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Bonsai in Wales
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| Tredegar House is a superb venue to hold any event. It is set in a beautiful 90 acre park, and it is one of the best examples of a 17th century Charles II mansion in Britain. The earliest surviving part of the building dates back to the early 1500’s.. |  |
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The grounds are open from 9 am to dusk throughout the year, and there is no charge for access. The gardens are beautifully laid out in a formal style, and there is a magnificent cedar in the courtyard garden in front of the Orangery There is well-laid out parkland, with an avenue of trees approaching the house, and a large lake. |
There is a large car park adjacent to the house, for which there is a parking charge. Visits around the main house are also available, and there is a café with a roast lunch available on Sunday. There are craft shops located close to the car park.
On the right hand side as one looks at Tredegar House, one can see the Great Stables. The stables were probably built just after the house, and were obviously designed to reflect the style of the House.
At the rear of the stables is the Orangery, which was added to the back of the building in the 1700s. Orangeries were essentially designed to conserve exotic fruits and tender greens during the harsh winter months. During the summer, potted apple, peach and citrus trees would be moved into the Orangery garden.
Tredegar House was the ancestral home of the Morgan Family, later lords Tredegar, for over 500 years. To give you an idea of their importance, at the end of the 18th century the Morgans owned over 40,000 acres in Monmouthshire, Breconshire and Glamorgan.
Their lives impacted on the population of south east Wales socially, economically and politically, and influenced the heritage of the area. On a visit to the House you will hear many stories of the family, while their portraits look at you from the walls. Some are tales of money and power, others centre around eccentricities and sadness. What is certain is that the Morgans are as intriguing as the House itself.
Most of the House we see today dates from the 1670s
Bonsai in Wales 2012 is being held in the Orangery and stable block, which provides huge spaces, ideally suited to staging an exhibition.
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