Walled Kitchen Garden

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in Glanusk Park, 0.15km NW of the Stable Court and W of the formal garden and frame yard.

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. The formal pleasure garden, laid out between 1842 and 1874, is to the N of the former house towards the River Usk, and is a rare example of the work of Markham Nesfield, son of the more famous garden designer W A Nesfield. A new 2-storey house by Louis Hurley was built to the W of the former house in 1978.

The walled kitchen garden belongs to the original phase of construction of the house and park (1825-30).

Exterior

The walled kitchen garden is rectangular and encloses approximately 1.5 acres. It consists of a high wall of rubble masonry with stone tile coping. The main entrance to the exterior is to the S, providing access to the driveway. It consists of centrally placed planked double gates with open panels at the top. In the W wall is a central planked door under a segmental stone arch with voussoirs. There is a similar opening in the N wall but it is blocked. The E side has 3 doorways which lead into the Frame Yard, all planked under flat stone lintels. The S and central ones have dressed reveals and that to the N replaces a blocked entrance immediately to its R which had a segmental arched head with voussoirs. The top of the E wall is not level; there are 2 gables just R of the N doorway probably reflecting former glass-houses in the Frame Yard, while there is a lower section of wall above the central doorway.

The interior of the compound is empty and grassed over, but the remains of a circular stone feature survive in the centre. In the SE corner facing N is a single storey lean-to of snecked masonry with timber boning under a heavily vegetated roof. It has an entrance, probably later, to the R and a window with timber struts to the L. It has recently been used as a horse shelter.

Reason for designation

Listed as one of the original garden features at Glanusk Park. The walling is well preserved and is an important element in the character of the Park.