Shropshire Star

Restoration work on the gardens of Plas Newydd

A team of volunteers have been busy learning new traditional skills and putting them to use in the gardens at Plas Newydd, the historic home of the Ladies of Llangollen.

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Plas Newydd in Llangollen

Some of the 200-year-old revetment walls are crumbling and falling into disrepair.

The Our Picturesque Landscape National Lottery project, involving structures along the Llangollen Canal World Heritage Site is leading on a five-year restoration of the Dell at Plas Newydd.

Volunteers, led by the experienced Richard Jones of RJ Countryside Skills, have begun by repairing many of the crumbling stone walls holding up the banks leading into the Dell.

Their rebuilding work should las another 200 years.

During the work they have also buried a time capsule in the wall.

Paula Wilding and Dave Smith volunteers said; “This has provided an interesting feature leading visitors down from the historic formal heritage garden into the ladies naturalistic planting within the Dell.”

This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

Other projects within the restoration are the creation of stepping stones across the babbling Afon Cyflymen which flows through the Dell, repairing the steps leading up to the summer house, creating a bog garden, extra seating and replacing the existing handrail with something more in keeping with the garden as it would have been two hundred years ago. If you would like to get involved by volunteering with the restoration, please get in touch with the team on 01824 706163 or contact; our.picturesque.landscape@denbighshire.gov.uk

Our Picturesque Landscape Project centres on the landscape of the Dee Valley and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site. It takes the theme of inspirational journeys that have been, and continue to be, a feature of the area which is cut by the canal, Telford's A5 and the River Dee.

Our Picturesque Landscape Project is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. It is a partnership project developed by the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct andCanal World Heritage Site, Denbighshire County Council, Wrexham County Borough Council, Shropshire Council, The Canal and River Trust, Natural Resources Wales, Cadw, Cadwyn Clwyd, Aqueducks (Friends of the World Heritage Site) and the Friends of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley.

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