Monkton Old Hall (nprn 22328), a medieval house on the eastern edge of the village of Monkton, just west of Pembroke. Built on a rock outcrop with steep drops below it to the south, and falling away to the east towards the sea inlet of Monkton Pill, it overlookes Pembroke Castle which lies a short distance to the north-east. It is notable for the survival of a compartmented and terraced garden in an exceptionally fine position. The garden is associated with the medieval priory and parts probably date to this period, making them a very rare example of a walled medieval garden. The terraces probably date to the mid nineteenth century.

The gardens associated with the Hall and the Vicarage of the nearby church of St Nicholas lie to the north of the Hall and east of the Vicarage. The gardens are now in separate ownership but were both originally part of the monastic precinct. The entrance is to the west of the house, from the south side of the property, and leads onto the forecourt and a small lawn. The main garden area lies to the north. The ground is level in the upper compartments, on the west side, and then slopes steeply to the east down to the shore of Monkton Pill. 

An enclosed lawn on the north side of the house gives access to the main terrace. Aligned north-south, it is enclosed by walls rising to 3.5m, and with a central path. Further paths radiate from a circular flower bed, that to the east leading to the revetted east side of the terrace and a long flight of steps down to a series of terraces below. These are enclosed in a walled compartment. The first supports a few ornamental trees, otherwise clear. Steps down to the second, partly sloping, terrace which supports some ornamental trees and shrubs, with cultivation ridges on the sloping part. Steps down the revetment wall lead to the lowest terrace, a former orchard with some old fruit trees. On the north side a doorway exits the garden.
The vicarage garden is a four-sided walled compartment on level ground to the west of the main terrace, walls rising to 2.3m, and laid out mainly to lawn. 

To the north of the main terrace and the vicarage garden is a rectangular paddock, terraced down its west side, enclosed by a wall up to 3.5m high. It was once part of the gardens but is larger than the terraced gardens. There are doorways in the west, south and east walls. Built into the south wall is a small, ruined, stone building. Below the top terrace the ground slopes steeply away supporting several ancient fruit trees. On the central east-west axis is an overgrown descending path punctuated by four flights of steps. The foot of the slope is a level terrace backed by a retaining wall up to 1.8m high. A small, square sunk feature at its north end may have been a pool or well.

Sources:
Cadw 2002: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, 272-6 (ref: PGW(Dy)40(PEM)).
Ordnance Survey first-edition six-inch map: sheet Pembrokeshire XL.SW (1906).

RCAHMW, 9 June 2022