At St Donat's Castle (nprn 300312) is a rare survival of a complete, large-scale Tudor terraced garden, attached to a medieval castle, partly restored and added to in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The size, complexity, state of preservation and rarity make these gardens of outstanding value. Two walled deer parks attached to the castle also remain.
Randolph Hearst's occupation in the 1920s and 30s gave the castle and gardens a renewed opulence that has in part survived to this day.

From the north the grounds are approached by a gentle south-facing slope, but to the south the land drops steeply down to the Bristol Channel, giving a scenic view from the castle over the terraced gardens to the sea. These gardens were originally built by Sir Edward Stradling (1529-1609) in the second half of the sixteenth century, modified in later centuries. They lie to the south of the castle in a series of five descending rectangular terraces bounded on the east by a rubble stone wall stepped down the slope, and by a substantial  revetment wall on the west, below which is a steep wooded slope.

The uppermost terrace, next to the castle, is entered through a Tudor doorway onto a wide grassy terrace flanked by paths. The second, slightly wider, is a gently sloping lawn with path on west and vines on the east wall with a flight of steps descending below. The third, backed by a 2.2m high revetment with grassy walk at its base, continues around the east side alongside a flower bed against the wall. Most of this terrace is taken up with a yew-hedged enclosure, the 'Tudor' garden, laid out to lawn, with crossing paths and an oval rose bed in each quarter. Flanking the paths are 20 Tudor-style 'king's beasts', mythical beasts standing about 2m high on slender octagonal stone piers. At the end of each path are openings in the yew hedges, the path on the east then flanked by junipers beyond which steps ascend to stone gate piers and wrought iron gates and on to tennis courts beyond. A small Italianate pavillion is built into the south-east terrace wall.

Below this terrace are two more, side by side. The lower, wider, one on the west is accessed from above by steps down a 5m high buttressed revetment wall with flanking path and parapet wall which overlooks the lower terrace lawn (the Blue Garden). Against the revetment wall is a long open-fronted loggia, and along the west wall a flower border. On the south it is bounded by a 1.1m high parapet wall above a massive revetment wall. The upper terrace on the east, the Rose Garden, is bounded on the south and west by 2.5m high walls and elsewhere by higher revetment walls. The terrace is symmetrically laid out with a central octagonal arrangement of stone columns and flagstone paths radiating out from the centre, rose beds between them. Two large yews, possibly predating the rose garden, lie in the southern half.

The rest of the gardens lies to the south and west of the terraces (700318).

Source:
Cadw 2000: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Glamorgan, 278-86 (ref: PGW(Gm)30(GLA)).

RCAHMW, 27 June 2022