Clyne Gardens is a

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

located in

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, UK. The current park was formed from the landscaped gardens created by Glynn Vivian of the

Vivian family Vivian may refer to: *Vivian (name), a given name and also a surname Toponyms * Vivian, Louisiana, U.S. * Vivian, South Dakota, U.S. * Vivian, West Virginia, U.S. * Vivian Island, Nunavut, Canada * Ballantrae, Ontario, a hamlet in Stouffville, ...

who purchased

Clyne Castle Clyne Castle is a Grade II*-listed building situated on a hill overlooking Swansea Bay, adjacent to the Clyne valley, near Blackpill, Swansea. Originally built in 1791 by a wealthy landowner it passed into the hands of the Vivian family and saw m ...

in 1860. The estate passed to his nephew Algernon, 'The Admiral' in 1921 who owned it until his death in 1952. He had the greatest influence on the gardens as we see them today. Clyne Gardens is bordered by Mumbles road and Mayals road in

Blackpill Blackpill (or Black Pill) is a suburban area of Swansea, Wales, beside Swansea Bay, about southwest of the city centre. Description Blackpill falls into the Mayals ward. The area is centred on a seafront building on Mumbles road, which onc ...

and

Mayals Mayals is an electoral ward and suburb of Swansea, Wales. It is located about 6 kilometers west of Swansea City Centre. Mayals is considered a part of the larger district of Mumbles, along with the nine other settlements within the community co ...

areas of Swansea with entrances off both these roads.

Attractions

The gardens consist of 19

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is a ...

s of land and include over 2,000 different plants including over 800

rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

s for which the gardens are renowned. Clyne holds National Collections of Pieris, Enkianthus and Rhododendrons. Due to the cool, wet and temperate local climate many plants thrive here not normally considered hardy for its latitude. The gardens have extensive bog gardens, home to giant Elephant Rhubarb

Gunnera manicata ''Gunnera manicata'', known as Brazilian giant-rhubarb or giant rhubarb, is a species of flowering plant in the family Gunneraceae from the coastal Serra do Mar Mountains of Santa Catarina, Parana and Rio Grande do Sul States, Brazil. It is a ...

and American skunk cabbage. The gazebo to the right of the castle was built by the Admiral to view the incoming ships as they entered Swansea Bay. The gazebo surrounded by a stand of Monterey Pine 'Pinus radiata'. These trees have retained their lower branches which filter the prevailing winds and give greater cover (protection) to the area. A Japanese garden at the top of the gardens holds a red and white painted bridge, many bamboo and an artificial lake with waterfall passing underneath the bridge. The water which rises in Clyne Common, travels under the Japanese Bridge and through the Gardens to join the sea at Blackpill. Alongside the Bridge is a fine specimen of the Handkerchief Tree 'Davidia Involucrata var. vilmoriniana'. The park is scattered with small dogs graves to commemorate the Admiral's family pets. Joy Cottage at the seafront entrance was built as a miniature cottage for the relaxation and education of the Admiral's daughters by nannies employed to teach reading, writing and cookery. Clyne Chapel built by William Graham Vivian, was opened for worship in 1908. Beneath it, in a private vault, Graham Vivian, his sister Dulcie and the Admiral are buried.

Notable trees

The tallest recorded

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

' Magnolia campbellii var. alba' can be found here. The

Oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

woodland is a remnant of Clyne

Forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

, an important

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

11th century historical land feature. Glynn Vivian planted three notable trees still alive in front of the castle - one Wellingtonia '

Sequoiadendron giganteum ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'' (giant sequoia; also known as giant redwood, Sierra redwood, Sierran redwood, California big tree, Wellingtonia or simply big treea nickname also used by John Muir) is the sole living species in the genus ''Sequoiade ...

' and two Monterey Cypress '

Cupressus macrocarpa ''Hesperocyparis macrocarpa'' is a coniferous tree. It is commonly known as the Monterey cypress and is one of several species of cypress trees endemic to California. The Monterey cypress is found naturally only on the Central Coast of Califor ...

', one a fastigiate form which is also one of the tallest recorded in Britain.

External links

Clyne Gardens (owners` site)

BBC: Clyne Gardens

The garden Landscape Guide: Clyne Gardens

Visit Wales: Clyne Gardens

www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Clyne Gardens
{{coord, 51.5959, -4.0032, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Botanical gardens in Wales Gardens in Wales Tourist attractions in Swansea Parks in Swansea Swansea Bay Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales

Attractions

Notable trees

See also

External links