Cefn Ila facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cefn Ila |
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 Location in Monmouthshire
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| Geography | |
| Location | Monmouthshire, Wales |
| OS grid | SO359004 |
| Coordinates | 51°41′58″N 2°55′40″W / 51.6995°N 2.9279°W |
| Area | 83 acres (34 ha) |
| Administration | |
| Governing body | Woodland Trust Wales |
Cefn Ila (also known as Coed Cefn Ila in Welsh) is a beautiful woodland in Wales. It covers about 83 acres of land. You can find it near Usk, in a place called Llanbadoc, Monmouthshire. The Woodland Trust Wales (Coed Cadw) takes care of this special place.
Contents
History of Cefn Ila
Cefn Ila has a long and interesting past. It started out as a place for hunting. Later, in the Middle Ages, it became a large country house called a manor house. This house had lots of land around it.
Victorian Era Changes
In the middle of the Victorian era, a man named Edward John Trelawny bought the estate. He was friends with famous poets like Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Edward Trelawny loved gardens. He made big changes to the Cefn Ila gardens. He created modern "pleasure gardens" with many terraces. These were like steps of gardens built into the hillside.
After Edward Trelawny passed away, a new owner, Joseph Lister, took over. He hired a famous architect, Alfred Waterhouse. Together, they rebuilt the main house. It became a beautiful, large cottage-style manor house.
From Home to Hospital
In 1885, Joseph Lister had a riding accident on the estate and died. The property was then bought by Gustavus Ducarel. His family had moved to England after the French Revolution. Even though they later got their family estate back in France, they mostly lived near Cefn Ila.
After World War I, the family didn't live at Cefn Ila much. In 1925, the whole estate was given to Pontypool Hospital. It was then turned into a special recovery home. This home was called the "Kate Ayres Gustard Convalescent Home." It helped up to 24 women and children get better after being sick.
Cefn Ila During Wartime
When World War II began in 1939, Cefn Ila became a safe place for children. It was used as an evacuation centre. Later, it helped soldiers who were hurt in the war recover. After the war, in 1947, it became a maternity hospital. Up to 18 new mothers could stay there.
The Fire of 1973
On September 14, 1973, a big fire broke out. It happened just two weeks after a safety check. The fire destroyed almost the entire main house. Only the old stable building survived. Today, this stable is a protected home for bats. All the patients from the hospital had to move to another hospital nearby.
Cefn Ila Today
After the fire, the house became a ruin. The land around it grew into a natural woodland. In 2007, the Woodland Trust Wales (Coed Cadw) bought the land. Cefn Ila is now just a few miles from Wentwood Forest. Wentwood is the biggest ancient woodland in all of Wales.
New Trees and Wildlife
Since taking over, Coed Cadw has planted many new trees. They have added 36,000 broadleaf trees. Their plan is to create different types of natural areas. These include grasslands, wild flower meadows, and an arboretum. An arboretum is like a tree museum. It will have some of the original Victorian trees, local fruit trees, and new broadleaf trees.
Cefn Ila is a great place for wildlife. It has a special roost where bats raise their babies. Many birds also live here, like the Song thrush and the Marsh Tit. Today, Cadw (the Welsh government's historic environment service) calls Cefn Ila a Historic Park and Garden. It is also a "priority habitat" under a plan to protect important natural areas in the United Kingdom.
Learning and Visiting
Coed Cadw is working with the Usk Rural Life Museum. They want to share the history of Cefn Ila with visitors. In 2014, they received a grant of £297,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This money helps them restore the old walled garden. It also helps them improve the woodlands and build new facilities for visitors. This means more groups and schools can visit and learn about this special place.
