Powis Castle

Perched atop a rocky outcrop, Powis Castle commands views over the Severn Valley toward England. The castle was built circa 1200 by the Welsh princes of Powys who held on to their kingdom despite threats from neighbours in both Gwynedd and England, only conceding in 1587 by selling the castle to an English nobleman, Sir Edward Herbert. For the next 400 years or so, Powis was continually remodelled and embellished to reflect the needs and whims of the Herbert-Clive family. Despite so many influences and numerous additions and changes, the castle and gardens both are remarkably well preserved and tastefully pointed.

Powis is by far the most elegant of the castles we've toured, particularly renowned for its collection of pictures, most of which are oil on canvas, including a portrait of Lady Henrietta Antonia Herbert, Countess of Powis, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, first president of the Royal Academy. Wall and ceiling frescoes dazzle the visitor, particularly those adorning the walls and ceiling of the Grand Staircase. Also noteworthy is the Clive Museum which contains Indian treasures and works of art collected by Clive of India and his son Edward (who married Lady Henrietta Herbert in 1784).

On the terraces below the castle lies Powis's world-famous garden. Inspired by the formal gardens of France and Italy, it is a true work of art, combining 18th-century lead statues with colourful planting and the most enormous clipped yews we have ever seen.

Accompanied By: Bruce Campbell, Veronique Monet
Date of Our Last Visit: October 2003