Glansevern Hall (nprn 29240), a fine early nineteenth-century classical house in picturesque landscape setting on the banks of the river Severn, is associated with one of the premier Welsh families, the Owens. The pleasure grounds and gardens together cover about 12 acres (4.9ha.) around the house and are believed to be contemporary with it.

The gardens are structurally intact and include a nineteenth-century grotto (700313), gates and glasshouse. They include a formal garden with walks and new planting, and a remodelled walled kitchen garden (700314), all of c.1800.
The pleasure grounds lie around a linear lake, an additional 3 acres (1.2ha.) extent, to the south of the house, separated from the park by nineteenth-century park rails and modern stock fencing. A walk runs around the lake between new and mature tree and shrub plantings. At the western end of the lake there is a small oriental water garden laid out in a series of quartz and stone lined paths. In the centre of the lake is an island on which an iron aviary-like folly has been erected. A floating bridge connects the island to the shore. Swans and other water birds congregate on the lake.

Gardens lie to the east and north-east of the house. Below the south front a rectangular lawn is accessed by steps from a balustraded gravel area. At its south-east end is a free-standing screen wall and iron gate, serving as a claire-voie (an opening in an enclosure allowing one to see beyond it), and between wall and balustrade are four symmetrical rose beds. A second large lawn to the east extends to the east garden boundary, and is dominated on its eastern part by two large curving herbaceous borders backed by a tree-planted lawn. The lawn is flanked on the west by a raised gravel path alongside the house. The lawn to the east of the house is smaller and is enclosed on the north by the south wall of the kitchen garden. A Victorian greenhouse/conservatory projects from the wall into the garden. Steps from the east terrace lead to a gravel path beneath a planted metal pergola to a stone fountain basin surrounded by trellis. A path from glasshouse to fountain is planted with beds of peonies and exotic trees, including specimens of Ginkgo biloba. The path east of the fountain leads to a large rock garden and grotto at the eastern garden boundary (xxxxxx). To the north of the grotto, and east of the kitchen garden, is a rose garden with yew hedging.

Source:
Cadw 1999: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Powys, 82-6 (ref: PGW (Po)31(POW)).

RCAHMW, 27 June 2022

Site Record

Glansevern Hall Garden and Pleasure Grounds, Berriew