Kilvrough Manor (nprn 19106) is located in south Gower, just west of the village of Parkmill. It lies within a small, well-preserved eighteenth and nineteenth landscape century park (700141) on the south side of the A4118 Parkmill-Swansea road. The house and gardens are at the north end of the park.

The gardens date mostly from the early nineteenth century. They surround the house and occupy an irregular area of rolling ground, bounded on the north by the A4118 road which takes a northwards curve around them from the entrance and lodge. The drive passes through informally planted wooded grounds, with ornamental deciduous and coniferous trees set in lawns, and on to an oval forecourt on the north side of the house. To the south of the drive the grounds are wooded, the trees being mostly deciduous, and are bounded by a stone wall; to the north it is a more open, ornamental mixed woodland area.
To the west of the house is a large lawn on two levels, separated by a revetment wall, and bounded on the south and west by ornamental trees. On the upper lawn is an ornamental stone sundial. The lower lawn is rectangular and was formerly a hard tennis court, now moved.

To the west, north of the house, are two distinct rectangular areas, the kitchen garden and the Italian Garden. The kitchen garden lies at the north end, next to the road (700142); the Italian Garden is to its south, between it and the forecourt.
The Italian Garden is now a large, rectangular, sunken lawn surrounded by trees and shrubs, particularly rhododendrons, partly bounded by walls and banks. Steps lead down from forecourt to lawn. On its north side are two concrete-lined pools, east and west of a central ornament, formerly a fountain. On the south side is an area of mixed woodland with some fine, mature trees underplanted with ornamental shrubs.

Source:
Cadw 2000: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Glamorgan, 176-9 (ref: PGW(Gm)51(SWA)).

RCAHMW, 9 May 2022

Site Record

Kilvrough Manor Gardens, Gower