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Voelas Hall Garden, Pentrefoelas

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NPRN266399
Map ReferenceSH85SE
Grid ReferenceSH8499951500
Unitary (Local) AuthorityConwy
Old CountyDenbighshire
CommunityPentrefoelas
Type Of SiteGARDEN
Period19th Century
Description

Voelas Hall (nprn 35552) is located in the Conwy Valley to the west of Pentrefoelas. The present Hall (rebuilt in the 1950s by Clough Williams-Ellis) is surrounded by a small park (700273) on ground sloping southwards to the river, and by terraced gardens that lie around the house, mostly to the immediate south-east.
On the west the garden merges with the wooded park, while to the east it is bounded by the stable yard and walled garden (700274). Most of the structure of the garden probably dates from the 1860s when the house was rebuilt by Charles Wynne-Finch who designed the landscape to take full advantage of the picturesque value of this part of the Afon Conwy. The present layout consists essentially of a terrace and forecourt around the house, a terraced and sloping lawn down to the river, and a woodland walk either side of the tributary stream to the west.

The terrace with a wide gravel path runs along the south and west sides of the house. On the south it is bounded by a steep grass scarp, wide stone steps down to the next level, on the west by a dry-stone revetment wall with a semi-circular projection near its north end below which the ground falls away to the stream. Below the main terrace, on the south side, is a further, narrower terrace, below which is a small scarp and then the natural grassy slope down to the river. Across the stream the lawn narrows to the west between the river and the beech wood which is ornamented with conifers and rhododendron, a path along the bank crossing the river over a stone bridge.
The woodland walk to the north-west of the house is a separate part of the garden, an informal woodland area of coniferous and deciduous trees, with rhododendrons and azaleas. A winding gravel path leads up the west side of the dingle, through the woodland, to a simple stone slab footbridge over the stream, and then winds back down the opposite side of the valley. Several small icehouses are thought to have existed at Voelas. However no icehouse has existed for at least 100 years.

The walled garden (700274) is located to the east of the pleasure garden, separated from it by a screening box and yew hedge, an iron gate leads into the walled garden.

Sources:
Cadw 1998: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales: Conwy, Gwynedd & the Isle of Anglesey, 136-8 (ref: PGW(Gd)59(CON).
RCAHMW air photos: 94-CS 0792-3; 945111/45-6.
Sylvia P. Beaman and Susan Roaf, The Ice Houses of Britain, p.527.

RCAHMW, 20 June 2022

Resources
DownloadTypeSourceDescription
application/pdfCPG - Cadw Parks and Gardens Register DescriptionsCadw Parks and Gardens Register text description of Voelas Hall Garden, Pentrefoelas. Parks and Gardens Register Number PGW(C)061.