Margam Country Park
Encyclopedia
Margam Country Park is a country park
estate in Britain, of around 850 acres (3.4 km²). It is situated in Margam
, about 2 miles (3 km) from Port Talbot
in south Wales
it was once owned by the Mansel Talbot
family and is now owned and administered by the local council, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
. Situated within the park are three notable buildings: Margam Abbey
, a Cistercians monastery; Margam Castle
, a neo-Gothic country house that was once the seat of the Mansel Talbot family; and the 18th-century Orangery
.
in 1540 after the Dissolution of the Monasteries
in 1537. A Tudor mansion was later built on the site of the former monastic ranges by Sir Rice Mansel as a county residence. In 1661, the first mention of a garden are referenced, including walled areas and by 1727 the estate's gardener drew up a catalogue of the plants at the gardens. 1793 saw the completion of the Orangery and by the late 18th century the gardens are fenced off from the park to keep out the deer, and a main gate is erected. An 1814 estate map shows that a working park had been realised, with a 'Great', 'Little' and 'Upper' Parks, and by 1830 the construction of a new manor house, to become Margam Castle, had begun. Before the end of the decade, plans show the inclusion of several new buildings and features, including the Temple of the Four Seasons, the stone facade and the gardener's cottage.
The Margam Estate was acquired by Glamorgan County Council in July 1973, and the next year, after a Local Government re-organisation, the Park fell under the ownership of West Glamorgan County Council
. The park was officially opened to the public in 1977.
The estate is noted for its peacock population. Also on the estate are deer
, which have existed on the site since at least Norman
times. The majority are fallow deer
(numbering around 230); red deer
(about 60) and the non-native Père David's Deer
(about 30) were introduced in the 1990s, the latter as part of a breeding programme. Venison
from the management of the deer herd is sold to the public. Aviaries on the estate house a number of rescued birds of prey. The rare breed Glamorgan cattle
are raised on the estate.
The Coed Morgannwg Way and the Ogwr Ridgeway Walk long-distance paths
go through Margam Country Park, and there are a number of shorter (less than three miles (5 km)) walks waymarked
in the park. There are no major rivers in the park, but there are lakes and ponds, and it is possible to fish some of the ponds.
A narrow gauge railway conducts visitors around the grounds in the summer. The Orangery has a licence for civil marriages. Events on the estate are held through the summer: anything from fairs selling particular goods to car rallies. The Margam Country Show is held in August. In 2003, the park was host to the Urdd Eisteddfod.
Access is free but there is a charge for car parking and for some events.
was built. Its remains stand in the park today.
, a Tudor Gothic mansion house built by Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot
in the early nineteenth century, and an Iron Age hillfort. Sculptures and artwork are placed at different places along the paths which connect the house with the Orangery.
Country park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
estate in Britain, of around 850 acres (3.4 km²). It is situated in Margam
Margam
Margam is a suburb of Port Talbot in the Welsh county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, close to junction 39 of the M4 motorway.- History :...
, about 2 miles (3 km) from Port Talbot
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
in south Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
it was once owned by the Mansel Talbot
Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot
Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot FRS was a landowner, industrialist and Liberal politician. He developed his estate at Margam near Swansea as an extensive ironworks, served by railways and a port, which was re-named Port Talbot.-Early life:Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot was born at Penrice, Swansea,...
family and is now owned and administered by the local council, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council is the local governing body for Neath Port Talbot. It is currently controlled by the Labour party, under the leadership of Councillor Alun Thomas, who succeeded Derek Vaughan when he became an MEP in May 2009....
. Situated within the park are three notable buildings: Margam Abbey
Margam Abbey
Margam Abbey was a Cistercian monastery, located in the village of Margam, a suburb of modern Port Talbot in Wales.-History:The abbey was founded in 1147 as a daughter house of Clairvaux by Robert, Earl of Gloucester and was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The abbey was dissolved by King...
, a Cistercians monastery; Margam Castle
Margam Castle
Margam Castle is a large mansion house built in Margam, Port Talbot, Wales, for the Talbot family. It was built on a site which had been occupied for some 4000 years and from the 11th century was an abbey. The "castle" is actually a comfortable Victorian era country house, one of many "mock" or...
, a neo-Gothic country house that was once the seat of the Mansel Talbot family; and the 18th-century Orangery
Orangery
An orangery was a building in the grounds of fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries and given a classicising architectural form. The orangery was similar to a greenhouse or conservatory...
.
