Introduction
Coedarhydyglyn is a Picturesque early-19th-century landscape park surviving in its entirety. The walls of a late-18th-century kitchen garden survive. There is a woodland dell with a Japanese flavour, possibly designed by Alfred Parsons and partners in the early-20th century. The woodland contains notable planting of conifers and rhododendrons, with part of it planted as a pinetum in the 1940s and 1950s.
A woodland and water garden was created in Japanese style in The Dell at the south of the house. Features include a pool, cascade, Japanese bridge and tea house, as well as exotic planting. In later years, Sir Cennydd and Rowena Traherne put considerable work into the woodland on the estate, planting a cypress garden and pinetum, as well as rare specimens of rhododendron in the woodlands. The estate is now in the hands of Rhodri and Annabelle Traherne.
- Visitor Access, Directions & Contacts
Telephone
01443 336000Website
http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/Owners
Lieut-Col R. Traherne
Coedarhydyglyn, near Cardiff, CS5 6SF
- History
The site is recorded as ‘Reglines Wood' in 1540. It had become part of the Cardiff Castle estate in the 1490s, and remained so until the 1720s when it was sold to a London lawyer called Abraham Barbour. From him, the property passed to the Llewellin family, who were local gentlemen farmers.
It was John Llewellin (1716-1786) who replaced the late-medieval house with a grander modern building in 1767. A new site was chosen, close to the old woods of Coedriglan. Building began in May of 1767, and there is an account of the building from 2 August of that year by the local diarist, William Thomas. There is little description of the finished house, although a newspaper advertisement from 1813 described the ‘beautiful lawn' within which the house stood, and noted also the ‘excellent walled garden'.
For reasons unknown, a new house was built only just over 50 years later. The house was built in 1820 by the Reverend John Montgomery Traherne, in a sheltered area in a deep valley only a quarter of a mile from the previous house. The architect is thought to have been Edward Haycock. The previous house was demolished but the walled kitchen garden was retained. The internal features are gone but the enclosing walls remain.
- Associated People
- Features & Designations
Designations
CADW Register of Landscapes Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales
- Reference: PGW(Gm)40(GLA)
- Grade: II*
Features
- Villa (featured building)
- Description: The house is a substantial neo-classical regency villa.
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- Tree Feature
- Description: Cypress garden.
- Stream
- Planting
- Description: Woodland and water garden known as 'The Dell'.
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- Kitchen Garden
- Description: Walled kitchen garden. The internal features are gone but the enclosing walls remain.
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- Pool
- Description: Swimming pool.
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- Pavilion
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- Drive
- Description: Two drives.
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- Gate Lodge
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- Cascade
- Ornamental Bridge
- Description: Japanese style.
- Tea House
- Description: Japanese style.
- Tree Feature
- Description: Pinetum.
- Key Information
Type
Park
Purpose
Ornamental
Principal Building
Domestic / Residential
Survival
Extant
Hectares
50
- References
References
- CADW, {Register of Landscapes, Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales: Glamorgan} (Cardiff: CADW, 2000) 216 Register of Landscapes, Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales: Glamorgan
- Newman, J., {The Buildings of Wales} (London: Penguin, 1995) 563 The Buildings of Wales: Glamorgan
- Hilary M. Thomas {Historic Gardens of the Vale of Glamorgan} (Welsh Historic Gardens Trust, 2007) 16 Historic Gardens of the Vale of Glamorgan