The estate of Abbeycwmhir, to the north-east of Rhayader, dates at least from 1200 when part of the Cistercian order founded the abbey (nprn 96529). The kitchen garden lies to the immediate north of the The Hall (30688), on a south-west facing slope, surrounded by the broader garden area (301606). It appears on a tithe map of 1844 and was probably built by Thomas Wilson from 1822.

The garden is an irregular six-sided shape of 1.5 acres, long axis north by south, comprising a large rectangular area on the north and a narrower, three-sided south end. Walls are of red brick and stone apart from low ornamental iron railings on the the south-west boundary. The north wall stands 2m-4m high. Set against the centre of its south face is a raised platform, 1m-3m high, the setting for a vine house, with a central bay with steps down to the garden below. Brick vine arches are now incorporated into a new vegetable garden. Footings of greenhouses lie nearby. On the outer north face are two brick bothies, the service drive running between them and a two-storey building, formerly a squash court. The garden cottage, with a small enclosed garden, lies about 10m to the north-east of the garden.
The damaged east wall is about 1.5m high. Near the north-east corner is a simple entrance, and nearby a raised, circular brick water tank. The west and south-west walls are stone with a brick skin, the former descending the slope in steps and supported by brick buttresses; overgrown trained fruit trees survive against the wall. The south wall is mostly formed by service buildings. On the south-west an iron gate leads into the garden via stone steps ascending to garden level.

The central area is now pasture (?recently planted) but was once divided into quadrants by paths with box hedges. In 1919 the garden had a heated peach house, melon house, and three vineries along the north wall either side of a projecting conservatory, which was also heated. Also recorded are a further unheated peach house, a cucumber house, a mushroom house and a free-standing greenhouse, with vegetable stores and cold frames outside the garden. Following general deterioration and storm damage in the 1970s the glasshouses and garden were dismantled, ploughed up and rented out for grazing. The squash court, yard and gardener's cottage had passed out of Hall ownership by about 1990.

Sources:
Cadw 1999: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Powys, 118-22 (ref: PGW (Po)46(POW)).
Second-edition Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, sheet: Radnorshire XVI.1 (1903).

RCAHMW, 17 June 2022

Site Record

Abbey Cwmhir Hall Walled Garden, Rhayader