Parc occupies a secluded location in the foothills to the north-east of the Traeth Mawr plain, set in parkland between two parallel streams, the Afon Maesgwm and the Afon Croesor, the long axis running south-west to north-east (700291). The estate gardens lie on the north-western slope of the Maesgwm valley, below and to the north-east of the houses.
The main gardens were laid out during the seventeenth century, probably by William Lewis Anwyl. The present small vegetable garden, opposite the first (sixteenth century) house, is possibly the oldest surviving garden on the site (404989 & 700292). The bard Huw Machno, in celebrating the life of the recently deceased Anwyl in the 1640s, mentions gardens, walls, orchards, parks and 'fair towers'.
The main drive from the north-east passes through the main garden area dominated by three massive terraces descending to the south-east, each up to 45m long and 15m wide (150ft by 50ft), retained by massively-built dry-stone walls, their ends enclosed by partly ruined walls up to 3.5m high. A ruined small, square structure towards the southern end of the middle wall is possibly a tower base. There are signs of at least two rougher terraces across the slopes below the later houses, and the whole area is enclosed within a wall, as is a long, narrow, now boggy strip running along below this area and the main terraces, filling the space between these and the engineered track alongside the river. This walling suggests the enclosed areas were once also part of the gardens but their status and layout can now only be guessed. The upper walled area may always have been woodland, as shelter for the houses.
South-west of the latest house is another, sloping, area, which may have been an original, though later, garden area. Beyond this is a large, square walled garden, probably later in date than the terraces (the only part of the gardens laid out on level, agriculturally useful, ground) which seems at one time to have been a flower and/or vegetable garden, but has now been returned to agricultural use.
South of the farm buildings is an enclosure 40m square surrounded by a stone wall 1.5m high which may have originated as a garden. Some slight bumps, possibly former plant beds, are the only clues to its former layout.
Source:
Cadw 1998: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales: Conwy, Gwynedd & the Isle of Anglesey, 230-34 (ref: PGW(Gd)35(GWY).
RCAHMW, 22 June 2022