Llanharan House, a large classical mansion built before 1750 (nprn 19178), is situated on a south-east facing slope to the east of the village of Llanharan, the house and garden set within a small landscape park (700199).

The main part of the garden lies to the west and north-west of the house, on a south-east-facing slope. The house is fronted by a raised lawned terrace with a wide flight of steps up to the entrance. At its foot is the drive which enters the garden from the south-west of the house, sweeps round in front of it and is closed east of the house by an iron gate flanked by square piers removed from Clytha Park (265945). South of the drive, in front of the house, is a grass slope bounded by a curving stone-built ha-ha.

West of the house is a sloping lawn, accessed by steps down from the house. The garden is bounded on the west side by a straight wall with doors through into the kitchen garden (700200). A small levelled, walled, terrace against the west wall, accessed by central steps, is laid out with a central circular stone-edged pool and fountain surrounded by a path and flanking lawns.

The upper end of the garden, north-west of the house, is divided into two long terraces bounded by high revetment walls. Behind the house the terrace is gravelled over. To the west the terrace is wider, a lawn at its west end. A further, detached, garden terrace lies to the north-east of the house, above the yard containing former coach-houses and other outbuildings, separated by a high revetment wall with a laurel hedge along the top of the east end. It is now neglected and overgrown. The north-west end-wall is free-standing, with a door giving access to the woodland above.
A curving finger of woodland projects south from the garden flanking the drive. On its opposite side, in 1914, an open area contained two conjoining rectangular terraces aligned north-west by south-east.

Sources:
Cadw 2000: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Glamorgan, 136-9 (ref: PGW(Gm)16(RCT)).
Ordnance Survey Third-Edition six-inch map, sheet: Glamorgan XXXV.16 (1914).
Additional notes: D.K.Leighton.

RCAHMW, 24 May 2022

Site Record

Llanharan House Pleasure Garden, Llanharan