Singleton Park, incorporating the grounds of Sketty Hall (nprn 19973), is located to the south-west of Swansea, on rising ground overlooking Swansea Bay. The park is notable not only for its historical associations with the wealthy Vivian family of industrialists and the historical development of the city of Swansea, but also for the exceptional quality of its parkland landscaping (700373) which is contemporary with the building of Singleton Abbey (19965) and its garden.

Singleton Abbey, now part of the campus of the University of Swansea, lies towards the south end of the park and is surrounded by gardens. North of the house the garden is now part of the public park. It comprises several elements: a shrubbery of mixed trees and shrubs with many rare and exotic species, traversed by winding paths; a large mounded rockery about 3.5m high, thought to have once had an interior chamber, but access is now barred; a bog garden laid out with water channels; the ‘Archery Lawn’; and, nearer the house, a rectangular formal garden with circular pools and ornamental plantings.

South of the house the gardens are more formal, designed along with the ornamented east forecourt, by P.F. Robinson as an integral unit with the house with many of the design elements repeated throughout. On the south is a wide ornamented terrace and next to the house are narrow flowerbeds. At the east end is a small planted bed with a sundial. At the west end of the south front there are small flowerbeds, a clipped bay hedge, and along the terrace wall are octagonal stone vases. There are two fountains at the west end. From the terrace centre a wide flight of steps descends to the terrace below.

The lower terrace is gravelled and revetted, with a low parapet wall against which is a row of eight octagonal, font-like stone vases. The west end has a path, lined with rounded stones and with a box hedge on the north, flanked by borders of trees and shrubs. In the south-west corner is a three-sided projection, with concrete crazy paving and a low parapet with a vase on a panelled pillar. To the west is a way down to the lawn below. The east end is similar, with similar planting, a projection and steps up to the forecourt. Beyond the projection is a lawn, with the level continuing as a grass terrace and another, narrower one above.

Within the university campus there is an interesting and unusual Botanic Garden dating to the 1950s (700375).

Source:
Cadw 2000: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Glamorgan, 188-99 (ref: PGW(Gm)56(SWA)).

RCAHMW, 18 July 2022

Site Record

Singleton Abbey Gardens, Swansea