Singleton Park, incorporating the grounds of Sketty Hall, 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 development of the city of Swansea, but also for the exceptional quality of its parkland landscaping which is contemporary with the building of Singleton Abbey and its garden, in the first half of the nineteenth century. It contains many unusual trees and shrubs, some of extreme rarity. In addition to the Abbey (nprn 19965) and Sketty Hall (19973), the park contains numerous historic structures. Notable architects were P.F.Robinson who designed not only the Abbey but also its formal garden together with other features of the landscape, and Henry Woodyer who also contributed.

The estate was created by John Henry Vivian during the nineteenth century through the purchase of an earlier house, Marino (19299), which became partly incorporated into Singleton Abbey, and a number of farms used to create surrounding parkland. Sketty Hall and its grounds, a short distance to the north-west, came into the hands of Richard Glyn Vivian in the late-nineteenth century, and was amalgamated with Singleton Park in 1936 to form a public park. Together the parkland grounds formed a square of some 230 acres (93 ha.) bounded by public roads. But extensive developments during the twentieth century, in particular the University of Swansea Campus (401391), Singleton Hospital (423209) and Bishop Gore School, have greatly reduced its extent. As a result, the park now forms several separate, or semi-detached, areas. Gentle undulations of the ground within the park indicates that earth-moving and levelling must have been undertaken to eliminate uneven ground, ditches, field hedges and banks (some banks are still visible) and other obstructions.

Singleton Abbey is located at the east end of the university campus. The main area of the park lies to the north and east of the house and comprises open, rolling grassland planted with trees. The central core is open, with isolated ornamental trees and a few clumps, mostly deciduous. Around the fringes are more extensive belts of woodland, particularly along the east side where there was an arboretum. This side of the park is bounded by a well-preserved boundary wall. The main ornamental building is the Swiss Cottage (578), designed by Robinson, which lies close to the main north-south walk, close to the kitchen/botanic garden. Below it is a circular pond, stone-edged and surrounded by deciduous trees. At the far north end of the park is St Paul’s Church (173), once private but now a parish church, built in 1850 by Henry Woodyer for the Vivian family in memory of Henry Hussey Vivian’s first wife (died 1848).

The west side of the central park area is flanked by a belt of mixed trees and a low stony bank, formerly the boundary between the parks of Singleton Abbey and Sketty Hall. Beyond the boundary, north of the hospital, are areas of open grassland, shrubberies, and belts of trees which include ancient oaks. In a clump of trees are the remains of an ice-house (405532). The public park also includes Singleton Farm (farmhouse: 19964), one of the original estate farms, turned into a model farm by John Henry Vivian.
To the south of the hospital, in the south-west corner of the park, is a tree-fringed boating lake with two islands (formerly three) planted with mixed trees. Its boathouse has now gone. There are also tree-planted lawns, visitor facilities and a playground. The lawned area extends eastwards into the university campus.

There are several formal park entrances with lodges: the north entrance, towards the eastern end of the north boundary, with North Lodge on its west side (306534), opening on to the main north-south walk; a second lodge, further to the west on the north boundary (now detached from the park); the west entrance with a drive, or walk, to the model farm and beyond and, nearby, a lodge designed by Robinson, the south-west entrance and lodge at Ty Harry, in the south-west corner of the park, also by Robinson (306532); and in the south-east corner is a grand archway entrance with Brynmill Lodge, designed by Woodyer (306528).
On the north side of the house is a garden and shrubbery with a network of paths that is now part of the park (see 28736).

Also in the park are the former kitchen garden (700374), the Botanic Garden (700375), and the gardens around Sketty Hall (700376).

Sources:
Cadw 2000: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Glamorgan, 188-99 (ref: PGW(Gm)56(SWA)).
Additional notes: D.K.Leighton.

RCAHMW, 16 July 2022