Singleton Park ( cy, Parc Singleton) is the largest urban

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. ...

in the city of

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the C ...

. It is located in Sketty. The park comprises 250 acres of land. An ornamental garden is located to the south, near the entrance to

Swansea University Swansea University ( cy, Prifysgol Abertawe) is a public university, public research university located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. It was chartered as University College of Swansea in 1920, as the fourth college of the University of Wales. ...

, and a walled

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 ...

is located in the centre of the park. On the south-western corner, past the hospital and the university, there is a

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, suc ...

lake with

pedalo A pedalo (British English) or paddle boat (U.S., Canadian, and Australian English) is a human-powered watercraft propelled by the action of pedals turning a paddle wheel. Description A pedalo is a human-powered watercraft propelled by the ...

s available, as well as a

Crazy Golf Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is played ...

course.

History

The park was originally part of the Vivian family estate, which was purchased by Swansea County Borough Council in 1919 for use as a public park. The park superintendent Daniel Bliss, who was trained at Kew Gardens was responsible for the conception of the Singleton Farm

botanical gardens 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 ...

and Ornamental Gardens. He was also the main driver behind the purchase of the Vivian estate. There is an iconic Swiss cottage located inside the park. This was designed by architect P.F. Robinson, who designed Sketty Hall as well as a number of other lodges in the park. The cottage was badly damaged in 2010 in an arson attack but has now been restored and there are plans to use the space as a cafe. The lakeside pub, ''Inn on the Lake'', became so well known as ''The Pub On the Pond'' that the owner later gave in and changed the name. The park has hosted many entertainment and cultural events such as Party in the Park and Proms in the Park which were regular events by local stations The Wave &

Swansea Sound Greatest Hits Radio South Wales (formerly Swansea Sound) is Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Bauer Radio as part of the Greatest Hits Radio network. The station broadcasts to Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, East Carmarthenshire an ...

and other music events held by the two stations and their partners are

Escape into the Park {{No footnotes, date=March 2009 Escape into the Park was a festival held in Singleton Park, Swansea, South Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to ...

and the former Stars in the Park. The BBC has hosted Proms on the Park and the Biggest Weekend. Artists who have held concerts in the park include

Jess Glynne Jessica Hannah Glynne (born 20 October 1989) is an English singer and songwriter. After signing with Atlantic Records, she rose to prominence in 2014 as a featured artist on the singles "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit and " My Love" by Route 94, bo ...

and the Stereophonics. The Friends of the City of Swansea Botanical Complex have commissioned the creation of a bi-lingual commemorative panel to celebrate the Centenary of Singleton Park being in public ownership. The panel will be displayed in the Botanical Gardens. This panel will be unveiled by descendants of the Vivian family on Sunday 4 August 2019.

Amenities

Located in the grounds of Singleton Park are: *

Bishop Gore School The Bishop Gore School ( cy, Ysgol Esgob Gore) is a secondary school in Swansea in Wales, founded on 14 September 1682 by Hugh Gore (1613–1691), Bishop of Waterford and Lismore. It is situated in Sketty, close to Singleton Park and Swans ...

main campus ** Singleton Abbey ** The

Taliesin Arts Centre Taliesin Arts Centre ( cy, Canolfan y Celfyddydau Taliesin) is owned and managed by Swansea University and is located on the university's Singleton campus in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. The Centre opened in 1984. Stephen Hawking gave the ina ...

(which houses a theatre and Ancient Egyptian museum) * Singleton Hospital *

Sketty Hall Sketty Hall is a venue used for hosting social functions, business functions and conferences in Singleton Park, Swansea, south Wales. The original building was built in the early 18th century as a private house. Over the years it has seen a num ...

* St. Paul's

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chri ...

with Vivian family graves * Headquarters of 44th Swansea Scout Groupbr>The_Botanical_Gardens_and_FCSBC_Plant_Sales_Shop_[Supporting_the_Botanical_Gardens

_See_also

*List_of_gardens_in_Wales.html" ;"title="upporting the Botanical Gardens">The Botanical Gardens and FCSBC Plant Sales Shop [Supporting the Botanical Gardens

Reference list

External links