Gnoll Country Park

[1] Mackworth extended the house (sometimes known as "Gnoll Castle"), and developed various coal mining interests locally, as well as branching out into other industries.

[1] His eldest son, Herbert Mackworth, continued his industrial interests, and developed the Gnoll copper works.

[3] Through the widow of Sir Herbert's brother Robert Mackworth (died 1795), the estate passed to Capel Hanbury Leigh, Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire, and it was later bought by Henry Grant of Pembrokeshire and Wormley, Hertfordshire (died 1831)[4] Shortly before his son Henry John Grant's death in 1861, there was a plan in 1857 to use the castle as a university college and some staff including the gamekeeper moved to Wormley, but instead it was purchased by a cousin Charles Evan-Thomas of Llwynmadoc,[2] who demolished the east wing and added other architectural features.

[5] A year after Sir Hugh's death, the Gnoll was bought by Neath corporation[6] as a site for a war memorial.

[9] It features lakeside and woodland walks, restored formal cascades, a grotto, a coarse fishery, four ponds, a play area, an adventure playground and a visitor centre exploring the history and evolution of the estate.