Owned by
National Trust
Designed By
Thomas Mawson
Dyffryn Gardens are a
peaceful oasis on the outskirts of Cardiff, boasts 55 acres of exceptional
Edwardian garden design with the unique Victorian Dyffryn House situated at the
heart of the property. Considered by Cadw to be the best Edwardian gardens in
Wales, the National Trust site features a stunning collection of intimate
garden rooms, formal lawns and glasshouse showcasing an impressive cactus and
orchid collection.
The kitchen gardens provide a bountiful harvest of fruit and vegetables that
supply the on-site cafés. The striking great lawn, which can be seen in all its
glory from the upstairs of Dyffryn House, flows from the property’s croquet
lawn, which is kept to international competition standards. Offering an exotic
feel to the gardens with all-year-round colour is the 22-acre arboretum on the
east side of the property, holding one of the most significant collections of
trees in the National Trust. This substantial tree garden is undergoing
development as part of a five-year revival project to protect unique and rare
specimen trees within the arboretum, including a number of Champion Trees.
Open from 10am every day except for Christmas and Boxing Day, there is ample
opportunity to explore the gardens with their experimental themes, taste the
produce in the cafés and shop at reception. A regular programme of events also
means that there are plenty of things to see and do.
Looking beyond the botanical displays, you’ll see evidence of the garden design
of eminent landscape architect, Thomas Mawson, who was commissioned in 1903 by
John Cory, a coal entrepreneur and important figure in South Wales during the
Victorian era. The originality of the garden’s arrangement was due to Mawson’s
collaboration with Reginald Cory, John’s son, who was a passionate plantsman
and funded several plant hunting trips across the world.
