Coldbrook House, now demolished (nprn 36701), was located to the south-east of Abergavenny. It had medieval origins and its site is within a multi-layered landscape beginning as a medieval deerpark, then a later park, and with gardens also originating in the medieval period. There are the partial remains of terraced gardens and also a kitchen garden (265936).

The house was surrounded by parkland which was disparked some time after 1749 when it still had a herd of deer. The boundary wall along the south west side of the park is possibly medieval. Trees were planted in the mid eighteenth century after the park came into the hands of Sir Charles Hanbury Williams. New plantations are recorded and later visitors talked of the 'well wooded park, and grounds beautifully diversified, and richly clothed with oak, beech, and elm'. Older park features, such as avenues, remained. A 1753 drawing shows avenues leading off all four fronts of the house and they survived in part until the early twentieth century. Planting also took place after 1800. By the late nineteenth century clumps to the south of the house were in place, the park to the north was dotted with trees and part of an avenue, and the main drive was lined with trees. Aside from the avenue these features survive. The main entrance and its early nineteenth century Gothic lodge, on the south-west, were removed during road developments and the drive truncated.

The park is now rolling pasture dotted with mature clumps and individual trees, mainly deciduous. The main drive is flanked by limes, probably planted in the 1880s.

Source:
Cadw 1994: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales: Gwent, 6-7 (ref: PGW (Gt)30(MON)).

RCAHMW, 14 June 2022

Site Record

Coldbrook House Park, Abergavenny