Summerland House and The Dingle
a Secret Garden in Caswell
edited by John & Carol Powell M.A.
This is the story of a lost house, those who lived in its environs and the on-going work by Paul and Linda Griffiths to restore The Dingle, its rediscovered garden, so that it will once again return to its former splendour.
Summerland House with The Dingle Secret Garden below
Summerland House at the top of the hill in this 1930s photo, was built around the turn of the twentieth century and together with its estate was owned by Miss Catherine Davies.
Her large garden was kept in immaculate condition by Sidney Roland McKay who first came to work for her when he was12 years old, travelling on foot or by cycle from his home in Thistleboon, as did his brother, Brinley who also worked in the garden as well as taking care of Miss Davies's four ponies.
The cottage in the garden was built for the Gardener
When Sidney married Doreen, they lived in the house situated in the Garden or Dingle as it was known, below Summerland House. They went on to have three children, Valerie, Roland who was born in the Dingle in 1944 and Michael later.
Summerland House, overlooking Caswell Bay, during the 1930s
The elderly lady, lower left in the photo album above, was probably Miss Catherine Davies of Summerland House
Brinley remembered Miss Davies as an intellectual and kind lady, who often purchased pegs and flowers from a gypsy family by the name of Hearn and on at least one occasion, entertained them to tea and cakes up at the house.
The Dingle garden
Betty Sivertsen remembers that 'as children we adored the garden and thought it enchanted — we thought there were fairies there. If we went as far as the Black Rock, we could creep through the railings and wander around with magic dreams until we were caught’.
When war broke out, Miss Davies went to stay in her other residence, Glan y Mawddach in North Wales, a fine Regency property where the brothers once visited as her guests. Then, Sydney continued to work for her there and Brinley went off to serve on minesweepers and was based at Lowestoft. While on leave, he would write to Miss Davies and she always thanked him for the letters, which kept her in touch with the welfare of Summerland House and her ponies.
Percy Davidson, who was living in the gardener's cottage, was the Air Raid Precaution Warden at Summerland when, on 25 September 1940, nine hundred men of the 9th Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment arrived. It is thought that the Officers' Mess was at Summerland House while the other ranks lived around the area. Several weeks later on 11 February 1941, they left Newton, marching down through Mumbles with their band playing 'Sussex by the Sea,' on their way to serve in North Africa.
From around 1943 to 1946, Summerland House, was used as an 'Officers Mess' by the American Army.
Valerie remembers her father telling her how solders threw rations over the wall to her family and of a visit by Rocky Marciano to Summerland House.
Barbara Brimfield remembers when the Yanks arrived and were housed in tents in Caswell Valley.
Betty Sivertsen recalled the war years when 'the American soldiers lived and trained in the area and the American flag flew from the top of the cliff overlooking Caswell Bay. Caswell Valley was full of amphibious jeeps and tanks, which they were preparing for D-Day. The GIs also used Saint Peter's Church Hall as a mess and kitchen'.
It was around this time that the upkeep of the garden seems to have been abandoned.
After the war the Duke of Beaufort bought the estate and turned Summerland House into four flats. Colonel Hobbs manager of the Beaufort Estate lived in one flat, while Mr Burkinshaw, Mrs Du Plant, and the McKay family lived in the others.
As children we adored the garden and thought it enchanted
Gerald Gabb was brought up in Caswell Avenue and was allowed as a child to play pretty freely over all that area. He remembers that you could turn off Caswell Hill, along the little road past Summerland House, - it was odd that its garden was across the road and much lower down and then the path between brick walls took you across to Mrs Twomey's riding school and Summerland lane took you to the top of the Avenue - though, in the earliest days that was through a locked gate, to which locals had a key.
The path between brick walls took you across to Mrs Twomey's riding school
The other way was to take a path on to Summerland Cliff, a little lower down the hill, to what was known as Black Rock. Near there, amid the trees was the garden wall of The Dingle - in one place was a gap, but, anyway, if 'bunked up' you could climb it. He remembers the overgrown tennis court and a substantial summer house - plus lots of bamboos.
He also recalls Mr. Hobbs, of Rooke & Hobbs, who were also estate agents. At one time, their offices were in The Elms, on the site of today's Dairy car-park.
Years later, Mr George Shellard became manager of the Estate and he and his family resided in Summerland House. In approximately 1995, Summerland house was demolished and three Executive houses and a Bungalow were built on the land.
By this time, the garden (The Dingle) and the house had lain derelict for many years. Over time, what was a yew hedge had turned into yew trees about thirty feet high, which were leaning at very strange angles to try and get light. Self-seeding trees had grown in what had been the lawn and brambles, ivy and over-zealous laurel had drawn a green veil over the garden. The Dingle was now totally overgrown with boundary walls demolished due to the collapse of several trees in Bishop's Wood. It had now become an extremely dangerous environment for its owners and trespassers alike.
GARDEN RESTORATION 2006
In 2006 Paul & Linda Griffiths purchased Mrs Shellard's bungalow, the road and The Dingle. After years of neglect, the garden was rediscovered and a vision was born to restore it to something like its former glory. To this end, they have been renovating the garden using old photographs as a template.
The ruins of the gardener's house, plus several paths and walls were uncovered.
AUTUMN / WINTER 2006-7
Following a consultation with Martin Appleby from the Council, Paul with help from Chris, a neighbour, friends and family, began the process of removing self-seeded trees from the lawn, along with the yew trees, laurel, brambles and ivy. Some of the wood was recycled by local wood turners for furniture and bowls. The ruins of the gardener's house, plus several paths and walls were uncovered.
The banks from the road down to the garden were cleared of all fly-tipping, which must have filled over a hundred black bags of other people's rubbish. They continue to pick up small pieces of glass which still come to the surface in the garden. We found evidence of electric cables and water pipes leading to what people thought was only a Summer House.
SPRING/SUMMER 2007
The planting of perennials, shrubs and trees began as did the rebuilding of the boundary walls. A stump-grinding company was engaged to remove the yew stumps, so that the banks that encompassed the lawn could be retained.
AUTUMN/ WINTER 2007-8
Planting and rebuilding walls was continued. Contractors were engaged to prepare the old lawn area for grass seeding and then seed. The stone steps to the lawn were restored, stone bays for benches were built and hundreds of spring bulbs and other plants were introduced.
Paul and Linda's work is ongoing and their lost garden is gradually being returned to its former glory.
A look back
Acknowledgements
John & Carol Powell would like to thank Valerie McKay for her photographs and memories, Miriam McKay for her father, Brinley’s memories, taken from his autobiography, Barbara Brimfield, Betty Sivertsen and Gerald Gabb for their reminiscences and Paul and Linda Griffiths for allowing us to record their labour of love in bringing The Dingle back to life.
The Swansea Wartime Diary Of Laurie Latchford, 1940-41. Edited by Kate Elliott Jones and Wendy Cope, 2010.
1) Rocky Marciano had been a GI billeted on Mumbles Pier, sleeping on straw palliasse-matresses; he was a truckdriver in the area before D-day. He was also at Scurlage on the Gower and at the US Forces hospital at Morriston which is now Morriston hospital.
In March 1943 he was drafted into the Army for two years and helped to ferry supplies across to Normandy.
After the Second World War, Rocky Marciano, 1923 -1969, was an American professional boxer and the World Heavyweight Champion and returned to Mumbles several times.