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 number of extensions, modifications and changes of use to its present-day role.
The original building was constructed in the 1720s by Rawleigh Dawkin (later Rawleigh Mansel), son of the squire of Kilvrough in Gower, and on his death passed to his brother Mansel Dawkin (later Mansel Mansel). It was improved in 1780 by the addition of the bay windows and then Swansea architect, William Jernegan, later added the western part of the frontage for Ralph Sheldon, MP.
In the 1820s the house was remodelled by Charles Baring of the London merchant banking family. He added an extra floor to Rawleigh Dawkin's house and a parapet running the whole length of the south front. In 1831 the house was bought for £3,800 by Lewis Weston Dillwyn, owner of the Cambrian Pottery in Swansea. [1] He commissioned the architect Edward Haycock Snr in the early 1830s to build the present entrance hall and adjacent large room on the north side of the house. In 1881 Frank Ash Yeo, Chairman of the Swansea Harbour Trust, added the dining room to the east of Dillwyn's entrance hall. Glynn Vivian, an art lover from the Vivian family who gave the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery to Swansea, bought the Hall in 1898 as his home. He added the balconies and masks of Italian marble, laid out the ornamental gardens and installed the belvedere or gazebo tower on the roof.
During the Second World War, the house was requisitioned to serve as an ARP area headquarters. Later it was used by the British Iron and Steel Research Association as a major research centre for the steel industry. The hall was completely renovated in 1993. In 2022, the gardens and grounds, which are incorporated into Singleton Park were listed at Grade I on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. [2]
Penrice Castle is a 13th-century castle near Penrice, Swansea on the Gower Peninsula, Wales. Nearby is a neo-classical mansion house built in the 1770s. The mansion is a Grade I listed building and the surrounding gardens and park is also listed at Grade I on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
Margam Country Park is a country park estate in Wales, of around 850 acres (3.4 km²). It is situated in Margam, about 2 miles (3 km) from Port Talbot in south Wales. It was once owned by the Mansel Talbot family and is now owned and administered by the local council, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council. Situated within the park are three notable buildings: Margam Abbey, a Cistercian monastery; Margam Castle, a neo-Gothic country house that was once the seat of the Mansel Talbot family; and the 18th-century Orangery. The park is designated Grade I on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
Brynmill is a suburb of the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. It lies about two miles (3 km) to the west of Swansea city centre. It is a residential area forming the southern part of the Uplands electoral ward. As it is close to Swansea University, many students choose to rent rooms here during term time. Aside from the student population, this is a fairly middle-class area.
Sketty is the name of an electoral ward in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The electoral ward is coterminous with the community.
Blackpill is a suburban area of Swansea, Wales, beside Swansea Bay, about 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of the city centre.
Singleton Park is the largest urban park in the city of Swansea. It is located in Sketty and is listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
Singleton Abbey is a large, mainly 19th-century mansion in Swansea, Wales. Today, the buildings are used to house administration offices for Swansea University. They can be found at the eastern end of the Swansea University Singleton Park campus.
Richard Glynn Vivian was a British art collector and philanthropist from the Vivian family, and the founder of the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea.
The suburban district of Sketty is about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the Swansea city centre on Gower Road. It falls within the Sketty council ward of Swansea. It is also a community.
Penllergare is a country park in Wales. It was the estate of John Dillwyn Llewelyn adjacent to what is now the village of Penllergaer, Swansea. Although the names are similar, the village of Penllergaer grew up as a separate entity from the Penllergare estate. The park is listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
Clyne Gardens is a botanical garden located in Swansea, Wales, UK. The current park was formed from the landscaped gardens created by Glynn Vivian of the Vivian family who purchased Clyne Castle in 1860. The estate passed to his nephew Algernon, 'The Admiral' in 1921 who owned it until his death in 1952. Clyne Gardens is bordered by Mumbles road and Mayals road in Blackpill and Mayals areas of Swansea with entrances off both these roads. The gardens are listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
The A4216 is a main road in Swansea, Wales.
Paxton's Tower is a Neo-Gothic folly erected in honour of Lord Nelson. It is situated on the top of a hill near Llanarthney in the River Tywi valley in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is a visitor attraction that can be combined with a visit to the nearby National Botanic Garden of Wales. Its high location provides views over the Botanic Gardens and the Tywi valley. The tower, a grade II* listed building, is under the care of the National Trust. The surrounding parkland is registered at Grade II* on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
This page is a list of High Sheriffs of Glamorgan. Sheriffs of Glamorgan served under and were answerable to the independent Lords of Glamorgan until that lordship was merged into the crown. This is in contrast to sheriffs of the English shires who were from the earliest times officers of the crown. Sheriffs in the modern sense, appointed and answerable to the crown, were instituted in the county of Glamorgan in 1541.
Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn was a Welsh industrialist and Liberal politician who served as MP for Swansea for 37 years.
In the United Kingdom, the term listed building refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical, or cultural significance; Grade II* structures are those considered to be "particularly important buildings of more than special interest". Listing was begun by a provision in the Town and Country Planning Act 1947. Once listed, strict limitations are imposed on the modifications allowed to a building's structure or fittings. In Wales, the authority for listing under the Planning Act 1990 rests with Cadw.
Kilvrough Manor is a large country house near Swansea. It is a Grade II* listed building. Its park is listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
Vivian is the name of a British noble family of Cornish extraction that rose to wealth in various regions of the British Isles. Over time, several members of the Vivian family were made knights, baronets and peers. Hereditary titles held by the family include the Vivian barony as well as the Swansea barony. Several other members of the family have also risen to prominence.
The City and County of Swansea is a principal area in south Wales. It covers an area of 380 km2 (150 sq mi) and in 2021 the population was approximately 237,800.