Saturday, August 15, 2026
Yet another mock castle
Wikipedia, describes the Castle as a Grade II*-listed building situated on a hill overlooking Swansea Bay, adjacent to the Clyne valley, near Blackpill, Swansea.
They say it was originally built in 1791 by a wealthy landowner, passed into the hands of the Vivian family and saw many eminent guests, thought to include Queen Victoria, Winston Churchill and King Edward VIII. William Graham Vivian planted the landscaped gardens in the 1860s. It was acquired by Swansea University in the 1950s, for student accommodation:
The University built two accommodation blocks, and, later, a women's hall (Neuadd Martin), with exceptionally fine sea views, on the hill behind the castle. The two halls, which were linked by external steps, shared some functions.
The City of Swansea acquired the mature park of the Castle, now called Clyne Gardens (Gerddi Clun), which has views over the bay. The historic landscape area of Clyne Castle is a Registered Historic Park.
In 2003, the university decided to sell the halls and to build more accommodation on the main university campus instead. The current use of the refurbished castle is as a block of one- and two-bedroom apartments. The grounds are protected by wrought iron gates and residents have use of the lawned gardens.
The student accommodation blocks and the women's hall were demolished and were replaced in 2006 by new housing.
Labels: lochist
