Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Garden walls, terraces, potting shed and peach house at Voelas
Pentrefoelas, Conwy, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II
- Broad class
- Gardens, Parks and Urban Spaces
- Date of designation
- 19 October 1998
- Locality
- Voelas
- Town
- Pentrefoelas
- Community
- Pentrefoelas
- Unitary authority
- Conwy
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 53.04832, -3.71474
- Cadw reference
- 20589
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesLlyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of WalesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1795 "To Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn Bart ... the map of the six counties of North Wales is most humbly inscribed by his obedient humble servant" (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of Wales).
Cadw's description
Location
The kitchen garden at Voelas lies E of the house and outbuildings on land sloping gently to the Afon Conwy. The peach-house is against the the N wall.
History
The garden dates largely from the works associated with the mid C19 house built 1856-1858 for Charles Wynn-Finch at Voelas, and after the diversion of the Holyhead Road away from the park which took place in March 1861. It served both as a kitchen garden and the upper part as a pleasure garden for the house, and continues to function as such for the present house built in 1957-1961, designed by Clough Williams Ellis.
Exterior
The kitchen garden walls are of rubble stonework, faced in part on the inner side with brick. They describe a rectangle open to the S where the garden is limited by the river. Access is from a pathway around the 'bothy' and through the buildings around the service yard. The walls are approximately 3m high and coped. A later gap has been cut through the E side.
The upper terrace has a central square embayment with steps down to a raised walk, and a perron staircase leading further down to a random-paved cross walk on the third terrace. Further steps from this level lead down to the body of the garden, which is furnished with cross hedging.
The peach house is set against the E end of the upper (N) wall. It is formed of very lightweight T-section ferrous members approximately 40x40mm spanning in a curve from timber openable lower section set on a dwarf brick wall, to high level against the N wall. The leg of each member is pierced at regular intervals for a continuous 3-4mm wire, to which thin glass panes, cut to a curved profile at the lower edge, are hung on metal clips.
A stone-built potting shed is set into the bank on the outer side of the walled garden. It has a hipped slate roof, two ridge stacks and central louvred ventilator; boarded end doors. The S wall forms an integral part of the N garden wall.
Reason for designation
Included as a good and reasonably complete example of a C19 kitchen garden including the exceptional peach house.
Nearby in the register
- Carriage house at VoelasDomesticunder 1 mi
- Laundry, stable and bothy at VoelasDomesticunder 1 mi
- Brohomagli Stone (Now In Voelas Hall)Inscribed Stoneunder 1 mi
- Summerhouse at VoelasGardens, Parks and Urban Spacesunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.