PGW(C)62(WRE)

Erddig  

I  

01/02/2022  

Designated  

Wrexham  

Marchwiel  

332798  

348306  

Gardens, Parks and Urban Spaces  

Formal garden; landscape park.  

1684-87; 1720s; 1770s.  

Erddig is registered grade I as an outstanding example of an early eighteenth century grand formal garden in the Dutch style set within an eighteenth-century park designed by the landscape designer William Emes for Philip Yorke. The park includes an unusual water feature, the cup and saucer, designed by Emes in 1774. The registered park and garden has important group value with the listed house and the many listed estate buildings, parkland features and garden structures on the Erddig estate. Erddig is a substantial grade I listed house (LB: 1533) situated on the western edge of a bluff between the Black Brook valley to the west and the Clywedog valley to the north. The central nine bays of the house were built in 1684-87 by Joshua Edisbury. In the 1720s John Meller, a London lawyer who had bought Erddig in 1716, extended it. In 1733, on the death of John Meller, Erddig passed to his nephew Simon Yorke, and remained in the Yorke family, by direct descent, until 1973, when it was given by the last Philip Yorke to the National Trust. After 1733 the main period of alteration was the 1770s, when Philip Yorke made alterations to both house and park. The park occupies two valleys, that of the Black Brook to the west of the house, and that of the Clywedog river to the north. The house lies on the western edge of the higher ground, and from its west front there are fine views out over the park in the Black Brook valley. The park falls into four main areas: the plateau; the woodland north of the garden; the Black Brook valley; and the Clywedog valley. There are two main entrances to the park: Plas Grono lodge (LB: 16565) is on the west side of the park on Hafod Road, and Forest Lodge (LB: 17874) a more imposing entrance, is on the east, on Sontley Road. On the north side of the park a former drive, now a farm track, leads from the west front of the house to the former Coed-y-glyn entrance. The lodge has gone, and only two stone gate piers remain. The park was first laid out by John Meller between 1718 and 1733, at the same time as the formal gardens were made. It is shown in a bird's eye view drawing by Thomas Badeslade of 1740. Between 1767 and 1789 the park was landscaped by William Emes for Philip Yorke. Although the basic configuration remained all formality was removed, and much tree planting took place. Most of the landscaping took place to the west of the house. The forecourt with its Davies gates was removed, as was the Cold Bath. The trees on the western flank of the Black Brook valley are probably remnants of Emes's plantings, as are many of the beeches in the woodland above. The walks in the wood to the north of the house were softened and new picturesque ones added. The bowling green was allowed to remain, and was planted as a beech avenue, known as the cathedral aisle, in the 1770s. New channels were dug for the two rivers, and in 1774 the Cup and Saucer (LB: 17869) was built by Emes. A small formal walled garden, now gone, was created to the east of the original house by Joshua Eddisbury. It was John Meller who transformed the landscape. The house was altered and extended and the present garden was made in 1718-33. The garden lies on level ground to the east of the house, rectangular in shape, enclosed by high brick walls (LB: 17858; 17860) with a small walled garden, the Rose Garden, in the north-west corner. The garden's main feature is the east-west axis, aligned on the centre of the house, of a wide gravel path leading to a long narrow canal flanked by rows of limes. The axis is terminated by iron gates and screens (LB: 17859) erected here during the 1970s restoration. A smaller rectangular pond lies to the north of the canal. Wide, straight gravel paths across the main axis, around the walls, and down the centre of the southern half of the garden complete the structural layout of the garden. The cross path at the head of the canal terminates at its north end with gates leading to a straight walk in the woodland beyond. The walled kitchen garden lies to the south of the pleasure garden, extending for half of its length. Significant Views: Fine views from the west front out over the park in the Black Brook valley. The long view along the main east-west axis of the formal garden aligned on the centre of the house and terminated by the screen and gates by Robert Davies at the far end of the canal. Sources: Cadw, Historic Parks and Gardens database (PGW(C)62). Ordnance Survey First Edition 6-inch map, sheet Denbighshire XXVIII (1879) Ordnance Survey Second Edition 25-inch map, sheet Denbighshire XXVIII.15 (1899).