19813

 

II  

Designated  

14/05/1998  

14/05/1998  

Raised Terrace and Steps at SW end of Plas Brondanw Gardens including Exedra  

 

Gwynedd  

Llanfrothen  

 

Plas Brondanw  

261574  

342204  

 

Located at the southern boundary of the gardens, backing onto fields.  

Gardens, Parks and Urban Spaces  

 

Garden feature built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, architect and owner of the Brondanw estate. The gardens were laid out to his designs in various stages between his inheritance of the estate in 1908 and his death in 1978. He created here one of Wales' most impressive gardens distinctive for its interlinked terraces, compartments and axial vistas that are aligned on the surrounding mountains of Moel Hebog, Moelwyn, Cnicht and Snowdon.  

Raised, slate-flagged terrace with rubble revettment walls. Flights of slate steps to both sides, that to the L (SE) splayed with plain wrought-iron railings with urn finials; low terminating square piers surmounted by large cement-stone urns. Leading off the terrace to the centre, a horse-shoe shaped exedra projects to the SW; this has low rubble walls, stepped-up slightly to the rear with (re-used) ashlar coping stones and a C19 Gothic tracery panel with attached, sculpted head. Plain cylindrical entrance piers with surmounting urns, as before. The terrace steps down slightly to the R and slopes gradually to the end where there is a returned flight of steps with railings to the R (facing the house and gardens); a further, simple flight of steps lead straight on to the NW. At this end is a small classical male statue of reconstituted stone on a terracotta plinth.  

 

Listed as an integral feature of the nationally important gardens laid out at Plas Brondanw by Clough Williams-Ellis.