What is currently Ruthin Castle Hotel was originally constructed in 1825-26 in the grounds of the former castle (nprn 94739) as a private residence in mock medieval style, remodelled and enlarged in 1849-52, and extended again in the early 1920s before becoming a hospital and then a hotel (27874). Well-preserved mid-nineteenth gardens are situated in and around both the medieval ruins and the hotel.

The garden layout was probably initiated by the Myddleton-Wests during their improvements between 1849 and 1852 and is little changed since the first-edition Ordnance Survey map depiction of 1874, except for subsequent building. The formal pleasure gardens lie within the ruins of the old castle close by the new castle, on all sides, the castle planted with ivy as a backdrop.

The formal gardens begin to the east of the entrance court. A shrub border runs along the top of the castle wall into a service area. The main garden leads off this yard and is laid out with formal box-edged beds with a central fountain. Adjacent is a double border of plant beds bounded by the old armoury. Leading from this part of the garden are two small courtyards with a collection of millstones set within cobbles. Across a wooden bridge is another small formal area which originally continued through to the east front of the castle but has been reduced by the building of another wing. Steps from the remains of an old tower lead to a lower level.

The grounds immediately south of the castle were laid out with sweeping lawns and planted with shrubs and specimen trees, curving paths interspersed between plantings. The moat was also planted with specimen trees, mostly conifers. A shrubbery made in the twentieth century, south-west of the castle, is a series of informal island beds and perimeter beds with curving edges, entirely of shrub and tree plantings. To its south-east is a gorsedd circle (408811).

A small Victorian walled kitchen garden, on the south-east boundary, is surrounded by brick walls about 2.5m in height. It is not now in use and only a few unpruned fruit trees remain.There is an icehouse located under the curtain walls of the medieval castle. Built of stone it is accessed via a 5.4m long passage which leads to a 3.5m x 2.9m ante-chamber. The main chamber has a stone vault and is 4.1m x 2.8m by about 3m high overall.

Sources:
Cadw 1995: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Clwyd, 232-6 (ref: PGW(C)13(DEN)).
First-edition Ordnance Survey 25-inch map: Denbighshire XIX.7 (1874).
Sylvia P. Beaman and Susan Roaf, The Ice Houses of Britain, p.527. Surveyed by Clwyd Parish Arch. Survey, 1981; E. Wiliam, p.4.

RCAHMW, 1 April 2022

Cofnod Safle

Ruthin Castle Gardens, Ruthin