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The ancient Yew Tunnel to the side of the portico. The House which has just been painted the lightest yellow, will have its own funding and will hopefully become an educational centre for the arts. Restoration of the portico and installation of the windows is all that remains to be done on the north side.
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The Front of the House and the Yew Tunnel
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Cut Leaf Beech
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This Cut Leaf Beech is just one of several outstanding old trees. Also present are a Cut Leaf Lime, a rare cut leaved Oak--Quercus robur 'Fennessii'--and a pendulous Ash in the Pool Garden.
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The Yew Tunnel was thought by some to be 3,000 years old, but after dendrochronological testing it was discovered to be no more than 300 years old. It was planted as a single row and the branches were intentionally bent over to form an arch.
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Through the Yew Tunnel
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An Ancient Trunk
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One of the largest yew trunks in the tunnel, this ancient wonder measures ten feet across.
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The top of the Gatehouse--or was it a
folly? You'll have to read the book! And Grongar Hill, made famous by the poem of that name by John Dyer, can be seen in the distance.
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Top of the Gatehouse and Grongar Hill
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Top of the Gatehouse and Grongar Hill
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For a detailed accounting of Aberglasney's fascinating history, Penny David's book, A Garden Lost in Time: The Mystery of the Ancient Gardens of Aberglasney is a must read--or for the shorter version, the Aberglasney Guidebook, also by Penny David and available at the Garden, is excellent.
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The base of the Gatehouse and a section of ancient paving.
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Ancient Paving
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Ancient Paving
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The highly decorative pattern consists of smaller stones on their sides filling in the larger pattern of triangles and diamonds.
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The west side of the house is covered in scaffolding and about to be painted. When completed the pale yellow stucco will provide an elegant backdrop to the Courtyard Garden We will show it as soon as possible.
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The West Side of the House
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Parapet Wall on the West Side
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On the west side of the Courtyard the parapet wall provides the opportunity to look down on the Courtyard or the Pool Garden on the other side. Note that the Courtyard side of the parapet wall is flat and that the far side is higher with periodic semicircular dips.
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Through the arches on the right--west side--is the pool garden and through the arch at the far end is the Upper Walled Garden.
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Arches in the Parapet Wall
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A Seventeenth Century Parterre?
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Now that all archaeological work has finished, the area within the cloisters will be transformed into an elaborate parterre garden. Work on this will start during the spring of next year.
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Archaeologists making final detailed drawings of the cloister garden. A preview of the plans will be shown as soon as they become available.
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An Archeologist Studies the Stones
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Arcaded Walkway
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The arcaded walkway under the west parapet wall. To the left is the Courtyard Garden, to the right is the Pool Garden.
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