PGW(Dy)14(CAM)

Parc Howard  

II  

01/02/2022  

Designated  

Carmarthenshire  

Llanelli  

250735  

201206  

Gardens, Parks and Urban Spaces  

Municipal park with lawns, flower beds, bandstand & other amenity features.  

1911-1912 with additional acres being added to the park about 1930.  

Parc Howard is registered for its historic interest as a fine example of an early to mid-twentieth century public park including early twentieth-century bandstand, gates and railings (LB 11909) a sunken garden and mature plantings. It has group value with the grade II listed Parc Howard Mansion and other listed park features. In the early nineteenth century the property, which was then known as Bryncaerau Castle, was the home of Mr R.T. Howell, a well-known local business man and Harbour Commissioner. Upon his death, the house passed to the architect James Buckley Wilson (1846-1900) who was a grandson of the Revd James Buckley (1770-1839). It was James Buckley Wilson who designed the alterations and extensions which transformed the building into the Italianate mansion (LB 11907) of today. In 1911, the mansion was sold by Mr J.F.H. Buckley to Sir Stafford Howard, for £7,750. Sir Stafford bought the house and grounds with the intent to gift them to the people of Llanelli to celebrate his marriage in the previous September. In January 1912, Sir Stafford and Lady Howard Stepney presented the mansion to the town. As a condition of this gift, Sir Stafford required that the Council complete the transformation of the grounds into a public park. On Saturday 21 September 1912, the grounds and the mansion were opened by Lady Howard Stepney on her first wedding anniversary. Laying out in 1912 led to flattening in some areas to allow for amenity uses. Many original late nineteenth-century features were also removed including various enclosed and formal unenclosed gardens, though these were already being significantly altered prior to 1912. The park now occupies an area of just over 24 acres. Much of the present layout is shown on the 25-inch Ordnance Survey map (1916). A large open grassed area with a perimeter tree-lined path lies to the east of the mansion and occupies the eastern end of the park. The formal gardens lie to the front (south) of the mansion. A grassed terrace is retained by a low stone wall and reached via sets of steps. There is a pond area to the south of the lawn and a paved, sunken garden to the west of the pond. The octagonal bandstand (LB 11908) to the southwest of the mansion has been restored. To the west of the mansion are the bowling green and tennis courts and adjacent there is a children's play area. A Gorsedd circle erected for the 1962 Eisteddfod is located in the northern area of the park. Setting: Parc Howard lies on the northern outskirts of the town of Llanelli immediately to the west, and just off, the A476 road from Crosshands, at about 42 metres AOD. Before the town sprawled up to meet it, there would have been fine views of the surrounding countryside, the Loughor estuary and probably the sea from Parc Howard. Sources: Cadw 2002: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire (ref: PGW(Dy)14(CAM)), p.61-4. Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, sheet Carmarthenshire LVII.3 (1916)