Terraces at High Glanau

Cadw's description

Location

Off the W side of the road, approached along a wooded drive on Trellech Hill, immediately on the W side of the house.

History

Built 1922-3 contemporary with house which was designed by Eric Francis in collaboration with H Avray Tipping, a leading early C20 architectural patron and historian. Tipping laid out the informal gardens in a style similar to that practised by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll.

Exterior

The garden front overlooks a stone paved terrace linked by central flight of steps; tall piers to base, formerly with classical urns (stolen c.1990, when the property was on the market) . Further steps then lead down to the lower terrace where the piers formerly had large ball finials (likewise stolen); these are repeated, two to either side, providing a division between the terraces and the lawns. To the centre projects an octagonal area with sunken pond and low perimeter wall retaining the bases only of further classical garden ornaments. At the S end of the house the terrace steps up and is screened to E by the stone wall with half round recesses to both sides. This wall incorporates a stone basin which forms an ornamental incident in the hydraulic system. This supplies water to the fountain from a reservoir in the woods above the house via underground pipes to this point, and thence by further underground piping to the fountain below, whence it flows a quarter of a mile further downhill to a hydraulic ram. (This is a Blake Hydram Type A, manufactured by John Blake Ltd of Accrington - which pumps it up again - a device recently restored to full working condition by the current owner). The sheltered area faces down the 'avenue' formerly with herbaceous borders towards the greenhouse and kitchen garden.

Group value with other listed items at High Glanau.

Reason for designation

Included as part of Francis and Tipping's original layout at High Glanau, and for group value with the house.