Our Grounds - Swansea University
Source: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/life-on-campus/our-grounds
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:14
Our Grounds - Swansea University
Home
The University
Life on Campus
Our Grounds
Our Grounds
Related pages
Arts and Culture
Our Libraries
Where to eat on Campus
Sustainable travel
Our Grounds
Sport on Campus
Sustainability - Get involved
Wellbeing services
What's on in Swansea
The Great Hall
Estates and Campus Services
Security and Safezone
Virtual Tour
Our award-winning green spaces are here for everyone to enjoy
From historic architecture to blooming borders, our grounds celebrate Swansea’s rich heritage and natural wonder
Our campuses are home to diverse plants, pollinators and wildlife, offering beauty, biodiversity and breathing space for all
We're proud to fly the Green Flag at both our campuses
Swansea University’s campuses are rich in natural beauty and biodiversity.
Our historic Singleton Park Campus is nestled within one of Swansea’s most cherished green spaces, Singleton Park, offering open parkland, mature woodland, grassland, planted borders, and ponds - all supporting a diverse range of wildlife. Meanwhile, our Bay Campus sits right on the beach, next to the Crymlyn Burrows Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), giving staff, students, and visitors direct access to unique coastal habitats.
Award Winning Grounds
Both our Singleton Park and Bay campuses have been awarded
Green Flag
status, recognising the high standards of management, sustainability, and accessibility across our grounds. Our Singleton Park Campus also holds
Green Heritage Site accreditation
, celebrating its historical significance and well-managed landscape.
Historic Grounds
Swansea University’s foundation stone was laid on 19th July 1920 by King George V and the magnificent grounds of the Singleton Park Campus are steeped in history and heritage.
You can discover more about the site's history and heritage here.
With acres of grounds to explore at your leisure, including the
Crymlyn Burrows Site of Special Scientific Interest
at the Bay Campus and our
listed Botanical Garden at Singleton Park
, Swansea University offers an outstanding outdoor environment for our students, staff and the community to enjoy. Our grounds are open to everyone. Before you come and explore them, why not find out about some of the hidden gems we have nestling within our breathtaking grounds -
expand the headings below
.
Singleton Abbey
The Abbey’s Grade II listed terrace dates from the era of Sarah Vivian, John Henry Vivian’s wife (1830s). A talented gardener, much of her work is still in evidence today and continues to influence the restoration work conducted by the University.
One of the most noteworthy features of the Abbey terrace is the large magnolia tree. Through the decades, it was a student tradition that if the tree had begun to flower and you were not revising for your summer examinations, then you were in trouble.
The grounds surrounding the Abbey are intrinsically linked to the University's heritage, contributing to the biodiversity of the parkland in which they are set. This stunning open space offers views over the Abbey meadow and Swansea Bay itself and is open for the local community to visit and enjoy. The landscaping and planting is designed to be sympathetic to how the gardens would have been laid out in the Abbey's prime, while still encompassing a vibrant welcoming campus atmosphere.
The Botanical Garden
The plans for the listed Botanical Garden were first drawn up by pioneering British botanist and Dean of the Faculty of Science, Professor Florence Annie Mockeridge who retired in 1954 prior to the completion of the project. Dr Herbert ‘Bertie’ Street succeeded Professor Mockeridge, designing the final garden layout and overseeing its creation.
The garden today consists of a number of key features:
The Reptilliary:
So called as it was originally home to a small group of tortoises which lived on the island. It was also used in a breeding programme for adders which were eventually released onto the Gower Peninsula.
The Ornamental Pool:
The pool contains eels, sticklebacks and the occasional goldfish and is also home to invertebrates and dragonflies.
The Meadow:
The small meadow within the gardens is listed and mown just once a year, increasing the University’s biodiverse landscape.
Woodland walk:
University students have helped restore the woodland walk paths which were susceptible to flooding and now lead to the listed meadow. They also built a series of “bug hotels” and habitat piles along the route, using up-cycled materials.
The Bee Hives:
In January 2014, bee hives were introduced to the Botanical Gardens. There are currently six hives within the site which are owned and tended by University staff.
The landscape of the Botanical Garden's grounds has been exploited to take advantage of the incredible micro-climates created by the surrounding buildings and natural terrain, allowing tender, exotic and often rare plants to be grown. The garden is also used as a nursery to increase existing plant stock and add to existing collections, improving biodiversity and facilitating learning and wellbeing. Students utilise the garden as a living laboratory for projects such as the study of bees, bats, newts and amphibians.
Crymlyn Burrows Site of Special Scientific Interest
Our Bay Campus is located adjacent to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which we are responsible for maintaining.
Take some time out of your busy day to explore this rich, natural habitat. There are loads of ways you can get involved with our biodiversity initiatives at the site.
Find out more here
.
Sustainable Grounds Management
Our beautiful grounds are managed by a team of professionals committed to their development and preservation, so that our diverse University community can enjoy a unique environment to recharge and relax in between studies and work. The team is passionate about sustainable development and biodiversity, ensuring our environmental responsibilities are managed and impact on the environment is minimised.
