Poetic Tribute to Aberglasney

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06 Jan 2012

Neath Writers‘ Circle member Geraint Jones has penned this poem and has dedicated it to the members and the work of the Aberglasney Restoration Trust –

Aberglasney Lost in Time

Covered in ivy, those walls of green,
Hidden mysteries remained unseen,
A monument, an icon to an earlier day
Derelict, abandoned left to decay.

'Gardens drowning in a sea of weed',
Grand house vandalised by men of greed,
‘neath the Castle, Dinefwr, Noble, Sublime,
Those overgrown gardens lost in time,

Shrouded in obscurity, in myths and mysteries,
Tangled tales and legends, secreted in the trees

Parapet, Cloister, Gate House, too
Pool Garden, Lake, and Tunnel of Yew
Terracing, Walls, of symmetric design.
Remote and remorseful in neglected decline

In this Towy valley, though hidden from view,
This tired old mansion, only known to a few
who took up the challenge of restoration,
advancing its rescue and transformation.

Scraping and scratching at dirt and grime
Rolling back aeons of time.
Clearing scrub, from the world concealed,
Each bramble mourned, as those garden's revealed.

Portico stolen, lost then found
Recovered - replaced in these stately surrounds.

This setting, of breathtaking beauty,
Of history and romance
Enthusiast' and experts,
revived its elegance.

Follies, Fountains, and Sculptures, all stunningly restored
A labyrinth of tranquillity, here to be explored.

At this mansion in the hollow
Glorious gardens now surround
Orchards, Lawns, and Lakeside walks
And Floral specimens abound

Those mysteries uncovered, through sweat
And toil and strife,
Awakened, this, Sleeping Beauty
And for Aberglasney a new life.

Geraint Jones

Geraint gave his poem a public reading at the Aberglasney Winter Fair. He was one of the Aberdulais choristers.