THE GROUNDS

The Grounds. Although much reduced from the nearly one thousand acres it was in George Clark’s days, the grounds still cover some 52 acres of formal lawns, sunken gardens and woodland, including California Redwoods and Cedars of Lebanon. The impressive driveway up to the house is flanked by an avenue of trees, some thought to be over 250 years ago. And beyond them is the eight acre lake that George created by damning the Otter Brook, now a haven for wildlife.

(from parksandgardens.org)

To the north front of the house is a lawned forecourt with balustrades, which overlooks the sunken garden. There are trees and shrubs on three sides of the sunken garden, and an area known as ‘the maze’ to the east, consisting of large shrubs run through with winding paths.

There are four lead tubs in the sunken garden, one in each corner. They are dated 1893 and bear the motto of the Clark family, ‘Try and Tryst’. They were designed by Biraghi, and originally complemented by eight smaller tubs around the pool. Four of these have been stolen and the remainder re-sited. A garden for the disabled was created within the sunken garden in 1981. This was to make the International Year of the Disabled, and features raised beds within stone walls.

The former north drive can be reached from the north-east corner of the garden via some steps. There are mature trees along the drive, some of which are thought to be 250 years old.

There is a terrace to a level lawn at the south front of the house. This area also has flower beds, specimen trees and an area described by Clark as the ‘tea platform’. To the west of the house was the conservatory also known as the Winter Garden and possibly also called the Myrtle House. It was here that Clark grew his vines and bananas. The building was found to be dangerous and was demolished in 1951.

There is a lower terrace, accessed by a flight of stone steps at the east end of the lawn. Another flight of steps leads to the lowest terrace, which is a formal rose garden with a central sundial. The rose garden was created in 1893 by Clark, and has been recently restored and replanted.

The parkland is to the west and south-west of the house. There are mature specimen trees including ash, plane, sweet chestnut, lime, beech, sycamore, Wellingtonia, cedar of Lebanon and Californian redwood. There are also rather rarer specimens of Mexican drooping juniper, Californian nutmeg and Honda spruce.

To the east of the house is the former kitchen garden. It is roughly rectangular and surrounded by stone walls with yellow brick bands. The upper part of the garden used to contain hospital buildings which have recently been replaced with more sympathetic new houses. The lower part of the garden is laid to grass with some old apple trees beyond.

There are lakes and woodland to the south of the gardens. From the lowest terrace, a set of steps known as the ‘hundred steps’ leads to a small pond called ‘Adam’s well’. This has an ornamental bridge at the north end.

The lake was created by Clark by damming the Otter Brook. It covers some eight acres and in the south part there is a small island. There are extensive reed beds in the middle and upper parts of the lake, which are now areas for wildlife. The lower lake has a three-arched bridge, though other bridges mentioned in documentary sources have been removed. There is a boathouse at the north end of the lake, and beyond this is a pumphouse.

Site designation(s)

CADW Register of Landscapes Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales Grade II* Reference PGW(Gm)8(RCT)