to the estate. A road that cut through the park just below the castle was diverted, and much planting was undertaken on the Wilderness Ridge, the line of hills opposite the castle, on the other side of the Great Lawn. The last major transformation of the gardens was undertaken in the early 20th century by Violet wife of the fourth Earl. Her ambition was "to turn a poor and meagre garden into one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, in England and Wales". Her work included the relocation of the entire kitchen garden, including its glasshouses, to a new position behind the Wilderness ridge and the laying out of the Formal Garden at the base of the terraces, and a Fountain Garden and the Croquet Lawn in the far south-eastern corner. The kitchen garden had previously been concealed from the castle by a bank of elm trees, but these were brought down in a storm in 1912, exposing a view of the greenhouses which appalled the Countess. “I am greeted every day by the repulsive sight of the detestable little [hot]houses which stare in their naked horror up at the beautiful terraces and the grand old castle towering above”. Gallery See also List of castles in Wales List of gardens in Wales Powis House – the family's former London residence Notes References Sources External links Powis Castle & Garden information at the National Trust A Guide to the Pictures at Powis Castle Castle Wales: Powis Castle Geograph photos of Powis Castle 13th-century establishments in Wales 13th-century fortifications Castles in Powys Gardens in Wales National Trust properties in Wales Scheduled monuments in Wales Historic house museums in Wales Museums in Powys Ethnographic museums in the United Kingdom Buildings and structures in Powys Country houses in Powys Grade I listed castles in Wales Grade I listed buildings in Powys Welshpool Registered historic parks and gardens in Powys