Treberfydd

Treberfydd is a Victorian country house built in Gothic Revival style in 1847-50. Surrounded by 11 acres of landscaped gardens, it is located in the Brecon Beacons National Park, south-east Wales, and open to the public during August. The house was built for Robert Raikes, the Oxford-educated son of a wealthy banking family based in Hull. Raikes was a prominent member of the Oxford-based Tractarian movement and moved his family into the area in order to promote his beliefs and assist in the development of the area. The house was designed by John Loughborough Pearson, a young architect who was just beginning to experiment with the new Gothic style of architecture. Raikes probably chose Pearson because he had done some work for him in the Hull area, including a chapel for his grandmother.

The house, constructed out of stone dug out of the field in front of the house, is decorated with gargoyles, gables and stained glass windows and contains a fine collection of period furniture, numerous carved stone fireplaces and original Minton floor tiles, all of which were designed by the architect.

Pearson was also asked by Raikes to modernise the church at Llangasty and build a school - both of which are at the end of the lane which leads down to Llangorse Lake. The church, considered a Tractarian gem, is still in use although the school is now a private house. Pearson subsequently went on to become a well-known architect - he designed Truro Cathedral among other well-known churches.

Treberfydd's gardens were designed by W. A. Nesfield, an eminent Victorian gardener who also designed the Pagoda and Syon vistas at Kew Gardens, the Witley Court fountain and Castle Howard's South Lake.

In 2007, Treberfydd was featured as the setting for "Human Nature" and "Family of Blood", episodes 8 and 9, of the BBC Wales series of "Doctor Who".

References

1. [http://www.gardenhistory.org.uk/ukpg/place.asp?PlaceID=TREBERFY United Kingdom Database of Historic Houses and Gardens, Treberfydd]

2. Raikes Pedigree, published 1989.

3. David Raikes, personal interview, 2007.

4. Mention of Pearson's connection to Treberfydd in the entry about John Loughborough Pearson in the 11th edition of The Encylopaedia Britannia, 1911. [http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/John_Loughborough_Pearson]

External links

* [http://www.treberfydd.com Treberfydd website]