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One mile south of Welshpool, Powys, mid-east Wales
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Photographs copyright © 2009 by Jeffrey L. Thomas.
Above: Powis Castle from the south, showing the distinctive terraced gardens.
Below: view of the courtyard and the western entrance to the castle.
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Official Guidebook; Cadw 1990; Arnold 1985; 1986; 1993 Most of the great Welsh castles were allowed to decay when the medieval wars ended, but Powis survives as a captivating example of a military stronghold which was preserved and renewed by continual occupation. Its fabric contains architecture of many different periods, beginning with a medieval square keep and stone hall. The most fleeting glimpse of Powis' mellow red gritstone walls tells us that this stately country house is a place rich in history.
The Castle crowns a rocky ridge, with a particularly steep slope to the south-east, now occupied by formal gardens. A similarly steep slope on the north-west may have been partially infilled to support buildings. The castle is within easy reach of Welshpool, although, as at Montgomery, direct control of the natural route focus has been sacrificed for strength and siting.
The structural history of the castle is difficult to unravel, largely because of alterations and additions during over 700 years of virtually continuous occupation. Recent work suggests that its development may be more complex than previously believed. The historic sources are little help, since it is not always clear whether they refer to the motte near Welshpool station (Domen Castell), the Lady's Mound, in the park 300m west of Powis Castle, or the present site. Some or all of these may have worked in conjunction in the period before 1277.
The plan visible today consists of an inner ward, surrounding a tiny courtyard with an outer ward on the south-west, through which the visitor now enters. The oldest part of the structure, possibly dating to about 1200, is probably the tower at the north-east end of the inner ward, while the curving masonry at the south end of the south-east wall suggests the presence of a shell keep at a similar date. The north-east tower may have formed a gateway for this. This hypothetical stronghold, which probably had a north-east bailey, seems to have been demolished and replaced by a sub-rectangular structure, containing a hall on the north-west and possibly a second tower on the north-east. Later still, probably after 1277, the imposing south-west gateway was built, apparently incorporating some reused stone. The outline of the original crenellations can be seen on the western tower a little below the existing (19th-century) ones. The present outer ward was completed in stone at much the same time.
The historical sources refer to the area as Pool or Pole, from which comes the modern Welshpool. "Pool' was the stronghold of the Welsh princes of Powys, who held an ambivalent position between the Welsh and the English. Their rivalry with the house of Gwynedd, coupled with a practical appreciation of their situation, tended to drive them towards the English, although expediency could persuade them the other way. In 1196, Gwenwynwyn ap Owain Cyfeilog was driven out of his castle (Domen Castell?) by a combined force of English and Welsh, but recovered it during the following year. Llywelyn ap Iorwerth of Gwynedd conquered Powys in 1218, forcing Gwenwynwyn into English exile, where he died, but his son Gruffydd returned on Llywelyn's death in 1240. Gruffydd fled when Llywelyn ap Gruffydd recaptured the area for Gwynedd in 1257, but the success of Simon de Montfort, whom Llywelyn supported against Henry III, persuaded him to change his allegiance in 1264. His new loyalty was short-lived, however; he was discovered plotting against Llywelyn in 1274. His castle (probably this one) was reportedly razed to the ground, and Gruffydd again fled.
He returned with Edward I's victorious army in the first Welsh campaign of 1277, and subsequently held his regained lands from the English crown. He was succeeded in 1286 by his son Owain, better known as Baron de la Pole. The lordship passed via Owain's daughter Hawys to the Cherleton family, and in 1578 came into the hands of Sir Edward Herbert, in whose family it has remained.
The castle Sir Edward took over was probably in serious need of repair and modernisation, and he undertook extensive work between 1587 and 1595, of which only the long gallery survives. His wife Mary brought Catholicism into the family. The Herberts remained staunchly Royalist during the Civil War, but Powis Castle was captured by Parliamentarian forces under Sir Thomas Myddelton in 1644. It seems to have been garrisoned during the remainder of the war, necessitating extensive rebuilding and refurbishment after the Restoration in 1660.
The main surviving features of this work are the grand staircase and the state ballroom, together with the gateway and most of the range in the outer ward. The steps to the main south-west entrance were also added at this time, suggesting that the rise of 1.3m in the level of the courtyard, which excavation showed to be made of rubble, resulted from damage during the Civil War. The first servants' quarters may have been built in the angle between the old hall and the northern end of the outer ward range at this time. This area was largely gutted by fire in about 1725.
Further extensive building was carried out from 1772 by the young George Herbert, the second earl. A ballroom was built in the outer ward range, and the core of the present servants' quarters constructed on the earlier site. Other rooms were redecorated in the fashionable classical style. George Herbert died in 1801, deeply in debt, but happily for the castle, his sister had married Clive of India's son. Their son was heir to both the castle and the Clive fortune, which allowed it to be properly maintained. A collection of Clive mementoes from India is on display in part of the old ballroom. The castle underwent further extensive refurbishment in 1815-18, and again from 1902. Although bequeathed to the National Trust in 1952, it remained in part a private home until 1988. The castle is renowned for it's grand terraced gardens and lavish Elizabethan-furnished rooms.