County Park
Margam Park owes its location and beginnings to the monastery, which was acquired by Sir Rice ManselRice Mansel
Sir Rhys Mansel , also Sir Rice Mansel, also Sir Rice Manxell, also Sir Rice Maunsell, Vice-Admiral, was High Sheriff of Glamorgan, a Commissioner of Peace and served as Chamberlain of Chester to King Henry VIII of England.Sir Rice owned estates at Penrice and Oxwich, and at the Dissolution of the...
in 1540 after the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1537. A Tudor mansion was later built on the site of the former monastic ranges by Sir Rice Mansel as a county residence. In 1661, the first mention of a garden are referenced, including walled areas and by 1727 the estate's gardener drew up a catalogue of the plants at the gardens. 1793 saw the completion of the Orangery and by the late 18th century the gardens are fenced off from the park to keep out the deer, and a main gate is erected. An 1814 estate map shows that a working park had been realised, with a 'Great', 'Little' and 'Upper' Parks, and by 1830 the construction of a new manor house, to become Margam Castle, had begun. Before the end of the decade, plans show the inclusion of several new buildings and features, including the Temple of the Four Seasons, the stone facade and the gardener's cottage.
The Margam Estate was acquired by Glamorgan County Council in July 1973, and the next year, after a Local Government re-organisation, the Park fell under the ownership of West Glamorgan County Council
West Glamorgan
West Glamorgan is a preserved county and former administrative county of Wales, one of the divisions of the ancient county of Glamorgan.West Glamorgan was created on 1 April 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972 from the county borough of Swansea, the municipal boroughs of Neath and Port Talbot,...
. The park was officially opened to the public in 1977.
The estate is noted for its peacock population. Also on the estate are deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, which have existed on the site since at least Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
times. The majority are fallow deer
Fallow Deer
The Fallow Deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. This common species is native to western Eurasia, but has been introduced widely elsewhere. It often includes the rarer Persian Fallow Deer as a subspecies , while others treat it as an entirely different species The Fallow...
(numbering around 230); red deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
(about 60) and the non-native Père David's Deer
Père David's Deer
Père David's Deer, Elaphurus davidianus, also known as the Milu , is a species of deer known only in captivity. It prefers marshland, and is believed to be native to the subtropics of China. It grazes on a mixture of grass and water plants. It is the only extant member of the genus Elaphurus...
(about 30) were introduced in the 1990s, the latter as part of a breeding programme. Venison
Venison
Venison is the meat of a game animal, especially a deer but also other animals such as antelope, wild boar, etc.-Etymology:The word derives from the Latin vēnor...
from the management of the deer herd is sold to the public. Aviaries on the estate house a number of rescued birds of prey. The rare breed Glamorgan cattle
Glamorgan cattle
It was thought that Glamorgan Cattle had died out and were effectively extinct in Britain in the 1920s. In 1979 Major 'Teddy' Savage of Sedlescombe, near Hastings in East Sussex, decided to sell his cattle herd which he claimed included Glamorgan cattle, Pembroke cattle and Gloucester cattle...
are raised on the estate.
The Coed Morgannwg Way and the Ogwr Ridgeway Walk long-distance paths
Long-distance trail
Long-distance trails are the longer recreational trails mainly through rural areas, used for non-motorised recreational travelling ....
go through Margam Country Park, and there are a number of shorter (less than three miles (5 km)) walks waymarked
Waymarking
Waymarking is an activity where people locate and log interesting locations around the world, usually with a GPS receiver and a digital camera. Waymarking differs from geocaching in that there is no physical container to locate at the given coordinates. Waymarking identifies points of interest for...
in the park. There are no major rivers in the park, but there are lakes and ponds, and it is possible to fish some of the ponds.
A narrow gauge railway conducts visitors around the grounds in the summer. The Orangery has a licence for civil marriages. Events on the estate are held through the summer: anything from fairs selling particular goods to car rallies. The Margam Country Show is held in August. In 2003, the park was host to the Urdd Eisteddfod.
Access is free but there is a charge for car parking and for some events.
Margam Abbey
In 1147, Margam AbbeyMargam Abbey
Margam Abbey was a Cistercian monastery, located in the village of Margam, a suburb of modern Port Talbot in Wales.-History:The abbey was founded in 1147 as a daughter house of Clairvaux by Robert, Earl of Gloucester and was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The abbey was dissolved by King...
was built. Its remains stand in the park today.
Margam Castle
Th Park also houses Margam CastleMargam Castle
Margam Castle is a large mansion house built in Margam, Port Talbot, Wales, for the Talbot family. It was built on a site which had been occupied for some 4000 years and from the 11th century was an abbey. The "castle" is actually a comfortable Victorian era country house, one of many "mock" or...
, a Tudor Gothic mansion house built by Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot
Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot
Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot FRS was a landowner, industrialist and Liberal politician. He developed his estate at Margam near Swansea as an extensive ironworks, served by railways and a port, which was re-named Port Talbot.-Early life:Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot was born at Penrice, Swansea,...
in the early nineteenth century, and an Iron Age hillfort. Sculptures and artwork are placed at different places along the paths which connect the house with the Orangery.
External links
- Margam Country Park Official site
- Margam Country Park Site from South West Wales Tourist Board
- Margam Park Field Centre
- Photos of Margam Country Park and surrounding area on geograph