Benarth Hall, a restored Georgian mansion (nprn 3045) set in parkland (700223) is located above the west bank of the Conwy river, on the outskirts of the town, overlooking the estuary. Gardens lie to the east and south-east of the house (86279), while extensive walled gardens are located to its immediate south-west and which may date from the late eighteenth century. 

The walled gardens cover almost three acres. Their enclosed area is roughly rectangular in shape, long axis north by south, rounded at the north end, and surrounded by brick-lined stone walls with brick cross walls. The whole area slopes down from west to east and, less noticeably, from north to south. In the late nineteenth century the interior of the northern half was divided into three enclosures with a layout of perimeter and cross paths which divided them into six roughly equal segments. The tripartite division seems to have been in existence by about 1810. A fourth, southernmost, enclosure is a later addition as it was a paddock with parkland trees in 1890. It is unlikely that any part of the extant garden predates the 1790 house.

The garden was used mainly to grow fruit. By 1931 there was also a vinery and peach house and a modern three-part greenhouse, later demolished. Wall fruit and orderly lines of vegetables were recorded aerially, together with what looks like a rose pergola to the west of the central north-south path.

By the 1990s the garden had become completely overgrown with only the northernmost area fully accessible, and the two southern sections completely inaccessible. There were visible entrances through the middle of the north wall (formerly through the glasshouse), and into the second section through the east wall with other entrance obscured. Since then the interior has been extensively altered (air photo views). The northernmost partition wall has been removed and the entire north end occupied by a modern building set against the wall and with grass and planted areas in front of it.

Early maps show a range of stone buildings outside the north wall, which included the boiler house and potting sheds, all intact in the 1990s; the apple store outside the east wall was then roofless. Their condition now is unknown.

Sources:
Cadw 1998: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales: Conwy, Gwynedd & the Isle of Anglesey, 48-53 (ref: PGW(Gd)10(CON)).
Ordnance Survey six-inch maps: sheet Denbighshire III.SW (editions of 1875 & 1906).
Additional notes: D.K.Leighton.

RCAHMW, 7 June, 2022