The Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales was established in 2002 and given statutory status in 2022. It is administered by Cadw, the historic environment agency of the Welsh Government. It includes just under 400 sites, ranging from gardens of private houses, to cemeteries and public parks. Parks and gardens are listed at one of three grades, matching the grading system used for listed buildings. Grade I is the highest grade, for sites of exceptional interest; Grade II*, the next highest, denotes parks and gardens of more than special interest; while Grade II denotes nationally important sites of special interest.[1][2]
Blaenau Gwent has only one site on the register, the grounds of Bedwellty House in Tredegar.[3] These are listed at Grade II.[4]
The Bedwellty estate was bought by the ironmasterSamuel Homfray in 1800. He built the current house, which his son extended while also developing the grounds. It was bought by the Morgans of Tredegar House who gave it to the people of Tredegar as a public park in 1901. The park contains the town's war memorial, a rare listed icehouse and two large blocks of coal, cut to celebrate the Great Exhibition of 1851, and the Festival of Britain in 1951.[4]