Hafod Estate
in the Ystwyth valley near Devil's Bridge, Cwmystwyth and Pontrhydygroes:
a picturesque landscape created by Thomas Johnes
Introduction
The estate of Hafod Uchtryd was inherited by Thomas Johnes on his father's death in 1780. On his first visit to the Ystwyth valley, Johnes was appalled by its dereliction, and by the conditions in which his tenants lived and worked; but he also fell in love with Hafod, and decided to turn it into a miniature paradise. He built a mansion and gardens, and set out to enhance the beauty of the natural surroundings by planting trees on a massive scale, and by implementing some of the improvements which were revolutionising agriculture in other parts of Britain. His aim was to create a "picturesque" landscape, catering for the fashion of the time, which required the observer to view set-piece scenes through a specially shaped frame, thus creating a living "picture". Hafod soon became an essential destination for visitors touring Wales, and the newly created paths, views, gardens and mansion were the subject of many contemporary accounts.
Sadly Johnes died in poverty and without heirs. The estate passed through several ownerships until, in 1949, it was split up, with much of the land being bought by the Forestry Commission, and planted with conifers. The mansion itself was demolished as a danger to the public on 13th August 1958.
The surviving historic features of the demesne lay neglected until the
formation in 1987 of the Friends of Hafod. This group has accumulated
an enormous archive of materials relating to the estate, and equally importantly,
was the spur which prompted the Forestry Commission to start taking an
interest in one of its most historic possessions. The eventual outcome
was the creation of the Hafod
Trust, whose aim is the conservation and restoration of the historic
features of the estate. The Trust is engaged in a continuing programme
to restore Johnes' walks, reopen vistas, and conserve historic buildings.
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