Kemeys House, a Tudor building (nprn 45003), is located on the eastern edge of the Usk valley, on a steep slope above the river (and the A449 road), to the north-east of Newport. The garden lies on the slopes below the house and is notable for the survival of its layout of terraces and walling and their integration with the house and barn (43260). This suggests a sixteenth century date, contemporary with the house and its outbuildings. The property was originally accessed from above, from the former public road to the south-east, later moved. The house is now approached via a drive from the north-west.

The garden terraces lie to the north-west and south-west of the house. The upper terrace is entered from the former forecourt on the south-east. It is roughly square, backed on the south-east side by a wall and bounded along its north-west side by a steep grass scarp about 1.3m high. Below is the lower, narrower, terrace which runs the full length of the garden, from the wall which bounds the south-west side, to a revetment wall at the northern end, which runs north-west from the north corner of the house. The terrace is built up over the steep slope, revetted along its north-west side by a substantial stone wall. Both terraces are largely grassed over, and some modern features have been added to the lower terrace (walling, steps, a small pond, and a low bank with revetment wall). Below the terraces the ground slopes steeply down to the road. In the nineteenth century the garden area was used as an orchard, and it may always have been so.
The enclosing wall on the south-west side continues most of the way downhill to the road. A small stream, culverted under the terraces emerges below the wall, and is channelled into two small ponds, one above the other, of unknown date.

Source:
Cadw 1994: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales: Gwent, 60-1 (ref: PGW (Gt)50(MON)).

RCAHMW, 14 June 2022