The house and landscape park at Peniarth occupy a low-lying site on the north side of the Afon Dysynni to the north-east of Tywyn (nprn 28633). The house and gardens lie towards the southern edge of parkland on a site which affords magnificent views across to Cadair Idris (700289).

The park and kitchen garden are now run down from their mid-nineteenth century peak, and it is the riverside, wooded pleasure grounds with their notable trees which now stand out. The entrance to the pleasure grounds is approached via the main drive (the former service drive) which runs in a straight line from the gate on the north-west (28634), before reaching the house. The pleasure grounds are separated from the outer parkland by a ha-ha which runs across the lawn and woodlands north-east of the house, its ditch carrying a stream fed by a leat. Its stone wall, a little over 1m high at the lawn but higher to the north-west and south-east. The river, which forms the southern boundary, has not been modified aside from building of flood defences.

Aside from areas of lawn (mainly to the north-east and south-east of the house) the pleasure grounds are almost entirely wooded, perhaps originally intended to form protective shelter belts before eventually developing into a woodland garden. A wide variety of trees, some of great age, are represented most with an underplanting of rhododendron, yew, bamboo and laurel. There are mature beeches, limes, maples and specimen conifers including Douglas Fir. The south-east lawn also conatins specimen trees. The main pleasure walks are in the woods to the south-east of the house and on the ridge behind, to the north-west, where long straight walks are connected to the drives by shorter, less straight walks. Ornamental features include areas of rockery including a converted quarry with Japanese-style planting, and a small boat house and summer house in a grassy area by the river (525474). Close to the kitchen garden wall is an artificial terraced viewing mount which may date from early in the history of the park.

The kitchen garden lies to the north-west of the house (700290).

Source:
Cadw 1998: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales: Conwy, Gwynedd & the Isle of Anglesey, 236-42 (ref: PGW(Gd)36(GWY).

RCAHMW, 22 June 2022

Site Record

Peniarth Pleasure Gardens, Llanegryn