Merthyr Mawr House (nprn 19319) is situated on a south-south-east facing slope on the north side of the Ogmore river valley, set in parkland (700196). The kitchen garden lies within grounds laid out by Sir John Nicholl between 1806 and 1838 (265764; 700197), at around the same time as the park was created and the house built.

The kitchen garden is a rectangular walled enclosure extending eastwards from the stable court, long axis roughly north-east by south-west, lying between the main drive on the north and the garden to the south. Its east wall extends southwards to form the east boundary of the garden. The brick and stone back wall of the stable block forms the west end. The walls stand to about 3.5m-5m high, and are built of stone on the outside and bricks on the inside except on the south wall, which is stone throughout. The north wall has been raised with smaller bricks adding about 0.5m-1m to the original height. There are stone lean-to bothies against the outside of the north wall. Doors or gates are situated towards the east and west ends of the north and south walls.

The interior - still in use - is laid out with lawns, vegetable beds, perimeter paths and a north-south path leading to the door to the external glasshouse. Along the north wall, which retains much of its whitewashing, are the brick footings of a former cucumber house and vinery to the east, with vine arches at ground level. In the north-east corner are the brick walls of a sunken, roofless former pit bed. The long glasshouse set against the outside south wall dates to 1900. It is well-preserved and has access into the walled garden. The former boiler room is now a changing room for the nearby swimming pool.

Sources:
Cadw 2000: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Glamorgan, 14-18 (ref: PGW(Gm)12(BRI)).
Ordnance Survey first-edition six-inch map, sheet: Glamorgan XL (1876).

RCAHMW, 24 May 2022