Beechwood is a late nineteenth-century urban park, very little altered with landscaping in the Mawson style (similar to Bellevue Park (nprn 266093), and probably by Mawson himself.
Bounded by iron railings, the 30-acre park lies on the south-facing side of a ridge in the eastern half of Newport. It was made in l880 for Mr George Fothergill, at the same time the house was built (36449). It was subsequently purchased by Newport Borough Council and opened to the public in l900. It now has the status of a 'Borough Park' and is completely surrounded by housing.

In style it is similar to the contemporary Bellevue Park, on the other side of Newport, which was designed by Thomas Mawson. Mawson may therefore have been the designer here, particularly as he was doing work for a series of tobacco manufacturers at the time. There is also a reference in his correspondence to designing a park (not Bellevue) in Newport. The park is elongated N-S, narrowing considerably towards its southern end, and is situated on a steep south-facing slope. Most of the park is laid out informally, with open rolling grass and isolated ornamental trees (coniferous and deciduous). The main entrance gates are at the south end, and there are two further entrances at the north end, and one in the east side. All entrances have wrought iron gates, those at the south entrance being the most elaborate. Drives wind from the entrances to the house, sweeping round the two terraces immediately below the house. Below these are two further terraces, used for tennis courts. Various twentieth-century facilities for recreation (bowling green, tennis courts, miniature golf course, adventure playground) are concentrated in the northern half of the park near the house. Springs in the middle and eastern side of the park enabled ornamental water features to be made, with pools, cascades and rockwork in the small, narrow ravine down the east side of the park, and in a wider small dell in the centre. The latter is particularly elaborate, with a series of pools and cascades surrounded by rockwork. Paths (most modernized) wind through this area and across several small bridges.

The park is planted with both coniferous and deciduous trees. The east side of the park is the most wooded, with open beech woodland on either side of the stream. The drive from the north-east entrance is flanked by limes. On either side of the south front of the house are conifers, with further specimens, including a cedar, on the terrace below and on the slope below the lower tennis courts.
There are two terraces below the house (to its south), with grass banks between them. The drive up to the house sweeps up round their west ends. Below them is further terracing for tennis courts. The upper courts are bounded on their lower side by stone revetment walling, the lower one is bounded on its east, south and west sides by a steep bank planted with conifers and shrubs.

Two streams have been harnessed to give ornamental water features. The first on the E side of the park, ponded at intervals giving pools and small cascades (modern restoration), ending in larger pools. With paths winding through the area across the pools over modern bridges giving miniature cascades the whole has a Japanese feel.

Sources:
Cadw 1994: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales: Gwent, 4-5 (ref: PGW (Gt)37).
Ordnance Survey second-edition 25-inch map, sheet: Monmouthshire XXIX.13 (1901).
RCAHMW air photo: 945078/43.

RCAHMW, 21 July 2022