6 Swansea Walks With Something Worth Finding

Good morning, Swansea!

It's been raining sideways in Swansea for what feels like a fortnight, but as the fellwalker Alfred Wainwright once famously put it, there's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing - and never a truer word was spoken in these parts.

So layer up, get the blood pumping, and enjoy a well-earned cuppa waiting at the other end of six local walks with something worth finding along the way - including a pet cemetery, a 230-year-old aqueduct, and a glasshouse full of exotic plants.

I’ll catch you on Sunday!

Andrew

Once part of the Clyne Castle estate, Clyne Gardens is one of Swansea's best-known green spaces, but there are still odd little corners that many visitors miss. One of the best is the small Victorian pet cemetery near the top entrance on St Catwg Walk, tucked away among the trees with old headstones marking dogs that belonged to the Vivian family, who bought the Clyne estate in 1860 and owned it until Admiral Algernon Vivian's death in 1952.

Autumn is a particularly good time to wander the wooded paths, with plenty of colour around the gardens. Afterwards, stop at The Touring Tea Room for coffee and cake, with the new Friends of Clyne Gardens wooden shelter nearby if the Swansea weather takes a turn.

Penllergare might look wild today, but much of the landscape was deliberately shaped in the 19th century by John Dillwyn Llewelyn, a pioneering photographer, astronomer and horticulturist who lived on the estate.

Follow the woodland paths to the waterfall and lakes - the two-mile JDL Walk is a handy way to take in many of the highlights, including Llewelyn Bridge, before looping back through the woods. Finish at the visitor centre coffee shop for a hot drink - and before you leave, seek out the restored observatory in Mansion Gardens (up the road from the main car park) where Llewelyn once studied the night sky.

Penllergare Valley Woods also runs regular events - a Wednesday Wildlife Walk with their conservation officer is on today at 10:30am, so you'll need to be quick.

Singleton Park was once part of the sprawling Vivian family estate before Swansea Corporation bought it for use as a public park. Head through the autumn trees towards Swansea Botanical Gardens, which opened as the Educational Gardens in 1926 and still has its original 40-metre double herbaceous border.

There's plenty more packed inside, from rare and exotic plants to the rock, herb and wildflower gardens. Look out for the wood carvings dotted around the gardens, including animals and their young and a Green Man carved into an old beech tree. Then duck into the glasshouses to explore the tropical plants - and escape the rain if necessary.

If your visit lines up with it, the Friends of Singleton Park are running an Art in the Park watercolour session with Mary Hayman at Tŷ Blodau on September 25th.

Opened in the late 18th century, the Swansea Canal once stretched for around 16 miles and helped carry coal, iron and other goods from the Swansea Valley towards the docks.

Start around Coed Gwilym Park and follow the towpath through Clydach, looking out for old locks, bridges, and a horse statue made out of horse shoes along the way. The standout is the Grade II-listed Lower Clydach Aqueduct, built in 1794-95 to carry the canal over the river below. As a guide, you also follow the Swansea Canal Heritage Trail and, when it's open, pop into the volunteer-run Clydach Heritage Centre beside the canal or hire a kayak for a paddle!

There's much more to Swansea Marina than boats if you know what to look for. Starting at any point around and walking a perimeter that includes the Sail Bridge over the River Tawe, hunt down Baron Spolasco, Swansea's notorious Victorian quack doctor immortalised in sculpture, find Captain Cat and the Mannheim Tower miniature, then keep your eyes on the ground along the Riverside Walkway, where 113 names of real ships registered in Swansea since 1824 are engraved into the paving slabs.

Make your way towards the beach and the unmistakable old Marina Towers Observatory, now a café packed with quirky décor where you can even eat brunch at a table with old aeroplane seats.

Start at Oystermouth Castle, then head behind it and wander through Castle Woods before taking Glen Road up towards Oystermouth Cemetery.

The surrounding landscape also hides a much more industrial past. Nearby Peel Wood was once Callencroft limestone quarry, which closed in the late 19th century, and a large old lime kiln still survives among the trees. Limestone quarrying and lime burning were once major industries around Oystermouth, long before Mumbles became better known for cafés and ice cream. Loop back down the hill into the village, stopping at All Saints Church, where the churchyard holds the grave of Thomas Bowdler, whose cleaned-up editions of Shakespeare gave the English language the word "bowdlerise" - then finish with lunch or a drink.

Pick a walk, find your favourite oddity, and treat yourself to that cuppa afterwards - and let me know if you enjoyed this one and would like more like it!

Catch you on Sunday,

Andrew.