Hafod
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Hafod (Estate) , also Hafod Uchtryd , was a manor house 26 kilometers southeast of Aberystwyth ( Wales ). The property was extensively reforested by Thomas Johnes at the end of the 18th century and provided with hiking trails. The dramatic landscape corresponded to the contemporary ideal of Picturesque Beauty ("picturesque beauty"). After Johnes' death, buildings and roads fell into disrepair. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the area, which is exceptional due to its natural beauty, has been accessible again for hikers.
history
Hafod lies in the valley of the Ystwyth River . Thomas Johnes inherited from his father in 1780 (Kerkham 1991, 207). Impressed by the beauty and drama of the Welsh landscape, he decided in 1783 to make Hafod his permanent residence. He developed the plan to open up the area between Devil's Bridge in the north and the Ystwyth Valley for nature-loving guests.
Johnes also planned to "improve" the landscape, to increase his ideas of a wild and romantic natural impression. In the period from 1795 to 1801, he therefore had extensive reforestation of his lands carried out; 2,065,000 trees were planted, more than half of which were larches (Jacques 2001, 240). At the same time, the establishment of a first circular route began. Johnes made it important to guide the hiker to points with a special view of the valley, the mountains or waterfalls . The paths were laid out along rocky abysses in a sometimes daring manner, gorges were overcome with narrow bridges, for example over the Ystwyth and the Nant Cau . A longer circular route for riders was also created (Gilpin 1789, 78).
A greenhouse was built in 1793, as well as two flower gardens and a number of (garden) arbors. To the east of the manor house, a small church was built on a hill in the middle of oak trees (Account 1799, 18). However, the income from forestry and grazing (sheep) did not cover the long-term expenses for Johnes' ambitious plans. In addition, there were personal blows of fate: in 1807 the manor house was destroyed by fire (Times 1807, 3), the reconstruction took place in a similar, slightly different form. In 1811 his wife, Jane Johnes, died in 1812, their only daughter, Mariamne.
Johnes fell ill and died in financial difficulties in 1816 (Jacques 2001, 240). Around 1833 the Duke of Newcastle acquired the property. But already in 1843 Hafod Estate was sold together with three other domains; Hafod at that time comprised an area of 5463 hectares , mainly pasture land, plus 560 hectares of forest (Times 1843, 6). In the period that followed, the buildings fell into disrepair, the path system was no longer maintained and, for safety reasons, could only be accessed incompletely because bridges had collapsed. One section of the path to the Nant Cau cave slipped (Kerkham 1991, 212). In 1932 the church at Hafod, Eglwys Newydd , was badly damaged by a fire (Times 1932, 16).
The Forestry Commission ( Forestry Commission ) caused the 1958 explosion of the mansion, because the ruin allegedly posed a danger to the public (Times 1958, 12). In 1964, parts of Mrs. Johnes' flower garden were affected by the construction of a forest road, and figurative decorations made of Coade stone ( satyr , nymph , flora , triton ) disappeared. In 1990 the forest management set up a garden advisory panel , and limited restoration work began (Kerkham 1991, 207).
Buildings and plants (selection)
- Seat of Johnes Esq. , a mansion in neo-Gothic style
- Eglws Newydd Church , after a plan by James Wyatt (1803)
- Sculpture group in memory of Johnes' daughter, by Francis Leggatt Chantrey (around 1812, erected in 1833)
- Mrs. Johnes’s flower garden (1786)
- Mariamne’s garden, laid out as Alpinum by James Anderson (1795–1796, modified in 1803)
- Greenhouse, by John Nash (1793)
- Bedford Obelisk (1805)
- cast iron chain suspension bridge over the Ystwych (1805)
The walks
The two most famous circular routes were named by William Gilpin . He named them according to their different lengths (Gilpin 1789, 78):
- Lady's Walk: (about five kilometers) The path leads on the north bank of the Ystwych to the Flower Garden of Mrs. Johnes , then near the Peiran waterfall. The way back goes via Eglwys Newydd to the manor house.
- Gentleman's Walk: (about ten kilometers) The more demanding path leads to the area south of the Ystwych , which is crossed at the beginning on the Bwlch Gwalter bridge. We continue to the Tyloge Bridge, then along the Naunt Cau tributary to the Cavern Cascade . The way back leads back on the south bank of the Ystwych , then through a beech forest (Pant Melyn) , through Allt Dihanog and over a bridge. There is a small opportunity to take shortcuts.
Sources and literature
- William Gilpin: Observations on the River Wye, and several parts of South Wales. 2nd Edition. Blamire, London 1789, pp. 78-81.
- George Cumberland : An attempt to describe Hafod. Egerton, London 1796.
- A descriptive account of the Devil's Bridge, Hafod, Strata Florida Abbey , and other scenery in that district of Cardinganshire. 4th edition. Walker, Hereford 1799.
- Caroline Kerkham: Hafod, paradise lost. In: Journal of garden history, 1991, Vol. 11, H. 4, pp. 207-216.
- David Jacques: Hafod . In: Oxford companion to gardens. Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York 2001, ISBN 0-19-860440-8 , pp. 239-240.
- The Times , No. 6999 (March 19, 1807), p. 3; No. 18407 (September 21, 1843), p. 6; No. 46116 (April 25, 1932), p. 16; No. 46117 (April 26, 1932), p. 22; No. 54246 (September 3, 1958), p. 12.
Web links
Coordinates: 52 ° 20 ′ 35.5 " N , 3 ° 49 ′ 24.4" W.