The park surrounding Newtown House has been in use for over 2,000 years. Ruins of an Iron age fort have been discovered, and two Roman forts. Edward I founded a planned town here, and Lord Rhys built a 12th century castle overlooking the wooded valley.
Around 1775 Edward Rice and his wife, Lady Cecil Talbot, called in Capability Brown to create a landscape garden from the ancient parkland.
The Landscape Gardens
The result was one of the most talked-about gardens of the landscape garden movement, with sinuous trails winding through carefully arranged settings of trees and viewpoints, with the medieval castle acting as a scenic folly.
Within the park are herds of white cattle and deer, a restored ice house, and a Victorian Italianate garden near the house. You can visit the garden and parkland independent of Newtown House, which is now operated by the National Trust.
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