Plas Brondanw, a restored, largely eighteenth-century house on a more ancient site (nprn 28667), is located above the east side of the floodplain of the Afon Glaslyn, north of Penrhyndeudraeth. The house, with its garden (301635), is set in parkland (700162), the whole design reflecting the diustinctive work of Clough Williams-Ellis which extends out into the adjacent woodland, Garreg village and beyond, stamping the whole vicinity with his character.

The garden lies immediately below the house, from south-west to north-east along the slope of the hill, its shape echoing that of the park in being long and narrow. The garden was designed by Williams-Ellis in a highly architectural style, with tall hedges, narrow trees, topiary and statuary, influenced by formal Italian gardens with enclosing walls and gateways. The entire design is complex for so small a site, with many interesting and beautiful features crammed into a small space. It was developed between 1908 and the 1960s, mainly in the 1920s and 30s, on a neglected site where nothing remained of any previous landscaping but a few large trees, mostly in the park.

It falls into two main areas. To the south-west, where the slope is less, lies an area divided intricately into compartments by tall, dark, evergreen hedges into small compartments, all interlinked by paths and steps, characterised by vistas up and down the garden and by controlled glimpses of the view beyond. There are outbuildings which include an orangery, an open-fronted store. Paths are edged with yew topiary. In a shallow pool is a small bronze of a classical warrior on a tall stone plinth.

To the north-east there is an open, sloping, lawned area, accessed by flights of semi-circular steps which descend from the house terrace. The scenery forms a backdrop and there are no hedges to obscure the view from the house. This area includes the small pool at the north-eastern end of the garden, located in the circular viewpoint at the far end of the garden, under an alcove with a white-painted roof; this catches the reflection of the ripples in the pool seen for the full length of the walk along the terrace in front of the house, gradually revealing itself as one approaches. At either end of the garden is a circular lookout or viewpoint. On the slope north-west of the garden is the kitchen garden which was never walled and has now largely disappeared.

Sources:
Cadw 1998: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales: Conwy, Gwynedd & the Isle of Anglesey, 262-7 (ref: PGW(Gd)30(GWY)).

RCAHMW, 16 May 2022

Site Record

Plas Brondanw Garden, Penrhyndeudraeth