Looking at the Walled Garden through Historic Maps
In 2017 Dyfed Archaeological Trust undertook an investigation in the walled kitchen garden, generously supported by HLF and the Sabina Sutherland Charitable Trust, and involving substantial work by volunteers, including desk based evaluation and careful excavation and recording on site. Here’s what they found by looking at the historic maps of the site.
The Estate Map of 1796 (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru/The National Library of Wales) shows a kitchen garden between a hay yard and stables to the east and the churchyard to the west. The garden appears to be unenclosed on its south and west sides. Land-use is not shown on the map.
Estate map of 1811.
On the 1811 Estate map (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru/ The National Library of Wales) the hay yard and stables are still evident but to the west the kitchen garden is now walled on three sides: to the north, east and west. To the south the garden is unenclosed and the ground along the southern edge appears to drop down to a stream that borders it.
The walled garden is shown divided into three large cultivation beds running east-west. There is no evidence of any structures or glasshouses within the garden at this stage.
1843 Estate Map
By the time of the 1843 estate map (Carmarthenshire Record Office) the hay yard and stables have been demolished and the present kitchen garden is established completely walled on four sides. The small building known as ‘The Bothy’ (circled in red) located to the northwest of the garden is shown. Within the walled garden the building known as the ‘Orangery’ is depicted as a rectangular building against the north wall and a square (un-shaded on the map) structure is shown where Glasshouses 2 & 3 are currently located. The remaining area is divided into variously sized cultivation beds and Glasshouse 1 is not shown. In the former area of the hay yard a rectangular building is shown built against the east facing wall of the garden.
1st Edition Ordnance Survey (1899)
The 1st edition 1889 Ordnance Survey map shows the walled garden containing three structures. The ‘Orangery’ has roughly doubled in length. Glasshouse 2 & 3, to the south of the Orangery, are shown as two separate rectangular buildings. Built against the west-facing wall is Glasshouse 1. The building on the outer east-facing wall is no longer shown, and the formal paths of the 1840s are not depicted and instead two trees are shown in the interior.
2nd Edition Ordnance Survey (1906)
The first edition 1:25000 Ordnance Survey map of 1889 showing the development area outlined in red, and the 2nd edition Ordnance Survey 1:25000 map of 1906 shows little change from the 1st edition map.
Looking at the Walled Garden through Historic Maps
In 2017 Dyfed Archaeological Trust undertook an investigation in the walled kitchen garden, generously supported by HLF and the Sabina Sutherland Charitable Trust, and involving substantial work by volunteers, including desk based evaluation and careful excavation and recording on site. Here’s what they found by looking at the historic maps of the site.
You can download the full report (pdf) here.
The Estate Map of 1796 (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru/The National Library of Wales) shows a kitchen garden between a hay yard and stables to the east and the churchyard to the west. The garden appears to be unenclosed on its south and west sides. Land-use is not shown on the map.
On the 1811 Estate map (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru/ The National Library of Wales) the hay yard and stables are still evident but to the west the kitchen garden is now walled on three sides: to the north, east and west. To the south the garden is unenclosed and the ground along the southern edge appears to drop down to a stream that borders it.
The walled garden is shown divided into three large cultivation beds running east-west. There is no evidence of any structures or glasshouses within the garden at this stage.
By the time of the 1843 estate map (Carmarthenshire Record Office) the hay yard and stables have been demolished and the present kitchen garden is established completely walled on four sides. The small building known as ‘The Bothy’ (circled in red) located to the northwest of the garden is shown. Within the walled garden the building known as the ‘Orangery’ is depicted as a rectangular building against the north wall and a square (un-shaded on the map) structure is shown where Glasshouses 2 & 3 are currently located. The remaining area is divided into variously sized cultivation beds and Glasshouse 1 is not shown. In the former area of the hay yard a rectangular building is shown built against the east facing wall of the garden.
The 1st edition 1889 Ordnance Survey map shows the walled garden containing three structures. The ‘Orangery’ has roughly doubled in length. Glasshouse 2 & 3, to the south of the Orangery, are shown as two separate rectangular buildings. Built against the west-facing wall is Glasshouse 1. The building on the outer east-facing wall is no longer shown, and the formal paths of the 1840s are not depicted and instead two trees are shown in the interior.
The first edition 1:25000 Ordnance Survey map of 1889 showing the development area outlined in red, and the 2nd edition Ordnance Survey 1:25000 map of 1906 shows little change from the 1st edition map.