The National Botanic Garden of Wales has many lakes, pools, ponds and water features. This is a spectacular indoor/outdoor water feature in the entrance foyer of the gardens. It must be 12 feet from top to bottom, and as well as looking very attractive, it lets light into the building.
A little way into the garden is the first of the lakes - there were either 7 or 13 originally, but they were filled in during the second world war, as German bomber planes were using them as navigational aids during bombing raids on nearby Swansea. The Garden has restored the first 3 lakes, and hopes to restore the remainder in due course. There is landscaped terracing with seating so that people can sit in a sheltered area to enjoy looking at the lake and the life within and upon it.
Somebody got a bit enthusiastic with their gesturing - this bracelet is on the lake bed, about 6 feet from the shore!
The main path through the garden leads from the entrance to the education centre, cafe, gallery, theatre and exhibitions. It is slightly sloping, and has a pebble lined rill snaking from the top of the hill where the buildings are to a pool with fountains near the entrance, a distance of around a quarter of a mile. The rill starts from a small pool at the top of the hill...
... runs past the education centre...
...on down the hill...
...where the water disappears underground....
... and bubbles up from another hole...
... before running down to the fountain...
There are several other formal water features in various locations around the garden - in the double walled garden, in the great glasshouse, along the main pathway, and this one near the cafe.
The garden also has sculptures, and art on the gallery, but more of that in the next post.
A little way into the garden is the first of the lakes - there were either 7 or 13 originally, but they were filled in during the second world war, as German bomber planes were using them as navigational aids during bombing raids on nearby Swansea. The Garden has restored the first 3 lakes, and hopes to restore the remainder in due course. There is landscaped terracing with seating so that people can sit in a sheltered area to enjoy looking at the lake and the life within and upon it.
Somebody got a bit enthusiastic with their gesturing - this bracelet is on the lake bed, about 6 feet from the shore!
The main path through the garden leads from the entrance to the education centre, cafe, gallery, theatre and exhibitions. It is slightly sloping, and has a pebble lined rill snaking from the top of the hill where the buildings are to a pool with fountains near the entrance, a distance of around a quarter of a mile. The rill starts from a small pool at the top of the hill...
... runs past the education centre...
...on down the hill...
...where the water disappears underground....
... and bubbles up from another hole...
... before running down to the fountain...
There are several other formal water features in various locations around the garden - in the double walled garden, in the great glasshouse, along the main pathway, and this one near the cafe.
The garden also has sculptures, and art on the gallery, but more of that in the next post.
1 comment:
Beautiful water features, love the rill ... we have one here in a suburb I visit regularly, it is set amongst a garden of native grasses and plants and the water sounds so lovely as it flows from the top over the stones continuously, the pump for the water is solar powered. ♡
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