Photography by John Ball - 11.00am 3rd February 1998(with Agfa ePhoto307 digital camera)

Craig-y-nos Castle was the home of the famous operatic soprano Dame Adelina Patti.

Image 1:

Craig-y-Nos ("Rock of the Night") Castle was built in the early 19th century and was bought by Adelina Patti (Image 2) in 1879. Madame Patti (1843-1919) received many distinguished visitors at the castle, including the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VII. She had her own luxurious waiting room built at the nearby Penwyllt railway station. You'll find a brief biography of Adelina Patti, and a link to a short sound recording of her voice, on the BBC Wales website.

The Castle overlooks over 40 acres of ornamental grounds (Image 3), part of which now forms the Craig-y-Nos Country Park. The River Tawe (Image 4 foreground) enhancesthe idyllic setting of the castle.

Image 5:

The pavilion in the grounds of Craig-y-Nos Castle.

Image 6:

River Tawe, passing through the castle grounds.After Madame Patti's death in 1919, the castle became an isolation hospital, thena hospital for the elderly. It is now (in 1998) a restaurant and function centre(see http://www.craigynoscastle.co.uk/).