare early C18 formal garden.

Group value with Erddig and with garden structures of the E front of the house.