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Gardens, shop and tearoom - last admission to the gardens is one hour before closing
January 1st - February - March 1st = 10am -4pm
March 2nd - March 29th = 10am - 5pm
March 30th - September 27th = 10am-6pm
September 28th - November 2nd = 10am - 5pm
November 3rd - December 31st = 10am - 4pm.
Coach bookings preferable. Guided Tours by appointment only.
House - last admission to the house is half hour before closing
January 1st - March 1st = Thursday - Sunday 12pm - 3pm
March 2nd - September 27th = Monday - Sunday 12pm - 4pm.
September 28th - November 1st = Thursday - Sunday 12pm-4pm
November 2nd - December 31st = Saturday - Sunday 12pm-3pm
April - October.
Magnolia, Iris Collections, Herbaceous Border, Arboretum and Autumn color.
Gift aid prices adult £8.40, child £4.20, family £21.00
Standard entry adult £7.40, child £3.70, Family £18.50, Group adult £6.25, Group child £3.25
Electric car charging point, wheelchairs and mobility scooters available by pre-booking
Champion trees and well stocked arboretum. Exceptional example of Garden Room design of Edwardian period. Pompeian Garden and extensive statue collection.
Bush Inn, St. Hilary
Culverhouse Cross
Bear Inn, Cowbridge
Threharne Arms
Bear Inn, Cowbridge
Treharne Arms
Bush Inn, St. Hilary
Blue Anchor Inn, East Aberthaw
Cowbridge
Heritage Coast
One of the chief pleasures at Dyffryn is the wide variety of gardens laid out in the park. These range from the wonderful 100 metre long double herbaceous borders in the old walled garden and the Theatre Garden next door, where open air performances are held each summer, to the recently restored Fernery, and the Alpine garden which hosts the new alpine collection in a limestone rockery.
In the West Garden many of the original plantings still survive due to the mild climate and influence of the sea in this part of Glamorgan. The Rose Garden with its yew hedges, the Reflecting Pool and Paved Court nearby are full of interest and are complemented by the still developing Physic Garden. The extraordinary Pompeian Garden is based on gardens seen in Italy by Reginald Cory and Thomas Mawson on their grand tour in the early 20th century. Last but not least the Panel Garden near the house, which was lost for 50 years, now holds part of the collection of statuary and the floral display beds created by Reginald Cory.
This is a truly spectacular garden which will hold even more interest when the fountain is restored at the bottom of the Great Lawn from fundraising.
An ancient site dating back to the 7th century was originally owned by the church but later acquired by the Button family in the 16th century. The name was changed to Dyffryn St. Thomas when the estate was sold to Thomas Pryce, who built the first building to be known as Dyffryn House. John Cory bought the estate in 1891 and built the present house two years later. He later commissioned Thomas Mawson to landscape the gardens to complement his magnificent house. After John Cory's death in 1910, his third son, Reginald, a keen horticulturalist and leading figure in the RHS, developed the gardens and arboretum notably through his joint sponsorship of several plant hunting expeditions. The most remarkable of the results of this is the Paper Bark Maple, Acer griseum, which was grown from seed brought back from China by Ernest Wilson.
After Reginald Cory's death in 1934, the estate went to his daughter Florence who died just two years later. It was then bought by Sir Cennydd Traherne who leased it in 1939 to Glamorgan County Council on a 999 year lease. The Grade I listed gardens are being restored in two phases with grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The first phase is for £3.25 million and the second for £2.9 million.