Wyelands House lies to the south-west of Chepstow, between the town and the village of Mathern. It is located within parkland (nprn 700334), contemporary (c.1820) with the house (21161). Within the park there are gardens around the house which can be divided into several areas.

The main drive from the north winds through an area of open, mixed ornamental woodland, with large, mature beech and also some cedars and sweet chestnuts. Along its north boundary is a screen of evergreens (yews, laurel and holly). The house is flanked by laurel and euonymus hedging, with clipped yew arches over iron gateways into the the garden on the west and service area on the east. Further open woodland and a modern tennis court lie to the east of the forecourt.

To the west and south of the house is a narrow terrace with a stone-flagged path, bounded by a grass scarp down to a wider lower terrace bounded by a revetment walling and balustrading. The terrace is grassed, with a geometric layout of island beds on the south side of the house. At the north end of the west side steps lead up to a small platform backed by a wall. Below the lower terrace is a smooth grass slope down to the boundary of iron fencing, beyond which is the park. Two further terraces lie to the south-east of the house built out over the western side of the small valley to the east. The upper terrace, grassy and partly hedged, supports a sundial and a corner pavilion, linked to the lower terrace, also grassed, by stone steps.

East of the house, in a small valley, is a semi-natural woodland area, ornamented with winding, rockwork-edged paths, though any original ornamental planting has gone. The path passes through a ruined arch and down rustic steps to the bottom of the valley and a small stream crossed by small rustic stone bridges. A similar path leads from a rustic archway to the north of the terraces (north of the wall east of the house) down rustic steps into the valley bottom, and up the other side.

To the north of the house is the kitchen garden (700335).

Source:
Cadw 1994: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Gwent, 158-60 (ref: PGW(Gt)51.
RCAHMW air photos: 965074/41, 43-5.

RCAHMW, 28 June 2022

Site Record

Wyelands House Woodland Garden, Chepstow