I recently saw a cache in my area that said it was placed "as there are no caches nearby", so I've decided to help my fellow Geocacher by adding some. This is the second of a series of eight caches (and a bonus - note the number on the log) that I will place to highlight some hidden gems in Sketty. With that...
Singleton Park: The Swiss Cottage
Ok, I'll concede that calling this a "hidden" gem is stretching it a bit, but I don't think a series of caches covering Sketty could be complete without a cache in the iconic, Grade I listed, Singleton Park. There are already some good caches in Singleton, so I encourage you to check them out. That said, there are a few iconic Swansea sights in the park that haven't got a cache associated - including my favourite quirky item in the park: The Swiss Cottage.
This is an iconic Swansea building, dating from 1826 & credited to architect Peter Frederick Robinson, who had lived in Switzerland and fallen in love with the building style. He was apparently a fashionable arichitect at the time & is also credited with Singleton Abbey, the formal gardens & various lodges in the park. It was used in the 1820's as a Dame School by Sarah Vivian. Over the years it has been a house, a cafe & a storage area. The cottage survived an arson attack in 2010, but since its restoration has gradually fallen into disrepair. The Council recently announced that a tenant had been found, so fingers crossed that this particular gem is soon to be restored. I particularly like the view from the cache.
To the south & west are the core of Singleton Park. Wide open spaces with clumps of oak, horse chestnut, lime & beech. Nearby is a pond in a natural hollow. If you're interested in the history, then there's more information on the Coflein website.
If you're here for a visit, then make sure to explore also the botanic gardens behind the Swiss Cottage - one of the entrances is next to the coffee van adjacent to the Swiss Cottage. The Gorsedd stones - originally created in 1925 & enlarged for the 1964 Eisteddfod - are also popular and just up the hill.
Singleton Park was purchased in 1919 by Swansea County Borough Council from Swansea's Vivian family for use as a park & botanic gardens. Originally it was 12 farms and their family estate, as evidenced by several remaining gatehouses. It was the Vivians who landscaped the park and began the collection of trees and shrubs in the nineteenth centure It is still a large urban park which borders the sea to the south, but considerable parts of the original have been repurposed over the years - such as the hospital & Bishop Gore school. It also used to include Swansea University's Singleton Campus, where the impressive Singleton Abbey was the Vivian family home. The Vivians still hold the titles "Baron Swansea" & "Baronet of Singleton".
Placed at request of Friends of Singleton Park, who volunteer in the area. They have recently worked to resore the nearby bog garden as well as control invasive Himalayan Balsam & litter pick.
Congratulations to StantheMan! on a blistering 29mins FTF