Frame Yard

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in Glanusk Park, immediately E of the Kitchen Garden and W of the formal pleasure garden.

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 frame yard probably belongs to the original phase of construction of the house and park (1825-30). It contained heated glass houses, potting sheds and a boiler house. Cast iron pipes are said to survive below ground and carried heating from the boiler to the glass houses.

Exterior

Rectangular walled compound containing surviving part of potting sheds and boiler house. High rubble stone walls to the W (shared with kitchen garden) and to the S. Lower rubble wall to the E, facing the current house and garden. The N wall is high and constructed of brick. The main entrance is at the S end, facing the driveway, and marked by square-section piers with flat copings. Between these are wood panelled double gates, including open panels at the top with twisted iron bars. At the SE angle leading into the garden is a cast iron gate with fleur de lys finials. Double cast iron gates in the centre of the E wall also lead into the formal garden. To the N, a planked door leads into the back of the formal garden; this was the gardener’s entrance. The W wall contains several planked doors into the kitchen garden.

The internal W wall is partly rendered and heavily vegetated: the glass houses were located here. Part of the potting sheds and boiler house survive against the S end of the E wall. They consist of 2 adjoining single-storey ranges, one lower than the other, constructed of snecked masonry with quoins under slate roofs. The higher (S) range is 7-window and has 2 masonry stacks to ridge and eaves, the latter perhaps connected to the boiler. To its L at ground level is a round-arched recess with voussoirs within a panel of masonry. Generally, 2-light casement multi-paned windows rising to the eaves, but also a fixed multi-pane window and a C20 window immediately R of the recess. There is a door, probably C20 in the N gable end accessed via the lower range. The lower range has 2 wide open bays and an infilled unit to the N containing a C20 casement window. There is also a C20 window in the N gable end. These ranges are now converted for accommodation and storage.

Reason for designation

Listed as one of the original horticultural features at Glanusk Park. Although few of the internal structures survive, the frame yard is an important element in the character of the Park.