Steps, Gates and Gatepiers to Upper Terrace at Plas Brondanw Gardens

Cadw's description

Location

Centrally-placed within the upper terrace revettment wall and leading down to the gardens to the W.

History

Gates and gatepiers and steps built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, architect and owner of the Brondanw estate. The gardens were laid out to his designs in various stages between his inheritance of the estate in 1908 and his death in 1978. He created here one of Wales' most impressive gardens distinctive for its interlinked terraces, compartments and axial vistas that are aligned on the surrounding mountains of Moel Hebog, Moelwyn, Cnicht and Snowdon.

Exterior

Tall rubble gatepiers, centrally-placed within the terrace revettment; the rubble walls of this slope up at both sides to join them; rubble capping, the tops oversailing and with reconstituted stone ball finials. One decorative wrought-iron half-gate (its pair missing), with serpentine scrolled top. Complex decorative wrought-iron overthrow with scrollwork and foliate forms in the manner of Tijou. In front of the gatepiers is a landing with flights of parapetted stone steps descending to the garden level to the R and L. The landing has a wrought iron screen to the front with flanking square rubble piers; below is an arched niche in Rustic style with projecting key; within a carved lion of reconstituted stone. The flights of steps give onto a long slate-paved terrace which runs parallel with the house. The ironwork is painted in the distinctive Clough Williams Ellis blue.

Reason for designation

Listed as an integral feature of the nationally important gardens laid out at Plas Brondanw by Clough Williams-Ellis.