Book I. 



GARDENS OF WALES. 



1085 



7603. ANGLESEA, or MONA. A hilly bleak island of 200,000 acres ; ill adapted for any branch oi 

 gardening, but containing a few seats worthy of notice. 



X Plat Newydd, — near the banks of the Menai; Marquis 

 of Anglesea. An elegant castellated mansion, with an ex- 

 tended front by Potter, of Litchfield ; built of native marble. 



The home grounds extend along the Menai, contain a fine 

 lawn, marine terraces, baths, green-houses, and gardens, and 

 are abundantly wooded; the park is not very extensive, but 

 contains some antiquated oaks, many new plantations, fine 

 drives and walks, and very picturesque views. 



for the various uses to which the Penrhyn slab is applied, this 

 residence is chiefly remarkable. Park-pales, gates, doors, 

 window-shutters, troughs, mangers, stall-partitions, hot-bed 

 frames, and a variety of other articles are formed from it, and 

 found to be very durable. 



Baron Bill, — near Beaumaris ; Lord Bulkely. A house 

 improved by Sam. Wyatt, but supposed to be too high for its 

 elevated situation. The grounds much varied by nature, 

 and improved by lawns, groves, bridges, and other ornamental 

 buildings ; and from a tower on Baron Hill the finest prospects 

 in the island are obtained. 



Bodorgan,— near Aberfraw ; O. P. Meyrick, Esq. A house 

 by DufFord, on an eminence, in a small park well clothed with 

 wood. 



7604. CAERNARVONSHIRE. A mountainous surface of 310,000 acres, with few gardens of any 

 sort whatever. 



Vaenol House, — near Caernarvon; T. A. Smith, Esq. A 

 handsome modern structure, deeply embosomed with trees, 

 with an extensive lawn sloping to the Menai. 



X Penrhyn Castle, near Bangor ; Lady Penrhyn. A cas- 

 tellated mansion of considerable antiquity, improved by 

 Wyatt, surrounded by plantations, for the extent of which and 



7605. DENBIGHSHIRE A hilly tract of 410,000 acres, the soil various, but not rich or favourable 

 for cultivation, excepting in the valleys. The seats are chiefly on the Chester side of the country. 



Upper Gwersilt Hall, — near Gresford; Mrs. Atherston. 

 The grounds most tastefully laid out, with highly romantic 

 walks, alternately umbrageous, and open on the banks of the 

 Alun. 



Llanarch House, — near Denbigh ; D. Leo, Esq. A beautiful 

 park, with a fine piece of water, commanding extensive views. 

 The gardens were formerly laid out by M. Davies, Esq. on his 

 return from Italy, with formal walks, dipt trees and hydraulic 

 statues. Among the images and water-tricks was a sundial, 

 which, on the spectator's approach, spouted in his face, and 

 apologised for the rudeness by an indecorous inscription. The 

 whole place is now modernised, and the fine old house too 

 much so. 



X IVynnstay, — at Ruabon : Sir W. W. Wynn. The house, 

 an extensive pile, erected at different times, approached 

 through a straight avenue a mile in length ; the trees, old and 

 large, elms, oaks, beeches, and planes. The park is eight miles 

 in circumference, surrounded by a high stone wall ; the sur- 

 face is not much diversified, but it contains a fine sheet of 

 water and numerous plantations, with an admirable artificial 

 cascade, similar to that in Bowood Park, near Calne. The 

 horticultural and floricultural establishments are very com- 

 plete; and here the banana was fruited, and its fruit used at 

 the dessert, for the first time in England. There is a large farm 

 under the care of an excellent Berwickshire bailiff. 



Llerveni Hall,— neax Denbigh; M. Hughes, Esq. Situated 

 on a flat lawn, with a bleachery too near, and not properly 

 planted out. 



Poutriffith Farm, — near Denbigh; Mrs. Lloyd. A ferme 

 ornee, handsomely laid out and kept in good order. 



Pool Park;— near Rathin ; Lord Bagot. Delightfully si- 

 tuated, and finely wooded with old chestnut-trees. 



Plas Nentydd, — near Llangollen; Lady Eleanor Butler, and 

 Miss Ponsonby. An elegant residence fitted up in the cottage 

 style, and the grounds beautifully laid out by the elegant and 

 accomplished proprietors. 



Llandysilio Hall, — near Llangollen; T. Jones, Esq. A 

 handsome structure of brick, in a flat situation, with a park 

 composed of this bottom, and part of the surrounding hills 

 finely wooded. 



Erddig, — near Wrekham ; S. Yorke, Esq. Chiefly remark- 

 able for the beauty of the approach through a dense wood ; 

 there are also other umbrageous walks, a rivulet, lawn, and 

 banquetting-house, much admired. 



Bern Hall, — near Wrexham ; T. Lloyd, Esq. A handsome 

 modem mansion, embosomed in fine rich plantations; the 

 situation flat, but the surrounding scenery hilly and grand. 



Acton Hall, — near Wrexham; Sir F. CunlifFe. A good 

 mansion, on an elevated lawn; the grounds extended, and 

 greatly improved by the present proprietor. 



7606. FLINTSHIRE. A surface of 160,000 acres, less mountainous or varied than any of the Welsh 

 counties, and not unfavorable to gardening. 



Downing, — near Whitford ; D. Pennant, Esq. A mansion 

 H-shaped, with Gothic wings, in a low sequestered situation, 

 surrounded by finely wooded grounds, which owe their tasteful 

 disposition to the late eminent naturalist, father of the present 

 possessor. 



Haiimer Hall, — neat St. Asaph; Sir T. Hanmer. A hand- 

 some brick structure, situated in grounds naturally fine from 

 their consisting of eminences and slopes. These are embel- 

 lished with woods and plantations, and a lake of 50 acres. 



