The house and gardens at Cresselly are situated in parkland towards the summit of the west-facing slopes of a small hill in rolling Pembrokeshire countryside (nprns 21833, 265006 & 70007). To the north of the house are the walled kitchen gardens; these are the elements of most historical interest remaining in the gardens at Cresselly. They are two conjoining gardens, long axes east by west, which cover nearly 1.5 acres. In about 1840 the garden is shown on the tithe map as a single sub-rectangular area but by 1875 it became two separate gardens and this division remains. Perimeter and cross paths shown in the 1860s are no longer visible.

The enclosing walls stand mostly to just over 3m and the internal west and south-facing walls are lined in brick. The massive east-west wall which divides the garden is now tumbling (in 2002). The entrance from one garden to the other is through an arched doorway in the centre of the wall. Either side of it on the south are two brick walls at right angles to the central wall, possibly buttresses as well as support for ornamental climbers.

Within the south garden are old fruit trees and the base of a cold frame or glasshouse.

Glasshouses also existed along the inside north garden north wall; one smaller range of glass remains although traces of more extensive foundations are still visible.They were possibly designed by William Hoare who worked at nearby Slebech and Lawrenny where he was a tenant. He was responsible for the original peach house at Cresselly which was likely located along the north wall. An arched entrance formerly linked the gardens with the boiler and service buildings which were situated in a range outside (to the north) of this wall. In the western section of the north garden is an iron hand pump on a crumbling stone and brick base, the site of a well.

The gardens are mostly under grass or overgrown. However, fruit trees do remain and there were, in 2002, some rows of soft fruit.

Sources:

Cadw 2002: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, 202-5 (ref: PGW(Dy)31(PEM)).

Ordnance Survey first-edition six-inch map: sheet Pembrokeshire XXXIV.SE (edition of 1863-4); second-edition 25-inch map: sheet Pembrokeshire XXXIV.12 (1906).

RCAHMW, 5 November 2020