Glanusk Park

Description

Digitised postcard image of social event, Glanusk Park House, c. 1900.
Glanusk Park was built for the ironmaster Sir Joseph Bailey on land he bought in 1825 and became one of the most important houses of south Wales, entertaining royalty and society. The house faced north-east, towards the river Usk and stood on a raised terrace above a highly ornamental parterre garden. It was an extensive, foursquare, three-storeyed mansion in a Tudor/Gothic style with four octagonal ogee turrets, one in each corner, and a ground floor plan identical to that of Maesllwch Castle, Glasbury. Its skyline was characterised by many pinnacles and small towers. A porte-cochere stood on the east of the south front and a billiard room was added in the 1840s. The house was set at the top of a sloping lawn which was replaced from about 1860 by formal terraced gardens designed by Markham Nesfield. In 1939 the house was requisitioned by the army and was badly damaged. The last Lord Glanusk died in 1948. His widow later married the Viscount De L'Isle and the Viscountess took the decision in 1952 to demolish the house as the cost of repair and upkeep was thought to be prohibitive. Demolition (by explosives) was complete by 1954. Glanusk Park has been, since 2009 the site of the annual Green Man Festival.