Heartshealh Hall, — near Mold ; G. L. Wardel, Esq. Beau- 

 tifully situated on a gentle slope, showing three fronts, with an 



excellent range of stables and offices peeping through fine 

 plantations in the back ground. 



Leeswood, — near Mold; Sir G. Wynne. The grounds oc- 

 cupy a fine slope, and were laid out by Switzer above a century 

 ago, whose magnificent iron gateway, through which the fore- 

 court of the house is entered, still remains. 



Penguern, — near Whiteford; Sir E. P. Lloyd. A modern 

 structure, surrounded by grounds extensively planted, and 

 otherwise greatly improved by draining in some places, and 

 irrigation and levelling, and removing of detached stones, in 

 others. 



7607. CARDIGANSHIRE. A surface of 500,400 acres, more mountainous than any in South Wales ; 

 the mountains generally bleak and bare of wood. 



The kitchen-gardens and farm were extensive, and successfully 

 cultivated. This place has been described by many tourists; 

 but in the most elegant manner, by Sir J. E. Smith, P. L. S. in 

 a Tour to Hafod, with many views. 



Hiradmore Vale, — near Llandyssil ; R. Taylor, Esq. An 

 elegant mansion, desirably situated in a rich bottom, on the 

 banks of the Teivi, and backed by a luxuriant forest of oak. 



X Hafod,— near Aberystwith ; late the seat of 



T. Johiies, Esq. By far the most grand and picturesque resi- 

 dence m either North or South Wales. The house, in a 

 peculiar style of Gothic or Moresque architecture, in the side 

 of a secluded basin, among high mountains : the approaches to 

 it full of beauty and contrast, the numerous walks displaying 

 waterfalls, precipices, views, prospects, cultivated scenes, rude 

 spots, seats, buildings, &c. singularly romantic and sublime. 



7608. GLAMORGANSHIRE. A surface of 422,000 acres, mountainous towards the north, but more 

 level and suited to culture in the southern parts. 



Gnoll Castle, — near Neath; Grant, Esq. The house 



rises with baronial pomp and grandeur, on the point of a hill, 

 overlooking the town and adjacent country. The grounds 

 most judiciously laid out by the late Sir H. Mackworth. 



Llantryddyd, — near Cowbridge; Sir J. Aubrey. An 

 Eli/abethean mansion, in a park richly wooded, of considerable 

 extent, and surrounded by a stone wall. 



Margram, — at Margram ; Talbot, Esq . The nous? fallen 



to decay ; but the park, which is extensive, and well wooded, 

 still preserved in its original state, and considerable attention 

 paid to the pleasure-grounds, which are remarkable for the 

 orangery. This is a Doric edifice, built in 1787, 327 feet in 

 length, and 81 in width, with a square room, parted off at each 

 end. There are 110 orange-trees, several of which are 18 feet 

 in height, and remarkably handsome. In summer they are 



removed to the lawn, and arranged as a grove. Various tra- 

 ditions exist as to the bringing of the trees to Margram ; but 

 that generally credited is, that they were originally designed as 

 a present from the King of Spain or Portugal to Elizabeth ; 

 but that the vessel stranding on the Margram estates, they 

 became the property of the lord of the manor. 



Rlicola, — near Swansea; John Edwards, Esq. The gar- 

 dener, Walter Hogg, an excellent cultivator of pines : one ot 

 the new Providence kind weighing 91bs. 4oz. was presented to 

 the king in 1821. (See 2831. and Hort. Trans, iv. 556.) 



Penrice Cattle, — near Swansea; R. M. Talbot, Esq. Acorn 

 modious and elegant mansion : the grounds laid out with grea 

 taste, and ornamented with some artificial pieces of water. 



Stout Hall, — near Swansea; J. Lucas, Esq. Great taste dis 

 played in the disposition of the pleasure-grounds and gardens. 



7609. PEMBROKESHIRE. A peninsular surface of 335,600 acres; generally plain and fertile. Grapes 

 attain greater perfection in the hot-houses of this county, than in those of any other of Wales. 



Castle Maelgwn, — near St. Dogmaels; Hammet, Esq. 



The grounds embrace the Teivi, and are laid out with great 

 taste; the mansion also materially improved by the late 

 proprietor. 



Lawranny Hall, — near Milford; H. Barlow, Esq. A plea- 

 santly situated house, the grounds bordered by a creek on one 

 side, and Milford-haven on .the other. 



Picton Castle, — near Milford ; Lord Milford. A mansion of 

 considerable antiquity, castellated, with a fine terrace in front, 

 and enlarged and improved to suit the modern style of mag- 

 nificence in domestic economy. The grounds on an extensive 

 scale, richly wooded, and watered by the confluence of two 

 mountain streams. 



7610. RADNORSHIRE. A surface of 326,400 acres ; partly level and partly mountainous 



BouUibrooke — near Presteigne; Sir H. Jones. Mentioned 

 a* worthy of notice. 



X Stackpool Court, — near Pembroke ; Lord Cawdor. A 

 grand and. imposing building, situated on the precipitous 

 margin of a narrow valley, which has been converted into a 

 lake. Along the front next the water, a broail terrace has 

 been formed ; and the other, which contains the entrance, 

 looks into some elegant pleasure-grounds. The kitchen-garden 

 is most successfully cultivated by Buchan, who, in 1821, .ut 

 120 to 200 pines, and upwards of 13 cwt. of grapes. 



Pentre, — near St. Dogmaels; Saunders, Esq- The 



house in a pleasant rural spot embossomed in trees ; tu gar- 

 dens in the old style carefully kept up; the whole greatly 

 admired. 



Walton, — near Old Radnor; R. Urwic, Esq. A handsome 

 modern house. 



