Bodnant is an outstanding garden in an extremely picturesque position and the best known garden in north Wales, containing important collections of plants, including many hybrids, especially of rhododendrons, raised on site (nprn 266310). The gardens are attached to Bodnant House (nprn 26804) and set in parkland (700221).

The house was originally built by a Colonel Forbes in 1792 but when purchased by Henry Pochin in 1874, the kitchen garden was located on the immediate south-east side of the house on the south side of what is now the south wall of the present walled garden. It was probably moved to its present position, immediately east of the house, in the early 1880s. It was originally built by a Colonel Forbes in 1792 but when it was purchased by Henry Pochin in 1874, the kitchen garden was located on the immediate south-east side of the house on the south side of what is now its south wall. It was probably moved to its present position, immediately east of the house, in the early 1880s.
The original garden was a rectangular area divided by paths into six areas, planted with fruit trees and with two small glasshouses and a shed. Where the two main paths crossed was a small circular feature, a dipping pool, which perhaps developed into the small pond on the present top lawn.

The new kitchen garden, on the north side of the old one, is trapezium-shaped and enclosed by walls of the same blue-grey granite as the house, rising to 5.5m high. The garden is now occupied by the plant sales area, dominated by a large modern glasshouse-cum-shop. A range of buildings against the inside of the south wall may in part remain from the nineteenth century; one pine tree may pre-date the construction of the walls. There is a wide gateway in the west wall leading into the yard behind the house, two gates through the south wall (one through the range of buildings), and two entrances directly into the garden from the Eglwysbach road. One of these is probably fairly recent, made for garden visitors.
The range of glasshouses outside the south wall (from the earlier garden?) eventually became unsafe and had to be demolished, in about 1980. A wide herbaceous border now occupies the site.

Sources:
Cadw 1998: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales: Conwy, Gwynedd & the Isle of Anglesey, 54-58 (ref: PGW(Gd)5(CON)).
Ordnance Survey first-edition 25-inch map, sheet Denbighshire VI.5 (1871).

RCAHMW, 7 June 2022

Site Record

Bodnant Walled Garden, Tal-y-cafn, Conwy