Dyffryn Gardens, Wales : National Trust Guidebook

The gardens at Dyffryn have justly been described as `the grandest and most outstanding Edwardian gardens in Wales'.

No expense was spared by the wealthy Corry family in building a house and garden to reflect their status. Dyffryn was created over two generations of the Corry family, who were wealthy coal and shipping magnates in south Wales.

They built the grand Renaissance Revival mansion in 1893 and commissioned the leading landscape architect Thomas Mawson to design an ambitious masterplan for the garden. After the Corry family left Dyffryn in 1936, the estate declined, but in 1996 it was rescued by the Vale of Glamorgan Council, which brought the gardens back to life.

Now leased to the National Trust, there are ambitious plans to continue the transformation of the house and gardens with the generous support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. This new guide contains a detailed map of the gardens and a lavishly illustrated tour of their key features.

From the Arboretum's amazing collection of historic `champion' trees to the more intimate outdoor `garden rooms', or the voluptuously planted Herbaceous Borders, each delight with their own distinctive character and planting, often containing rare flowers, shrubs and trees from all over the world.

It also tells the fascinating story of Dyffryn and the Cory family in their Edwardian heyday.