Garth

Garth was an important early gothic revival house in the township of Garth in Guilsfield in Montgomeryshire. In the 18th century it became the home of the Mytton family who had originally been Shrewsbury drapers, who derived their wealth from the Montgomeryshire woollen industry. They had settled at Pontysgawrhyd in Meifod and at Halston in Shropshire. The most famous members of the family were General Mytton, the Parliamentary Commander in the Civil War in the Marches and “Mad Jack Mytton”, the eccentric 19th-century squire of Halston. In 1809 a grandiose rebuilding scheme was started by Richard Mytton. However, this together with extravagant furnishing of the new house and reckless purchasing of surrounding farms, which culminated in the purchase of the Trefnannau estate in 1812 for £33,625, led to financial problems. The Myttons struggled to afford to live in style in this house, and it is likely that Richard Mytton's outlay on lands, the building of Garth and its furnishing cost nearly £100,000 The family continued to live in the house until it was damaged by fire in 1922. Thereafter, there was a gradual decline, leading to the sale of the remainder of the estate in August 1945 and the demolition of the house for salvage during the winter of 1946–7. The remnants of the garden and park are listed at Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.