The Victoria Gardens, in the town centre of

Neath Neath (; cy, Castell-nedd) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a po ...

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 ...

, is a Grade II registered park on the

Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales The Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales is a heritage register of significant historic parks and gardens in Wales. It is maintained by Cadw, the historic environment service of the Welsh Government. Th ...

. Neath Borough Council purchased two hectares of land in the centre of Neath in 1856 to provide an open space for the people of Neath. Called the Corporation Fields, various events were held there, including cricket and rugby matches and the annual Great September Fair until 1897, when it became a formal park to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The gardens were designed by a local man, Thomas Snow, and were officially opened on 22 June 1897, the date of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, by the then mayor of Neath, Arthur Russell Thomas, and officially re-opened as Victoria Gardens on 30 June 1898 by the mayor Abraham George. It has been described as "a quintessential Victorian urban public park", and has most of its original layout and features intact, including a Grade II listed bandstand and inclined flowers beds displaying

carpet bedding In horticulture, bedding is temporary planting of fast-growing plants into flower beds to create colourful displays, during spring, summer or winter. Plants used for bedding are generally annuals, biennials or Hardiness (plants), tender perennials; ...

designs. Other features include a bronze statue of

Howel Gwyn Howel Gwyn (24 June 1806 – 25 January 1888) of Dyffryn, Neath, was a British Conservative politician, who represented Penryn and Falmouth (1847–57) and Brecon (1866–68). Early life Gwyn was the son of William Gwyn and Mary Anne Roberts ...

Gorsedd stones Gorsedd Stones ( cy, Cerrig yr Orsedd) are groups of standing stones constructed for the National Eisteddfod of Wales. They form an integral part of the druidic Gorsedd ceremonies of the Eisteddfod. The stones can be found as commemorative stru ...

, a drinking fountain, and a Spanish Civil War memorial. During his teens, notable former Neath resident

Harry Parr-Davies Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

regularly visited the gardens to compose music.

References

{{Authority control Parks in Neath Port Talbot Registered historic parks and gardens in Neath Port Talbot Neath