Parc Howard lies on the northern outskirts of Llanelli just off the A476 road from Crosshands. A municipal park, it was laid out in 1912 around Bryncearau mansion (nprn 23331), now a museum, and its grounds (266198) which had been donated to the town. The park is notable as a fine example of an early to mid-twentieth century public park including early twentieth-century bandstand, gates and railings, a sunken garden and mature plantings.  features.

In the early nineteenth century the property Bryncaerau Castle. It passed down to James Buckley Wilson who designed the alterations and extensions which transformed the building into the Italianate mansion of today (23331). In 1911, the mansion and grounds were sold to Sir Stafford Howard who intended to gift them to the people of Llanelli to celebrate his marriage in the previous September. As a condition, Sir Stafford required that the Council complete the transformation of the grounds into a public park. It was duly opened as such in September 1912.
Laying out in 1912 led to flattening in some areas to allow for amenity uses. Many original late nineteenth-century features were also removed including various enclosed and formal unenclosed gardens, though these were already being significantly altered prior to 1912. 

The park now occupies an area of just over 24 acres. Much of the present layout is shown on the 25-inch Ordnance Survey map (1916). A large open grassed area with a perimeter tree-lined path lies to the east of the mansion and occupies the eastern end of the park. The formal gardens lie to the front (south) of the mansion. A grassed terrace is retained by a low stone wall and reached via sets of steps. There is a pond area to the south of the lawn and a paved, sunken garden to the west of the pond.

The octagonal bandstand to the southwest of the mansion has been restored. To the west of the mansion are the bowling green and tennis courts and adjacent there is a children's play area.  A Gorsedd circle erected for the 1962 Eisteddfod is located in the northern area of the park.

Source:
Cadw 2002: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire (ref: PGW Dy14(CAM)), p.61-4.

RCAHMW, 7 July 2022