Glyn Cywarch (nprn 28442), built in 1616, lies on the edge of hills a few miles to the north-east of Harlech. It is situated towards the north-east end of its park which has origins in the early seventeenth century. Its gardens are located around the house itself.

The oldest part of the gardens, contemporary with the house, consists of the terrace along the south-east front of the house (with later rockery), and the associated areas to the south-east of it, in particular a nearly square lawn. To the north-east, at a lower level, is the lawned rose garden, probably also original, though with more recent layout. To the south-west is the walled kitchen garden which may also be early, though possibly not at its present size. In addition to the main part of the garden the small stream entering the garden from the park to the south-east, and flowing down its little valley opposite the gatehouse  forecourt, has been dammed to create a series of small waterfalls, and there is an ornamental bridge and a rockery (possibly later), together with plantings of trees and shrubs. This seems likely to have been done in the later nineteenth century, but it could be earlier if the rockery is not contemporary. The stream runs under the courtyard and most of the rose garden and reappears at its north-east corner. 

The kitchen garden, enclosed by walls up to 2.5m high and with a history of alteration, is divided into four sections and contains a range of borders supporting flowering shrubs, herbaceous plants, and ornamental plantings. There is also a herb garden, vegetable beds, a row of espalier apple trees, some of which are ancient, and an avenue of  pleached limes, the dominant  feature of the garden; its south-west end is crossed by a single row of similar limes terminating the avenue. There is a small modern pergola at the end of the avenue, and another, modern, pergola on the north-west. The garden contains several buildings, grouped around the north-east corner.

To the south-west of the house is an orchard and, beyond it, a pheasantry. A glasshouse area shown on the 1900 25-in Ordnance Survey map, also survives, in part.

Source:
Cadw 1998: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales: Conwy, Gwynedd & the Isle of Anglesey, 218-23 (ref: PGW(Gd)28(GWY).

RCAHMW, 22 June 2022