| 1750 |
Bussy Mansel, the fourth and last Baron, dies without a male
heir. The title becomes extinct and Margam, along with Oxwich and
Penrice, passed through marriage into the Talbot family to the
Reverend Thomas Talbot of Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire. He enjoyed his
inheritance for a brief number of years, Margam passing to his son,
Thomas Mansel Talbot. |
| 1768 |
Thomas Mansel Talbot sets out on a Grand Tour of the Continent,
an accepted part of the eighteenth-century gentleman's education,
returning home in 1772 to the Estate at Penrice, Gower to construct
his new villa there. Only as it neared completion did his attention
be directed to improvements at Margam. |
| 1786 |
Construction of the Orangery begins to the design of Anthony
Keck |
| 1792 |
Viscount Torrington reports with horror that the chapter house
now houses a stag - it's roof collapses in 1799 and an outstanding
piece of medieval architecture was wrecked. |
| 1793 |
Completion of the Orangery.
Estate accounts record the final demolition of the dilapidated
Tudor House by Thomas Mansel Talbot, now residing at his newly
built villa at Penrice. When visiting the Orangery and Gardens the
family lodged at Margam Cottage on the outskirts of the Park. |
| 1794 |
The gardens were fenced to keep out the deer and an entrance of
stone piers and rustic gates was made. |
| 1800 |
The Citrus House was erected to house some of the famous citrus
tree collection. |
| 1802 |
Lord Nelson, travelling through South Wales with Sir William
and Lady Hamilton, visited the Orangery and gave the gardener who
showed them around a three-shilling tip. |
| 1814 |
Estate map shows that Talbot achieved his aim of creating a
Park for it illustrates the different areas called 'Great',
'Little' and 'Upper' Parks |
| 1820s |
 Plans to build a
new house at Margam were commissioned by Christopher (Kit) Rice
Mansel Talbot (1803 - 90), Thomas Mansel Talbot's son, who had
Romantic ideas about the Park, its history and the style of house
that he wanted. |
| 1830 |
 Work
commences on the construction of Margam Castle, a romantic
extravaganza designed by Thomas Hopper (1776-1856). Edward Haycock
(1790-1870) of Shrewsbury was supervisory architect during this
period and was also responsible for some work on the interior and
exterior of the house, the stables, terraces and lodges. Talbot
took a keen interest in the works and carefully supervised the
expenses. |
| 1837 |
The historic stone façade attributed to Inigo Jones, the Temple
of the Four Seasons, is re-erected fronting a gardener's house, Ivy
Cottage - this front is all that remains of the seventeenth century
banqueting house.
The West driveway, including the bridge at the north end of the
fishpond lake, was built. Also it is probable that at this time the
gate piers were moved from the gardens to their somewhat odd
position at the now west entrance. |
| 1840 |
The construction of Castle complete and works to stable and
courtyards in progress.
Main driveway from the east constructed by C.R.M. Talbot.
Construction of the East Lodges commenced, designed by Edward
Haycock, together with Middle Lodge and the West Lodge, which was
demolished in 1975 to make way for the M4 motorway. |
| 1841 |
The marshy valley to the north of the gardens was dammed to
form the present fishpond lake, the water used to supply the
fountains on the Orangery Terrace.
The west end of the park was extended to include much of the public
road and the village of Margam; the new model village of Groes was
built at this time, designed by Haycock, but was also demolished
for the M4 motorway. |
| 1852 |
The construction of the Orangery terrace.
Henry Fox Talbot, the pioneer photographer and a frequent visitor
to Margam at this time, carried out several early experiments in
the grounds of Margam Castle and succeeded in taking the earliest
photographic views of the mansion. |
| 1876 |
The only son of Christopher R.M. Talbot dies as a result of a
riding accident. |
| 1881 |
 The Prince and Princess of Wales, later Edward VII and
Queen Alexandra, visited Margam on Monday, 17th October 1881.
The couple stayed for luncheon after which the Princess planted a
tree in the Orangery Gardens. |
| 1890 |
 Margam was inherited by Emily Charlotte Talbot. The
Vine House is built and most of the greenhouses were replaced with
new ones by Messenger & Co. of Loughborough, which have now all
disappeared except the small one to the rear of the Citrus
House.
Engine house built.
|
| 1891 |
Electricity is introduced into the Castle. |
| 1892 |
At the Castle, a Billiards Room was built over a small inner
courtyard. Twyn-yr-Hydd House, with its separate dressed stone
rusticated piered entrance was built as a home for Emily Charlotte
Talbot's agent, Edward Knox. |
| 1902 |
A bamboo garden is established below the lake and a Pergola
introduced to the south western part of the Orangery garden by
Emily Charlotte Talbot. |
| 1918 |
Emily Charlotte Talbot dies and Margam was left in trust to her
great nephew, a minor, John Theodore Talbot Fletcher whose father
Captain Andrew Mansel Talbot Fletcher was a keen horticulturalist
who helped to finance the plant hunting expeditions of Frank
Kingdom Ward. Some of his introductions of rhododendrons and
azaleas were planted at Margam, many of which still flourish. |
| 1926 |
New Pond was created by Captain Fletcher to relieve
unemployment and improve the view from the house. |
| 1930 |
Captain Fletcher converts the old stable block into a squash
court and garage, and creates a tennis court to the south east of
the Castle. |