PGW(Gt)17(MON)

The Hendre  

II*  

01/02/2022  

Designated  

Monmouthshire  

Llangattock-Vibon-Avel  

346552  

213958  

Gardens, Parks and Urban Spaces  

Landscape park  

Mid-late nineteenth century.  

Registered as an example of a well-preserved nineteenth-century landscape park, with seventeenth century origins. The park includes a picturesque drive laid out by H.E. Milner (1845-1906), the remains of nineteenth-century formal gardens, an arboretum and a well-preserved nineteenth-century walled kitchen garden. The Hendre has historical associations with the Rolls family who were pioneers of aviation and motoring. The registered area shares important group value with the house and the numerous estate buildings of contemporary date. The Hendre is a rambling picturesque brick mansion (LB: 2773) begun c.1830 by Mr. John Rolls and added to continually throughout the nineteenth century. It was built on the site of an earlier, smaller house of the same name, which the Rolls family used as a shooting box in the seventeenth century. It continued as an occasional residence for the family until Mr. John Rolls made it his principal seat. Around the Hendre is a large well wooded park of approximately four hundred hectares, originally known as the Deer Park. It was enclosed in 1892. Most of it lies to the east and southeast of the house, where the ground is rolling and varied, with woodland (coniferous plantations and deciduous natural) on the ridge on the east side of the park and on the west side of the hill to the south of the house. A large area of woodland bounds the park to the southeast (Hendre Great Wood, Panterris Wood, Calling Wood, Milburn Wood, Great Garrow Wood, Upper Caxton Wood). The park is also dotted with many isolated mature trees (mainly oak) and clumps of deciduous and coniferous trees. The overall effect is varied and picturesque. A map of the estate by John Aram, in about 1800 includes only a small part of what later became the park. The landscaping was mainly done by Lord Llangattock towards the end of the nineteenth century - by the time of the six-inch OS map (1886) the northern part of the park was in existence. Lord Llangattock extended it to about 400 hectares and enclosed it in 1892. Much of the landscaping was related to the building of the long drive, about 4.8km long, from Rockfield to The Hendre. This was designed by Lord Llangattock in conjunction with H.E. Milner, landscape architect, (son of Edward Milner) in the 1890s. It runs from Monmouth Lodge (1896 by Aston Webb) and gateway (LB: 25040; 25053), past Swiss Cottage (LB: 2857 – 1905 by Aston Webb) winds through the park, and ends up curving through the arboretum to the west of the house. It was carefully planned to take maximum advantage of the rolling ground, and was landscaped all the way, with tree and shrub planting, views cut through the woods, stone bridges and rockwork (including Pulhamite). The drive passed an existing small lake, made 1837-50, which was ornamented with a rockwork cascade. Two contemporary descriptions (Gardeners' Chronicle 1900 and Gardeners' Magazine 1903) are full of praise for this most picturesque drive. Between 1883 and 1900, a hunting lodge, now known as Caxton Tower (PRN: 10966 – Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust) was built in the park, to the east of Upper Caxton Wood. The current main drive is from the north at Box Bush Lodge (LB: 25029 – mid-nineteenth century by T.H Wyatt). Further drives approached the house from the west at Raglan Lodge and from the north at North Lodge (LB: 25025 – c.1896 by Aston Webb). The estate village to the north of the house, on the Rockfield-Llantilio Crossenny road, was built by Lord Llangattock in picturesque cottage-ornee style in the 1890s (the cottages opposite the entrance have the date 1893 inscribed on them LB: 25026). A drinking trough (LB: 25023) carries the inscription 'Pure life pure water. 1894'. The gardens and pleasure grounds lie to the southeast, south and west of the house. They were made from the middle of the nineteenth century onwards. To the east, southeast and south are level terraced lawns. The lawn to the south of the house is bounded by a ha-ha, those to the east/south-east by a retaining wall and balustrading (LB: 25028). In the southeast corner is a sunken garden with a small circular pond and cast-iron fountain at the centre (LB: 25061) and the remains of formal beds and paths around it. At the north end of this lawn is a small pavilion (LB: 25028). To the west of the house is the arboretum. Within this area is a long walk, running north-north-east/south-south-west, flanked by cypress trees. This walk was known as the Cypress or Cunard Walk (said to be as long as the deck of a Cunard liner) and was originally planted with Lawson’s cypress and Western red cedar, although most have gone and replaced by other cypress trees. To the west is an informal pond with Pulhamite rockwork at the inlet end (north) backed by a small grove of yew. Descriptions of the garden in about 1900 mention these features and many notable tree specimens. The whole of the garden and arboretum area is now surrounded by a golf course. The walled kitchen garden lies to the north of the house. It was built at the same time as the mansion. The brick walls stand to their full height. At the north end is the former gardener’s house and a number of lean-to and free-standing glasshouses. Significant Views: Overlooking the park to the south and southeast from the garden terraces. Sources: Cadw 1994: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales: Gwent, 45-46 (ref: PGW (Gt)17(MON)). Ordnance Survey, 6-inch map sheet Monmouthshire VIII (1886; 1902; 1922) Ordnance Survey, 25-inch map sheet Monmouthshire VIII.14 (1901; 1920)