Gliffaes, a nineteenth-century Italianate house (nprn 25543), is located in the southern Brecon Beacons, on the north side of the Usk valley. Situated on an ancient site, landscaping at Gliffaes began in the early nineteenth century but developed mainly from c.1883 onwards. The house became a hotel in 1934. There is no formal parkland. Instead, farmland has been developed into wooded pleasure grounds, though land west of the site does have the character of simple parkland - some ornamental plantings, conifers and oak survive within it. The grounds are noted for their exceptional arboricultural interest, and for the later formal and terraced garden, in an extremely picturesque setting.

The drive approaches the house from the east, from a lodge and entrance off a minor road along the southern flank of Myarth Hill. It runs along a raised terrace between banks of rhododendrons and tree-planted lawns, to the courtyard on the north front. An extended rock garden lies between drive and lawn, and to its north there appears to be an abandoned area of wild garden. On north side of the courtyard, is an ornamental dipping pool with steps.

A stone-paved terrace surrounds the house on the west, south and east. A modern conservatory on the south front connects the house with the wider south terrace which is supported by stone arches containing seats overlooking the river below. Along the eastern edge of the house-terrace are simple flower beds. At its north and south ends ornamented steps descend to a wide grass terrace lawn, the first of a series of three descending to the east. The southern steps fall on to a hard-core path which flanks the length of the first two terraces, descending to the second one via more steps. Steps on the north and south connect the second and third terraces. The third terrace is a level lawn, formerly a grass tennis court. Steps east of here descend to a 1/4 acre area in the centre of which is a sunken pond with central fountain. In the south-east corner of the third terrace are steps down to the tree-lined 'Fisherman's Walk' to a fishing hut on the river bank. From here a path up towards the southern house-terrace passes a redundant trout hatchery. Another ascends north-east through ornamental woodland to emerge on to the drive opposite the lodge and beyond it is a further track towards the summit of Myarth Hill. This path eventually returns to the house and gardens.

The west garden - west of the house - is an area of smooth undulating lawn accessed by steps from the south terrace. It is crossed by an abandoned drive, now grassed over. In the centre is an abandoned rock/water garden. To its east the ground rises to a level plateau enclosed by shrub planting and flanked on the east by the steep west wall of the south terrace below which are plant beds, and nearby is an ornamental bird bath.

The kitchen garden lies north-west of the house, on the north side of the ornamental gardens (700082).

Sources:
Cadw 1999: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Powys, 96-9 (ref: PGW (Po)4(POW)).
Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, sheet: Brecknockshire XLI.2 (second edition 1903).

RCAHMW, 7 April 2022