Penrhyn Park Boundary Wall (partly in Llanllechid community)

Cadw's description

Location

Encloses the historic parkland of Penrhyn Castle to form Penrhyn Park.

History

Work on the park wall appears to have begun in 1819 under the supervision of William Baxter, clerk of works to the Penrhyn Estate, and to have continued during the 1820s. The park itself was extended east of the Afon Ogwen at this period.

Exterior

Park wall enclosing roughly circular-shaped park. Roughly coursed rubblestone (in 2 distinct bands) from the Cochwillan and other quarries with a coping of irregular Penrhyn Quarry slate slabs set on edge; the wall is approximately 11km in length and, at its tallest, 4m in height. On the west side the wall runs from the Grand Lodge entrance to the park beside the main A 5122 road and past Home Farm towards Bangor, leaving the road close to the municipal cemetery to run north-eastwards along the park boundary towards Port Lodge and Porth Penrhyn, which it skirts just to the east and where it meets the sea. To the east of Grand Lodge the wall follows the driveway to the castle, the estate village of Llanygai lying immediately to its south, joining the road between the village and Tal-y-bont (the old main road from Bangor to Conwy) just to the west of the bridge over the Afon Ogwen. East of the river the wall is in Llanllechid community, runs past the lodge at the south-east entrance to the park and leaves the road again at the point where it crosses the Chester-Holyhead railway; from here the wall runs north-eastwards to join the minor road to Aber-Ogwen, which it passes on the west, meeting the sea once more just to the west of the river, back once more in Llandygai community, where the wall becomes a sea retaining wall.

Reason for designation

Included as an important example of a complete early C19 boundary wall and for its contribution to the historic character of a major country house and park of the period. Group value with Grand Lodge and other listed items in Penrhyn Park.