Garden Boundary Wall including gated entrance

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in the centre of Glanusk Park. The gardens are located N of the site of the former house, just to the NE of the stable court, and slope down towards the River Usk.

History

Glanusk Park was created in 1825 by the ironmaster Sir Joseph Bailey (1783-1858), nephew of Richard Crawshay of Cyfarthfa Castle. The house, by Robert Lugar, was built between 1825 and1830 and was in Tudor Gothic style characterised by octagonal ogee turrets and pinnacles. It was demolished in 1952-54 following extensive damage caused in World War II. A new house was built by Louis Hurley in 1978.

The formal pleasure garden, to which this was the boundary wall, was laid out between 1842 and 1874 and designed by Markham Nesfield, son of the better known garden designer W A Nesfield. It is a rare example of his work. The garden wall was built in or after 1858 by Sir Joseph Bailey’s grandson and successor, Sir Joseph Russell Bailey. The wall linked up with the existing ha-ha to the NW.

Exterior

The boundary wall separates the garden and site of the former house from the park on its N, E and SE sides. It is of alternating solid and pierced stone panels, separated by square piers and with an almost flat coping. The solid panels are of coursed grey rock-faced stone with limestone dressings. The open panels are limestone pierced with quatrefoils. Along the E side, the ground rises up towards the S through a series of terraces to the site of the former house. The wall sections here are higher and some consist of 2 rows of panels, in a slightly different design; the open panels have pierced ogee trefoiled arches with moulded copings, and there are square-section piers with recessed trefoiled arches and dentilled pyramidal caps. At the N end of the E wall is a gateway leading into the park. It is bound by pairs of octagonal piers with mouldings including a band of Tudor flowers, and with pyramidal copings. The iron double gates have rails and dog rails with fleur de lys finials, and end rails with scrolls. At the NW end, the wall finishes with a pier. Adjoining this is a ha-ha with a rough saddleback coping, which curves away to the NW.

Reason for designation

Included as part of Markham Nesfield's mid C19 designed scheme at Glanusk and for group value with other listed items within this well-preserved park.