Powis Castle, Wales

Powis Castle, which is also known as Castell Coch (the red castle), is close to the town of Welshpool which is just on the Welsh side of the England/Wales border.

The first castle on this elevated site was built in the mid-13th century by Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn, the lord of Powys (one of the ancient provinces of Wales). However, his castle was destroyed in 1274 when Gruffudd was defeated and exiled by Llywelyn of Gwynedd, so Gruffudd had to rebuild it when he was able to return three years later.

The castle as seen today is the result of repairs and additions over the centuries, with much of the fabric dating from the 14th and 16th centuries.

The family history of the castle’s owners has been extremely complicated, with the Earls of Powis (the Herbert family) going through two re-creations of the title as the family fell in and out of royal favour at various times. The 4th Earl bequeathed the castle to the National Trust, who therefore acquired it on his death in 1952. Visitors can see most of the important rooms in the castle and also wander through the spectacular gardens and grounds.

One thing that strikes the visitor is that Powis Castle is not particularly large in comparison to other “stately homes”. This is, after all, a castle that was built as a defensive structure. However, it has not had to perform that function for several centuries and has acted as a home for aristocrats since the 17th century. There are therefore relatively few rooms but they are furnished and decorated with considerable opulence.

The State Dining Room on the ground floor was largely remodelled in the early 19th century but on Jacobean lines, with rich oak panelling and chimneypieces. Family portraits adorn the walls.

The Entrance Hall and Grand Staircase are examples of what can be done when money is no object and one wishes to impress one’s visitors. The ceiling and walls are adorned with vast murals and the staircase itself, which dates from the 17th century, uses four different types of wood.

Today’s visitor, however, is required to uses the servant’s stairs to access the rooms on the upper floor! These include the contrasting Oak Drawing Room and Blue Drawing Room, the latter of which seems to have more feminine touches than the former.

The Long Gallery is particularly impressive, especially as it the only part of the castle that has retained the same style that it had in the late 16th century. One walks on oak planks that have been in place since 1594, although the wooden panelling is not original, having been replaced in the early 17th century. The gallery is lined with statuary that the family acquired on its travels, including massive marble busts of the “twelve Caesars” (although only eight of them are on display here – the other four are elsewhere in the castle).

The State Bedroom, furnished in the late 17th century, is remarkable for having the bed in a slightly raised alcove behind a balustrade, which is a style copied from the Palace of Versailles. It is the only surviving example of such an arrangement in Great Britain.

Separate from the main castle is another building that runs along the length of the outer court, from one side of which can be had a splendid view over the valley below the castle mound. This building was originally connected with the castle but a fire in 1725 destroyed the intervening construction. Part of the building was formerly a ballroom, but it is now furnished as a lounge and a library.

The other part is devoted to a museum of art and objects collected by Lord Robert Clive (“Clive of India” 1725-74) and his son Edward, who married a Herbert and whose son inherited the Powis estate on condition that he changed his name to Herbert.

The Clive Museum contains more than 300 items from India and the Far East, including weapons, ivories, textiles and items in gold and silver. A number of the items had formerly belonged to Tipu, Sultan of Mysore, who was defeated at the Battle of Seringapatam in 1799, and these were therefore spoils of war. Many of the items collected by the senior Clive were also acquired under dubious circumstances, so the visitor might wonder just how legitimate this museum is and whether these treasures should not be returned to India, where they belong.

As you wander round the immediate environs of the castle you are quite likely to encounter the peacocks that live here. They are not aggressive, but it would be as well not to allow young children to get too close. If you are really lucky, a male peacock (strictly speaking, a peacock has to be male!) might display its magnificent tail feathers.

The Castle Gardens

A visit to Powis Castle would not be complete without spending some time in the castle gardens. Apart from the gardens themselves, there are splendid views to be had of the surrounding countryside.

Castle is set on a rocky prominence above the valley in which Welshpool sits, which means that the slope below the castle would be far too steep to plant a garden unless the land was terraced, and that is precisely what has been done. Four broad terraces lead down from the castle to the valley floor, where the gardens continue.

The terracing was started in the early 17th century, but the real work was done in the 1680s by the architect William Winde, who was also a military engineer who knew how to blast the solid rock away to create level surfaces.

The Herbert family, who owned Powis Castle, were supporters of the Catholic King James II, so when the latter was deposed and exiled in 1688, the Herberts went too. They were greatly impressed by what they saw of the gardens of French aristocrats and royalty, so, on their return in 1703, they set about creating a garden that incorporated features that they had seen in France and on their travels around continental Europe.

The gardens seen today owe much to the efforts of a more recent family member, namely Violet Lane-Fox (1865-1929), the wife of the 4th Earl of Powis. The countess sought to restore the gardens to their former splendour after many years of neglect, just as her husband did for the castle.

The four terraces contain a profusion of flowering and foliage plants backed by stone and brick walls and framed by low box hedges. Classical statues of nymphs and swains add a continental touch.

The massive yew hedges on the upper terraces and particularly at the northern end are notable features of the Powis Castle gardens. These hedges were originally trimmed into intricate shapes but are now “cloud pruned” into bulky shapes that are no less impressive. A photo on display in the garden shows how the hedges were pruned in former times, with gardeners climbing up 40-foot ladders and standing on top on the hedges armed with shears, but in these more health-and-safety-conscious times the job is done from a mechanical cherry-picker!

Below the terraces is a mixture of garden types, including a formal garden in the 18th century style, a croquet lawn, and the Grand Lawn that was originally a water garden. One area has been allowed to run wild (although it is full of daffodils in the spring) in order to encourage wildlife. There is a large area of woodland with paths running through it, and a small lake that is also designed as a wildlife haven.

It would be very easy to spend a long time in the garden, but the visitor needs to remember that the gate is locked at 5.30pm (earlier out of the summer months) and it takes longer to walk up four terraces to the exit than down!