Talacre Abbey (nprn 36250) is located to the east of Prestatyn, set in parkland on a hillside overlooking the Irish Sea (700113).

Talacre is notable for its extensive pleasure grounds and plantation, which include an artificial rockwork grotto and a folly tower. The gardens are almost entirely nineteenth-century in character and planting. An exception is the eighteenth-century work of the banqueting hall, speculated as that of Lancelot Brown, set in the kitchen garden wall (see 700114).
The pleasure grounds lie around the house, sloping downhill to the north and rising more steeply to the south. From early mapping the garden appears always to have been heavily wooded - planted with shrubs, interspersed with pockets of open ground; the northern extent is now cut off by the A494. At the west end of the house a small brick and stone rockwork area has been recessed with small pockets left for filling with plants. In front of this is a formal stone fountain in an octagonal pond. To the north-west and north-east below the house are lawns. To the south is the Riding School (37439) from which there are walks west to a chain of three ponds; the lowest is the largest and to its west is a ruinous ice-house. At the top of The Dingle is another pond with walks down the wooded valley.

On higher ground behind the house terraces have been made to support various features. The first, now a cemetery, is oval and was in initially laid out as formal flower beds set in gravel. The next terrace contains the folly tower and grotto (23062-3), both thought to be contemporary with the house (c.1824). The tower is now ruinous. A path around it leads to the grotto entrance. It has several chambers connected by winding passageways. One of the chambers is open to the sky. A footpath east leads to the edge of the old quarry where the remains of a stone summerhouse lie buried beneath layers of ivy (23064).

To the west of the house, on ground above the ponds, are the walled gardens.

Sources:
Cadw 1995: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Clwyd, 244-7 (ref: PGW(C)38(FL)).
Infoterra (Google Maps) imagery (accessed 06.09.2021).

RCAHMW, 26 April 2022

Site Record

Talacre Hall Garden, Prestatyn