A visit to Powis Castle, another National Trust property. You are not allowed to take photo inside of the castle (items in private ownership), but it's fine around the exteriors and gardens. Anyone caught trying to take a photo inside gets told off by one of the guides inside the castle, so it wasn't worth the bother (bit frustrating when going around the castle). At least the outside areas makes up for what I couldn't take.
Powis Castle (Welsh: Castell Powys) is a medieval castle, fortress and grand country mansion near Welshpool, in Powys, Wales.
It is known for housing the treasures that were brought home by Robert Clive and his son, Edward Clive from India. The Clives obtained them during their service with the British East India Company.
The castle has also been known as Castell Coch, Castell Pool, Castell Pola, Castell Pole, Castell Trallwng, Red Castle, Redde Castle and Castel Cough.
The seat of the Earl of Powis, the castle is known for its extensive, attractive formal gardens, terraces, parkland, deerpark and landscaped estate. The property is under the care of the National Trust.
Princess Victoria (later Queen Victoria) visited the castle as a child when her mother took her to tour England and Wales in 1832.
The Outer Gateway at Powis Castle. The entrance where you pay or get your National Trust card is in this building.
Grade I Listed Building
Outer Gateway at Powis Castle
Exterior
History: Powis Castle was established as a Welsh stronghold, probably of Owain Cyfeiliog and his heirs, from c1170, and parts of the surviving structure are thought to date from the late C12-early C13. The castle was sacked c1275, and in 1286, Owain ap Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn paid homage to Edward I: a substantial programme of rebuilding followed - the layout, and much of the structure of the present buildings were determined in this work of c1300. After the castle was acquired by the Herbert family in 1587, it was gradually remodelled as a country house: the main entrance was established in the E gate-tower (itself an addition of the C15), and the main entrance of the medieval strong-hold became the back entrance of the Elizabethan house. The gate-way was destroyed when the castle was besieged in 1644, and in 1668, the present gate- house was built on the site of the earlier structure. The NW pavilion was extended, and the W elevations remodelled again - perhaps by Smirke in the early C19 - at a time when the gatehouse had been re-instated as the main entrance to the castle.
Description: Dated over the inner face of the arch, 1668. Brick with stone dressings including balustraded parapet to S and E elevations, and stone facing to W wall - probably the result of early C19 remodelling. 2 single storeyed pavilion blocks are linked by an arched entrance. The shield of arms over the gateway is early C19. W elevations have 4-centred arched doors (double doors in N pavilion), with similar loft entrances above. Elevation facing garden in S pavilion has 3x3-light stone mullioned and transomed windows which appear to be original features, and squared balustrading to parapet. Facing the courtyard, the pavilions had open arcaded fronts which were later infilled, and mullioned windows inserted in each bay. The buildings were intended to house coach house and stables, and the original stable fittings survive in the S pavilion - a series of arcaded stalls.
The retaining wall to the courtyard defines the S boundary of what had originally been the outer bailey of the medieval castle. The rubble retaining wall with squared balustraded parapet is probably also late C17: it is shown in Thomas Dineley's drawing of the courtyard, dated 1684, and the detail of the balustrading connect it with the pavilion, as well as with the C17 entrance and stairs to the castle, dated to c1670. Dineley's drawing shows that the present raised bed was originally a raised walkway.
The entrance pavilions and retaining wall are important components of the late C17 work at Powis Castle, and especially as they were clearly an integral part of a larger scheme, including both entrances to the castle, and the terraced gardens.
References: Richard Haslam, Powys, Buildings of Wales series, 1979, p.188;
The National Trust, Powis Castle, 1988 and 1994.
The block to the left is part of the Ballroom Range.
Grade I Listed Building
Ballroom Range at Powis Castle
Exterior
History: Powis Castle was established as a Welsh stronghold, probably of Owain Cyfeiliog and his heirs, from c1170, and parts of the surviving structure are thought to date from the late C12-early C13. The castle was sacked in c1275, and Owain ap Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn paid homage to Edward I in 1286: a substantial programme of rebuilding followed - the layout, and much of the structure of the present buildings were determined in this work of c1300, and the ballroom range incorporates a substantial part of the N curtain wall of the outer bailey of the medieval castle. In the late medieval period, it seems to have been in separate occupation for a time (as one of the 'two lords marcher castells' identified by Leland in the 1530's). After the castle was acquired by the Herbert family in 1587, it was gradually remodelled as a country house: this range was probably substantially reconstructed at some time during the late C16-C17: the S wall to the courtyard may have been rebuilt, and the upper storey layout was probably established at this period: it housed a long gallery separated from the main castle by a fire in c1745. Some of the fenestration (though the detail has been subsequently renewed) is probably of this period, and on its outer wall, the traces of a former gabled roof-line are clearly visible. This roofline was recorded by Thomas Dineley in 1684, and may have survived until T.F. Pritchard's work in the 1770's: the building was restored and remodelled as a ballroom and gallery 1773-5 by Thomas Farnolls Pritchard, architect, of Shrewsbury. The round-arched sash windows which he inserted were replaced with mullioned and transomed lights by Bodley, c1902-4.
Exterior: Red sandstone, with flat roof behind embattled parapet (replacing earlier gabled roofline, the scars of which are still visible in the N wall); cylindrical chimney shafts, probably late C16. 3 storeyed, the outer wall represents the curtain wall of the medieval outer bailey, and retains angle tower and projecting drum tower, with remains of garderobe in its angle. S elevation is a 6-window range, with slightly advanced central section. C16-C17-type fenestration throughout, probably partly a survival, with some renewal work by Bodley; some blocked earlier openings visible in N wall.
Interior: The ground floor retains some of the internal layout of the medieval building, while the first floor is as remodelled by T.F.Pritchard, though the ballroom was shortened to create what is now the Clive Museum (but previously a billiard room), 1902-4. Both rooms have minimal low-relief applied plasterwork decoration by Joseph Bromfield, partly obscured in the ballroom by the late C18 library furniture which was brought here from Walcot, Shropshire in 1929, and in the museum by the cases designed to house the Clive Collection in 1987 (designed by Alec Cobbe and made by John Hart). Orchestra gallery over entrance to ballroom, with plaster frieze. Paired Neo-Classical fireplaces in rear wall (one in Clive Museum). The ball-room retains its late C18 coved ceiling.
References: Richard Haslam, Powys, Buildings of Wales series, 1979, pp.189-192;
The National Trust, Powis Castle, 1988 and 1994.
