History in Structure

Castellated Garden Walls and Towers at Castell Deudraeth

A Grade II Listed Building in Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd

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Coordinates

Latitude: 52.9178 / 52°55'4"N

Longitude: -4.096 / 4°5'45"W

OS Eastings: 259167

OS Northings: 337654

OS Grid: SH591376

Mapcode National: GBR 5R.N7GF

Mapcode Global: WH55M.1XSJ

Plus Code: 9C4QWW93+4H

Entry Name: Castellated Garden Walls and Towers at Castell Deudraeth

Listing Date: 23 August 2002

Last Amended: 23 August 2002

Grade: II

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 26885

Building Class: Gardens, Parks and Urban Spaces

ID on this website: 300026885

Location: Enclosing lawns and terraces to the SW of Castell Deudraeth

County: Gwynedd

Community: Penrhyndeudraeth

Community: Penrhyndeudraeth

Locality: Portmeirion

Traditional County: Merionethshire

Tagged with: Wall

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History

Castell Deudraeth is named after the now lost late C12 castle built on a commanding site near what is now Pormeirion village, to the SW. The original house, possibly of C18 origin, was enlarged in the early C19 to form a sizable mansion, at that time called Bron Eryri. In 1841 the house was bought by a lawyer/landowner named David Williams (1799-1869), who served as Meirionethshire's first Liberal MP. Williams enlarged and castellated the house in the 1840s and 50s, renaming it Castell Deudraeth. The castellated garden walls and playful turrets are part of this remodelling.

Exterior

Sequence of castellated garden walls and towers; of rubble construction. The wall starts at the SW corner of Castell Deudraeth at a height of approximately 4m. It runs in a south-westerly direction for approximately 25m, closing the lawns to the rear of the house on the L side and acting as a high revettment with terrace above. At intervals of roughly 5m are three deep niches set within this stretch, each with depressed brick arch. At the end is a square tower of approximately 8m in height. This has a corner turret to the E and a plain opening with slate lintel to the NE; Gothick pointed-arched windows to the ground and upper floors on the SE (lawn-facing) side.

The wall continues beyond the tower for an equivalent distance, though with fewer crenellations and at a slightly reduced height; in front is a low terrace with 1m revettment, accessed via steps at the tower. The wall then turns a right-angle and steps up beyond an opening onto the low terrace, to continue north-westwards for approximately 15m. At the end of this stretch is a plain, wide opening, beyond which the wall terminates in a part-castellated square tower of approximately 4m in height. This tower is castellated only on the NE and SE (house-facing) sides, and conceals a simple single-storey lean-to store with modern boarded SW side. The wall turns another right-angle at this point and continues for some 22m in a north-easterly direction back towards the house and running parallel with the lower wall. It terminates finally in a tower, as before.

At the end of the lower terrace wall a further low wall adjoins and runs in a wide arc to follow the lane; this steps up and down at 1m and 2m heights variably and eventually terminates in a flight of steps with iron railings beyond towards the SE corner of the house. Approximately two-thirds along the length of this last stretch of wall is a tall, circular turret with open rear.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a sequence of early Victorian Gothic-style castellated garden walls and turrets forming an important part of the setting of Castell Deudraeth.

Group value with Castell Deudraeth

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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Other nearby listed buildings

  • II Castell Deudraeth
    Within its own grounds on the Portmeirion estate, approximately 2km NE of Portmeirion village; accessed via a metalled drive leading W from the main Portmeirion lane.
  • II Cae Canol Including Adjoining Garage Block to the NE
    Located to the rear (E) of the Castle Yard at Castell Deudraeth; accessed via a lane running E of, and parallel to the main Portmeirion road.
  • II Stone needle 500m SW of Plas Penrhyn
    In a field on an elevated site some 500m SW of Plas Penrhyn, with commanding views across the Traeth Mawr.
  • II* Plas Penrhyn
    Located towards the western boundary of the community on a commanding, elevated site overlooking Porthmadog and theTraeth Mawr; accesed via a lane running SW from the main road (A 487).
  • II Reception (Chantry Lodge)
    The first main building at the entrance of the village; set back slightly to the NW of the village lane.
  • II Westminster Abbey Balustrade
    At the northern approach to the village, curving parallel with the rear service lane and facing a large pond on one side.
  • II Former Tollhouse (Now Public Telephone Kiosk)
    At the start of the main village road, immediately S of the reception block (Chantry Lodge).
  • II Borthwen
    Overlooking the Traeth Bach towards the SE boundary of the community, to the E of Castle Yard; accessed via a long drive leading E off a lane running parallel with the main Portmeirion access road.

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