Friends of Cwmdonkin Park

24/10/2026

Only a week to go..... Cwmdonkin Park is getting ready for Halloween! Don't forget it's on Sunday 1st November now.

16/10/2026

We've busy planning how to decorate the park for the pumpkin hunt!!! Please note new date.

12/10/2026

We've decided to change the date of out Halloween event to Sunday 1st November so that it doesn't clash with the big event in the city. Even more opportunities to wear your fancy dress!

08/10/2026

Start getting your fancy dress out and your instruments to ward off the evil spirits. We will parade around the park making some noise! Tins cans, plastic bottles, drums, whistles, ho***rs..... if you have nothing come early (2.30) and we will help you make something!

19/09/2026

Save the date... a Halloween afternoon in Cwmdonkin Park!

15/09/2026

The artist behind Swansea's Leaf Boat sculpture has been reunited with her work, after it was unveiled in its new home at Cwmdonkin Park 🍃

🎨 Sculptor Amber Hiscott visited the Uplands park to see the piece in place for the first time since it moved from Castle Square, where it had stood for almost 30 years. The stained glass and stainless-steel artwork now sits within a refurbished pond area near Park Drive.

💬 Amber said: "The shining Leaf Boat sails on. It is lovely to see the sculpture once again, freshly cleaned, and now in the park where Dylan roamed as a child."

She explained the original inspiration behind the piece: "My initial idea for the artwork came from three lines of his poetry: 'We sail a boat upon the path, and paddle with leaves, down an ecstatic line of light'. I envisioned him playing as a kid, making a boat out of a leaf, setting it on water, and imagining it floating out to sea."

She added: "After being the centrepiece at Castle Gardens and a talking point there for so many years, it is good to see the sculpture in its new home, ready to welcome future generations to Cwmdonkin Park."

🔧 One of the original glass panels is currently missing, with a temporary piece standing in while the council works with Amber on a permanent replacement. "I loved working on the sculpture all those years ago and I'm pleased to have the opportunity to create the missing piece some thirty years on, so the artwork can be fully restored for a new generation of park visitors to enjoy," she said.

💰 The move, including funding for the new panel, was made possible through the UK Government's Shared Prosperity Fund, following lengthy discussions between the artist, council officers and other stakeholders about the sculpture's future.

📖 The park itself holds real significance for Dylan Thomas, who grew up nearby and drew on it in his writing - making it a fitting new setting for a piece shaped by his poetry. It's also seen other recent investment, including new interpretation boards telling his story and refurbished tennis courts near the café.

💬 Cllr Elliot King, Cabinet Member for Culture, Human Rights and Equalities, said: "The Leaf Boat was a well-loved feature of Castle Square and a familiar landmark for generations of residents and visitors." He added: "It's wonderful to see Amber reunited with her work and to see the sculpture beginning a new chapter in Cwmdonkin Park. In many ways it feels like a homecoming."

💧 As part of the project, the park's pond, previously found to have a leak, has also been repaired, refreshed and refilled.

Source: Swansea Council

31/08/2026

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/one-thing-blew-away-swansea-34480114?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook =1788174582

The park with close ties to Dylan Thomas has completely changed recently and the locals love it and say it's the place to be

29/08/2026

🍃 Have you spotted it?

The Leaf Boat sculpture is starting to take shape in its new home at Cwmdonkin Park.

Inspired by the poetry of Dylan Thomas, the much-loved artwork is being carefully installed beside the park's pond, bringing it even closer to the writer who knew and loved the park as a child.

👀 It's still a work in progress, but we wanted to give you a first look as it begins to emerge.

We'll share more updates as installation continues!

💬 Cllr Elliott King, Swansea Council's Cabinet Member for Culture, Human Rights and Equalities, said: "In a way it's a homecoming because it was inspired by Dylan's work and now it's in the park that he knew and loved."

💬 He added: "We're delighted that it'll be in a highly visible location, in an attractive setting for residents and visitors to enjoy."