Dutch Garden walls and terrace at Bodysgallen Hall, including Mulberry Cottage & bothy

Cadw's description

History

Bodysgallen was built in 1620 by Robert Wynne. His grandson, also Robert, added the NW wing in the late C17, and his son Dr Hugh Wynne added the NE wing in 1730. The house passed by marriage to the Mostyn family in 1776 and subsequently became a dower house. Lady Augusta Mostyn gave the house to her son Henry, who enlarged the house in 1884, 1894 and 1905. It has been a hotel since 1981.
The Dutch garden is C17, in the centre of which was formerly a sundial dated 1678, probably dating the creation of the garden. The garden walls are shown, with an outbuilding at the W end (now Mulberry Cottage) on the 1846 Tithe map. The 1889 Ordnance Survey shows a bothy added to the exterior of the NE wall, and attached greenhouse (demolished by 1913) on the inside of the wall. Another greenhouse, also now taken down, was at the NW end of the SW wall, between Dutch garden and kitchen garden.

Exterior

High rubble-walled rectangular garden approximately 30m x 20m, with renewed slate coping. The NW wall retains higher ground at the rear and has a saddleback coping. It incorporates a stone-paved upper terrace with parapet of large stone blocks. An entrance in the NW wall has a concrete lintel and C20 gate. At the SW end of the upper terrace are stone steps to the main area of the garden.
The upper terrace continues around to the NE side, where there are also stone steps to the main area of the garden. The NE wall is in 2 phases. The uphill end has a hipped canopy over an opening incorporating wooden seats on the outer side of the wall. The downhill end is C19, formed by the rear wall of a bothy on the outer SE end of the garden. The SE wall at the downhill end has a saddleback coping. It incorporates an inserted gate with brick jambs and pebble-dashed reveals, providing access to the late C19 greenhouse situated here. The SW wall, shared with the kitchen garden, has a renewed lintel to a doorway at the SW end.
The 2-storey lean-to bothy is rubble stone with slate roof. It has a boarded door under a segmental brick head to the end wall. Its side wall has a 2-light casement window under a brick segmental head and 2-light casement below the eaves. The rear, facing the kitchen garden, has a replacement glazed door under a C19 brick segmental head.
A building now known as Mulberry Cottage is in the NW corner, facing the kitchen garden. This is a 1-storey rubble-stone cottage with hipped slate roof. Its SE gable end has a recessed 2-light mullioned window, flanked by longitudinal recesses in the main garden wall. The front and rear of the cottage are restored. Rear has two 8-pane horned sashes under earlier segmental brick heads, and inserted glazed door L of centre.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as rare C17 garden walls and terrace, and for group value with garden and other listed items at Bodysgallen.