Castell Malgwyn (nprn 21729), with its garden and grounds, lies within parkland on the south side of the river Teifi (see 700183-5; 265251). In addition to the garden and pleasure grounds around and to the south of the house there were two other garden areas to the west of Castle Malgwyn Model Farm (406549), about 1.5km to the south-east of the house. One of these is the former kitchen garden.

The garden probably dates to the period 1791-1811 when the house, park and gardens were created. It is a ‘D’-shaped enclosure, its south straight south side forming the north wall of the adjacent ornamental garden (265250). It lies in a dip, the ground sloping down from the east and west to a pool in the centre, once at the intersection of cross paths. The garden is enclosed by walls mostly standing to their full height of about 4m but fallen at the south end of the west side. The north, east and west walls are internally lined with brick. The south wall has a stone core and is faced with brick on both sides and supported on the outside by stone buttresses. At its east end is a wide opening. On the inside the brick facing has partly fallen exposing some of the internal workings of the wall including a flue.
The pool in the centre of the garden is oval, about 1m deep and is lined with a drystone revetment wall. A ruinous flight of steps leads down into it on its north-west side. The interior is otherwise grassed over and the former layout of perimeter and cross paths is no longer visible. Evidence of fruit-growing against the walls survives in the form of innumerable nails and many lead labels still fixed to them.

Sources:
Cadw 2002: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, 172-8 (ref: PGW(Dy)32(PEM)).
Ordnance Survey first-edition 25-inch map, sheet Cardiganshire XXXVIII.10 (1886).

RCAHMW, 20 May 2022