Gardens of North Wales

Bodnant Garden is one of the most beautiful gardens in the UK, spanning some 80 acres and is situated above the River Conwy on ground sloping towards the west and looking across the valley towards the Snowdonia range.  The upper garden around Bodnant Hall consists of the terraced gardens and informal lawns shaded by trees.  The lower portion, known as the “Dell” is formed by the valley of the River Hiraethlyn and contains the Wild garden.

Portmerion is one of North Wales top visitor attractions. The site was created by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 to 1976. He wanted to show how a naturally beautiful site could be developed without spoiling it.  The site a visual extravagance, an Italian fantasy village and set in 70 acres of subtropical woodland gardens, with easy to follow trails and coastal walks. It was also the location of 1960’s TV cult drama The Prisoner.

The Brondanw Estate lies within the Snowdonia National Park, between Snowdon and the sea. Plas Brondanw is the principal house on the estate and this was the home of Clough Williams-Ellis and his wife Amabel.  The gardens at Plas Brondanw are not as famous as his village of Portmeirion, but many people consider them to be Clough’s most marvellous creation.  As the gardens grew and matured the avenues extended outward into the fields with vistas up to the mountain peaks.

Plas Newydd is an enchanting mansion and gardens, sitting majestically on the shores of the Menai Straits with spectacular distant views of Snowdonia.  The ancestral home of the Marquess of Anglesey, Plas Newydd is home to one of the most famous and largest landscape murals in Britain, painted by the renowned artist Rex Whistler.  Find out what inspired this 58-foot fantasy landscape and hear tales of forlorn love and family ties.

Penrhyn is one of the most admired of the numerous mock castles built in the United Kingdom in the 19th century.  Penrhyn Castle is built on the site of  a medieval fortified manor house and in 1438 it was granted a licence to convert and expand to the status of a stone castle and add a tower house.  The castle was reconstructed in the 1780’s, with the present structure rebuilt between 1822 and 1837.

A genuine time travel experience, to a remote 500 year old Welsh farmhouse set in its own enchanting upland valley.  The house is  a hidden gem and is a must see and must not miss historical attraction. Restored by the National Trust to represent its probable 16th-century appearance.

Home of Lord Langford and his family for over 500 years. Set in several acres of stunning formal gardens and reclaimed woodland, the house is one of the few remaining family-owned stately homes in Wales.  The gardens cover some eight acres of land, including the formal parterre, flowing lawns and the extensive pleasance. The Woodland Walk area was reclaimed in the early 2000’s. The grounds are home to dozens of species of birds, amphibians and mammals.

Described as one of North Wales best kept secrets.   Three different gardens have been discovered, including an unusual walled garden with curving walls and pool, a secret valley garden with three waterfalls and river, and an upper woodland garden with stone outcrops and the remains of a 19th century. folly.

Plas Tan y Bwlch occupies a superb position overlooking the valley of the river Dwyryd in the heart of the Snowdonia.  For many years the mansion was the home of the Oakeley family, who were the local quarry owners of a lucrative nearby slate empire.  The site features 13 acres garden across formal terraces, a water garden and pond are located in the higher parts of these gardens, together with sloping lawns, ornamental shrubs.

Plas yn Rhiw is an early 17th-century manor house.  The views from the grounds and gardens across Cardigan Bay are among the most spectacular in Britain.  The garden contains many beautiful flowering trees and shrubs, with beds framed by box hedges and grass paths.

A hidden gem of a fortified Tudor Manor House set in the beautiful Conwy Valley.  Gwydir castles is famous for its peacocks and the castle is also known for its many ghosts’  Built by the illustrious Wynn family c1500, Gwydir is a fine example of a Tudor courtyard house, incorporating re-used medieval material from the dissolved Abbey of Maenan.  The historic gardens at Gwydir Castle represent an important example of the formal Renaissance garden of the Tudor and Stuart periods.

Widely acclaimed as one of Britain’s finest historic houses, The Grade I listed gardens at Erddig were landscaped in the late 1700s.  Today, it’s one of the most important surviving 18th century gardens in the UK, home to the National Ivy Collection and some very rare fruit trees.  Explore a much-loved home, garden and 1,200-acre estate filled with the stories of a family and their servants.

A medieval castle rising dramatically above a world famous garden.  Powis Castle sits high on a rock above the terraces, the castle, originally built in 1200, began life as a medieval fortress.  The world-famous garden, overhung with clipped yews, shelters rare and tender plants. Laid out under the influence of Italian and French styles, it retains its original lead statues and an orangery on the terraces.