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Plas Rhianfa Garden, Menai Bridge

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Plas Rhianfa, a Victorian Gothic mansion (nprn 15830) is located on the Menai Straight, about 2km north-east of Menai Bridge, on the south side of the A545 Beaumaris to Menai Bridge road. It is notable for its well-documented Victorian terraced garden and for what remains of a rich array of planted flora which took full advantage of the favourable local climate and sheltered conditions. The house was built between 1848 and 1851. Formal terraces were created, dictated by the steeply sloping site, and planted and laid out in a luxuriant style with emphasis on Mediterranean plants. The gardens originally covered some 12 acres but were gradually sold off and are now reduced to three acres which have been little altered. There was also a lodge at the entrance just north-east of the house. 

The main part of the garden, as it now is, lies on ground falling away to the edge of the Straight, an area aligned north-east by south-west behind the house. It consists of a gravelled terrace, with a low parapet wall, in front of the house, a wider, semi-circular, sloping, grass terrace below it with a summer house, to the west of it two wider grass terraces and below, to the south-west, is the main terrace, reached from above by three flights of steps, cut in half by the new western boundary of the garden. All the terraces run south-west to north-east, parallel with the front of the house. Despite its small size the garden abounds with paths - along all the terraces, along the sea wall and winding around the lower garden.

The main terrace was laid out with beds in the shape of fleurs-de-lys and other patterns, and with two small raised pools. These survive intact on the half of the terrace which still belongs to Plas Rhianfa. The lower part runs down to a turreted sea wall at the water's edge and slopes more gently with a more informal style, with winding paths, lawns, trees and shrubberies. Some older rhododendrons survive. At the north-eastern extremity of this area is an unusual dovecote-cum-summer house (‘Ty The’). Built in a style to match the house, it has glass-fronted nesting boxes on either side of the seating in the central summer house portion.

On the north side of the main road was the Upper Garden which included the kitchen gardens (700115). This area, now redeveloped, was accessed from the south by a tunnel beneath the road. Now blocked off, only the entrance survives, in use as a garden store. 

Despite the break up of the estate, an idea of the original visual effect can still be obtained. Many plantings shown in an engraving of 1879 survive, in particular fuchsia hedges, a cork tree, ivy and various other creepers. Characteristic plants include palms, cordylines, yuccas, fuchsias, acanthus and myrtle, as well as rhododendrons, hydrangeas, laurel and yew. A large conifer close to the road may predate the gardens. Ornamental plantings can still be seen in surrounding private gardens and may belong to the original garden extent. 

Sources:
Cadw 1998: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales: Conwy, Gwynedd & the Isle of Anglesey, 44-7 (ref: PGW(Gd)49(ANG)).

RCAHMW, 27 April 2022