The University's garden, which has two distinct components, forms one of the most important modern landscaping schemes in Wales. On the north side of the road there is a woodland garden established in the grounds which originally accompanied the Edwardian principal's house. To the south of the road extensive landscaping was undertaken by Brenda Colvin in the late 1960s when the new University Campus moved up the hill from its earlier site in the town (nprn 7000000). Described by Arthur Hellyer in Gardens of Genius (Hamlyn, 1980), 63-66.

Plas Penglais (35126), formerly a seat of the Richardes family, is now the official residence of the Principal of the university. Its grounds have partly been adapted for institutional use and were at one time the botanic garden for the university. There is little information as to the layout of the garden prior to the late nineteenth century, but it was restricted to the area immediately adjacent to the house. The gardens now descend the slope between the house and a small stream running westwards. Beyond, to the south, lies a field, bounded by the A487 road. Above the house, to its north, is mixed deciduous woodland (Penglais Woods, in part a local nature reserve) threaded with a number of paths.

The entrance off the A487 opens onto a drive with a small lodge on the east side. The drive approaching the house is flanked by ornamental shrubs and hedging on a wall partly screening a service area. A lower drive westwards off the main one curves downslope to the south-east corner of the former Botany Garden, running along the south edge of the main lawn.

The east half of the garden is mostly sloping lawn flanked by exotic trees and shrubs, the level upper part perhaps once a croquet lawn or tennis court. The upper half of the western part was once an orchard. Close to the house are shrub and rose beds. A terrace runs east-west along the top of the garden with a central grass path flanked by wide borders planted with mixed shrubs. The west end of the terrace leads down into the former Botanic Garden which occupies the west half of the garden. It is informally laid out on the south-facing slope, with ornamental plantings and island beds in grass. Across the middle of the slope is a shelter belt of cypresses. The stream valley running along the south side of the garden has a canopy of mixed deciduous trees with underplantings of specimen shrubs.

Source:

Cadw 2002: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, 86-9 (ref: PGW Dy47(CER)).

RCAHMW, 4 February 2022

RCAHMW, October 2017