Jeffrey L. Thomas, from my 1996 Wales Travelogue
We visited Valle Crucis in the morning because we had another National Trust property to visit in the afternoon (another 1 o'clock opening). It was about a 45-minute drive from Llangollen to Powis Castle in Welshpool. Powis is a medieval castle, fortress and grand country house. The seat of the Herbert family, earls of Powis, the castle is known for its formal gardens and its interiors, the former having been described as "the most important", and the latter "the most magnificent", in the country. Well, I'm not sure about that, but who am I to argue? Although similar to Chirk which we had visited the previous day, due centuries of alterations, Powis really doesn't look much like a medieval castle. It looks more like a tall, elongated manor house perched atop a serious piece of rock. The original castle dates from the 13th century, and, unlike Chirk, the builder was Welsh, Prince Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn. His son Owain inherited the castle and was eventually raised to the peerage as Owen de la Pole, 1st Lord of Powis. This was a Welsh family that did very well for themselves for two reasons; (1) Gruffydd made an alliance with King Edward I, and (2) and the lands and armies he controlled were of lesser consequence. There is an earlier Welsh-built castle nearby that dates from the 12th century, (known simply as Domen Castle) the slight remains of which can be found (if you look hard enough) adjacent to the railway station not too far from Powis Castle. It's one of hundreds of vanished Welsh castles. There are lots of similarities between Powis and Chirk. Both are medieval castles that were transformed into stately homes (mansions), and feaure lavish and richly-decorated interiors, and outstanding gardens and landscapes. Powis also offers limited accommodations in small cottages located on the grounds. They are very popular and very difficult to book. (We tried and failed.)
Upon arrival we parked and made our way towards the entrance. We walked past a grove of trees to our left and in front of the castle. We entered through a gate into the Outer Ward. It was hard not to be impressed with what we found here. The Outer Ward, or Courtyard, is a rectangular enclosure with a lavish statue in the middle and two large drum towers fronted by a staircase (the Grand Staircase), at the opposite end. The statue is called "Fame borne aloft by the Winged Horse Pegasus" and was created by Andrew Carpenter circa 1705. Fame (not sure who he is), blowing a trumpet, is carried triumphantly by the rearing winged horse. Now that's an entrance piece statement if I've ever seen one. Even more impressive was the West Front with its large drum towers dating from about 1300. We toured the castle and here (again) the rooms were lavish and stunning, with names like the Oak Drawing room, the Blue Drawing Room, the State Bedroom, the Long Gallery (all stately houses apparently had to have one of these), and the Dukes Room, located in one of the West Front Towers. We toured most of the rooms then exited the castle, walking past the range of servant's quarters and kitchen on our right. Beyond here were the castle's gift shop and tea room. The next range of buildings contained the Ballroom and the Clive Museum, which houses artifacts associated with Robert Clive, also known as Clive of India. Something of a hero in his day, he was a moving force behind the founding of the East India Company, which was partly responsible for initiating the subjugation of India under British rule. We didn't spend any time here.
OK, now on to the gardens. Like Chirk, they are magnificent, but different. The gardens and landscapes at Chirk are more in the natural garden style, while those at Powis Castle seemed more formal. There are rows of terraces tumbling down from the cliff-side of the castle loaded with the most beautiful flowers you can imagine. The terraces lead to the Great Lawn, a wide stretch of perfectly manicured grass that seems fit for a lawn bowling tournament. Beyond here we saw in the distance a large field of grazing sheep. Nice. To our right were a series of paths through the woods, where we found a lake, the Daffodil Paddock, and a pet cemetery. To our left the gardens continued with the Yew Walk, the Formal Garden, the Croquet Lawn, and the Fountain Garden. I think the accommodations were in the buildings next to the Croquet Lawn. In the Fountain Garden we found the impressive Bodley Gates, stone pillars with decorative wrought iron gates topped by the family coat of arms, and two menacing-looking dragons. Cool! I think one of the dragons had something in its mouth, but I couldn't tell what. (Perhaps a servant who had strayed into a restricted area of the property). There was definitely a different vibe here as opposed to the gardens at Chirk. I'm not exactly sure why but I found myself preferring the gardens at Powis Castle, possibly because of the ridiculously-stunning trimmed rows of shrubs along the Formal Gardens, Fountain Gardens, and Croquet Lawn. On the other hand, I liked the castle at Chirk better, likely because it looks a bit more medieval. No matter, both are well worth visiting if you are into history, castles, gardens, or all three. We finished our tour of the gardens, then made our way back to Llangollen, having once again experienced more of the history and beauty of Wales.
Additional photographs of Powis Castle
Below: general view of the inner ward. Here the ground floor rooms have been converted to a shop and tea room.
Additional photographs of Powis Castle & Gardens
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Copyright © 2009 by Jeffrey L. Thomas