PGW(Dy)9(CAM)

Glynhir  

II  

01/02/2022  

Designated  

Carmarthenshire  

Llandybie  

263854  

214959  

Gardens, Parks and Urban Spaces  

Small pleasure ground associated with house; walled orchard and kitchen garden; woodland walks traversing steep valley side. Stunning views of natural waterfalls.  

About 1840 -1877, although the woodland walks may be earlier.  

Registered for its early to mid-nineteenth-century grounds encompassing park, gardens, pleasure grounds, woodland garden with picturesque woodland walks, including a fine dovecote, canal, ice-house and walled orchard and kitchen garden. The registered park and garden has group value with the well-preserved complex of estate buildings at Glynhir most of which are listed buildings. Glynhir is situated approximately 2 km east of the village of Llandybïe. The mansion (LB: 10917) is set on the edge of the rolling farmland that makes up the high plateau between the Afon Valley and the Brecon Beacons; this plateau is cut by two rivers that form the valleys of the Cennen and the Loughor (Llwchwr). The mansion is approached from the south-west via a minor road from Llandybïe, known as Glynhir road. The earliest known family to live at Glynhir was the Powells, Morgan Powell of Glynhir being buried at Llandybïe in 1729. There were two further generations of Powells before the property was put up for sale in 1770. The sale catalogue records that `great improvements were by the late owner made in this demesne'. The estate was bought by Peter DuBuisson and it remained in the family until 1930, when it was again sold. The parkland of pasture and plantations surrounds the house. It has retained most of its character to the east and south of the house and still gives the impression of an open, grazed sweep. In the parkland to the west of the Glynhir road is an impressive line of common limes. What had been the main drive now forms part of the Glynhir road. This, and the lodge to the south of the mansion, are shown on the 1841 tithe plan roughly following the modern course of the Glynhir road. There may have been a secondary drive, now a track, which crossed the small stone bridge to the north of the mansion towards Banc-y-felin. Across the Loughor valley, to the east, the land retains a park-like character although it is more partitioned into fields than elsewhere. The small plantations shown on the early surveys have been extended so that there is now a considerable area of woodland. During the nineteenth century a complex system of water management was in place at Glynhir, which is still traceable. Water from the river was carried via several leats to various features: to the mill north of Banc-y-felin; to the farm pond; the canal; and to the trout ponds. Water power from the river was also used to rotate a Pelton wheel, housed in a small stone structure to the north of the house and adjacent to the river. The garden area lies to the south and east of the mansion. Close to the house is an ornamental stone-lined canal that was originally part of the complex system of water management. The canal is gently curved in a 100m arc from north-east to south. Nearby is a small area of lawn separated from the area of trees and shrubs to the north-west by a low, stone ha-ha. To the south of the canal is a small plantation of trees planted in the early decades of the twentieth-century to commemorate the four DuBuisson children. Around the house are shrubs and herbaceous plants that include hardy hybrid rhododendrons, and to its north-west a fine, octagonal dovecot (LB: 10904). The ice-house (LB: 22226) does not appear to be recorded on any survey, and yet it is a superb example of its kind. It is set in woodland on the top of the valley side at a convenient distance from the house and is reached by a stone-lined passage. The approach to the ice-house is from the direction of the Loughor River via a hollow way revetted in stone. To the east and southeast of the house are the woodland walks which are reached either via the walled garden or by a path to the north-west of the house. The walks, which at one time were very extensive, extend for c. 0.8km (about half a mile) on either side of the Loughor valley. The First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1877 shows a network of paths through the woods on both sides of the valley, with more substantial tracks or carriage drives linking them. The river was once bridged in at least three places (1st ed. OS) although today only one stone bridge remains. The walks may be earlier than 1841 because they traverse the valley slopes that are shown to be established woodland on the tithe map, but many improvements were made on the estate between 1841 and 1877. The character of the woodland changes from north to south, possibly reflecting former management practices. To the north, the woodland has some of the characteristics of ancient woodland. It is known that the row of sweet chestnuts (Castanea sativa), just across the small stone bridge, was planted by William DuBuisson in c. 1815, to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo. To the south the character is of more open beech woods. Here, an enigmatic oval enclosure of about 0.75 acres with walls up to 4m high formerly had an internal perimeter path, as shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (1889). The walled garden (LB: 22225) is located to the immediate east of the mansion abutting the wooded valley of the Lougher. It is sub-rectangular on plan, wider on the east and with rounded corners except on the north-west where it abuts outbuildings. Although it lies on a gentle east-facing slope the garden is surrounded by level walls rising to 4m high on the east but only 2m on the west. The external east section of the wall is stepped, the internal face of the west wall is lined with brick. There are six arched entrances, five are original but a sixth vehicular entrance on the south side is modern. Originally there was a perimeter path and two longitudinal paths with smaller paths linking these. Early OS maps show four areas of glass of which only one survives, in poor condition, as does the boiler pit. Early surveys suggest that the garden was always used for fruit trees, mostly apples and plum. A further area of orchard to the north of the garden is now used as a paddock. Sources: Cadw 2002: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, 22-5 (ref: PGW(Dy)9(CAM)). Ordnance Survey second-edition six-inch maps: sheets Carmarthenshire XLI.SE (1876) & XLVIII.NE (1876); Ordnance Survey second-edition 25-inch map: sheet Pembrokeshire XXXIV.12 (1906).