Click on the button below to find out about how we protect our natural environment.
About Biodiversity on Campus
Home
The University
Life on Campus
Our Grounds
Our Grounds
Related pages
Arts and Culture
Our Libraries
Where to eat on Campus
Sustainable travel
Our Grounds
Sport on Campus
Sustainability - Get involved
Wellbeing services
What's on in Swansea
The Great Hall
Estates and Campus Services
Security and Safezone
Virtual Tour
Our award-winning green spaces are here for everyone to enjoy
From historic architecture to blooming borders, our grounds celebrate Swansea’s rich heritage and natural wonder
Our campuses are home to diverse plants, pollinators and wildlife, offering beauty, biodiversity and breathing space for all
We're proud to fly the Green Flag at both our campuses
Swansea University’s campuses are rich in natural beauty and biodiversity.
Our historic Singleton Park Campus is nestled within one of Swansea’s most cherished green spaces, Singleton Park, offering open parkland, mature woodland, grassland, planted borders, and ponds - all supporting a diverse range of wildlife. Meanwhile, our Bay Campus sits right on the beach, next to the Crymlyn Burrows Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), giving staff, students, and visitors direct access to unique coastal habitats.
Award Winning Grounds
Both our Singleton Park and Bay campuses have been awarded
Green Flag
status, recognising the high standards of management, sustainability, and accessibility across our grounds. Our Singleton Park Campus also holds
Green Heritage Site accreditation
, celebrating its historical significance and well-managed landscape.
Historic Grounds
Swansea University’s foundation stone was laid on 19th July 1920 by King George V and the magnificent grounds of the Singleton Park Campus are steeped in history and heritage.
You can discover more about the site's history and heritage here.
With acres of grounds to explore at your leisure, including the
Crymlyn Burrows Site of Special Scientific Interest
at the Bay Campus and our
listed Botanical Garden at Singleton Park
, Swansea University offers an outstanding outdoor environment for our students, staff and the community to enjoy. Our grounds are open to everyone. Before you come and explore them, why not find out about some of the hidden gems we have nestling within our breathtaking grounds -
expand the headings below
.
Singleton Abbey
The Abbey’s Grade II listed terrace dates from the era of Sarah Vivian, John Henry Vivian’s wife (1830s). A talented gardener, much of her work is still in evidence today and continues to influence the restoration work conducted by the University.
One of the most noteworthy features of the Abbey terrace is the large magnolia tree. Through the decades, it was a student tradition that if the tree had begun to flower and you were not revising for your summer examinations, then you were in trouble.
The grounds surrounding the Abbey are intrinsically linked to the University's heritage, contributing to the biodiversity of the parkland in which they are set. This stunning open space offers views over the Abbey meadow and Swansea Bay itself and is open for the local community to visit and enjoy. The landscaping and planting is designed to be sympathetic to how the gardens would have been laid out in the Abbey's prime, while still encompassing a vibrant welcoming campus atmosphere.
The Botanical Garden
The plans for the listed Botanical Garden were first drawn up by pioneering British botanist and Dean of the Faculty of Science, Professor Florence Annie Mockeridge who retired in 1954 prior to the completion of the project. Dr Herbert ‘Bertie’ Street succeeded Professor Mockeridge, designing the final garden layout and overseeing its creation.
The garden today consists of a number of key features:
The Reptilliary:
So called as it was originally home to a small group of tortoises which lived on the island. It was also used in a breeding programme for adders which were eventually released onto the Gower Peninsula.
The Ornamental Pool:
The pool contains eels, sticklebacks and the occasional goldfish and is also home to invertebrates and dragonflies.
The Meadow:
The small meadow within the gardens is listed and mown just once a year, increasing the University’s biodiverse landscape.
Woodland walk:
University students have helped restore the woodland walk paths which were susceptible to flooding and now lead to the listed meadow. They also built a series of “bug hotels” and habitat piles along the route, using up-cycled materials.
The Bee Hives:
In January 2014, bee hives were introduced to the Botanical Gardens. There are currently six hives within the site which are owned and tended by University staff.
The landscape of the Botanical Garden's grounds has been exploited to take advantage of the incredible micro-climates created by the surrounding buildings and natural terrain, allowing tender, exotic and often rare plants to be grown. The garden is also used as a nursery to increase existing plant stock and add to existing collections, improving biodiversity and facilitating learning and wellbeing. Students utilise the garden as a living laboratory for projects such as the study of bees, bats, newts and amphibians.
Crymlyn Burrows Site of Special Scientific Interest
Our Bay Campus is located adjacent to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which we are responsible for maintaining.
Take some time out of your busy day to explore this rich, natural habitat. There are loads of ways you can get involved with our biodiversity initiatives at the site.
Find out more here
.
Sustainable Grounds Management
Our beautiful grounds are managed by a team of professionals committed to their development and preservation, so that our diverse University community can enjoy a unique environment to recharge and relax in between studies and work. The team is passionate about sustainable development and biodiversity, ensuring our environmental responsibilities are managed and impact on the environment is minimised.
Click on the button below to find out about how we protect our natural environment.
About Biodiversity on Campus