Works are progressing well on the £12m Gnoll Estate Country Park project for Neath Port Talbot Council.
The works, which will take approximately a year to complete, are designed to enhance facilities within the park for regular visitors, bringing out the historic significance of the park and to attract visitors from further afield.
Funded by UK Government, the work at the park will see:
- The demolition of the current ageing visitor centre
- A new fully accessible two storey visitor centre encompassing a modern café with stunning south facing balcony views across the lake, event, meeting and conference facilities and a dedicated children’s soft play space.
- The introduction of an exciting new woodland adventure playground designed to be a destination attraction for children and families.
- Pond cottage restored and brought back into use.
- Consolidation and repair works to the Gnoll House ruins.
- Restoration work on the park’s spectacular and historic water Cascades.
- The installation of information and interpretation across the site detailing the history of the park and its cultural and historical importance to the area.
- Extensions to the recreation and walking routes area via a new bridge linking the park with the adjacent Brynau Farm, a wildlife haven of 57 hectares of Woodland Trust land that is perfectly placed on rolling hills next to Gnoll Estate Country Park.
- The transformational project will also involve landscaping, parking and other improvements.
While the work goes ahead, temporary catering facilities and temporary toilets are currently in place to welcome visitors. The popular Parkrun event held at the park on Saturdays is continuing, using an alternative route and a temporary path is in place to ensure walkers can continue to enjoy a circular route around the park’s picturesque lake.
The Pond cottage will undergo a significant upgrade, providing visitor accommodation which will have capacity for up to six people staying overnight enjoying stunning views over the park.
Mark Bowen, Managing Director at Andrew Scott Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be working on this major improvement programme at Neath’s historic Gnoll Estate Country Park. The enhanced visitor facilities and restored historic features will benefit the local community and economy and help to attract more visitors to the area. Andrew Scott Limited are totally committed to protecting Wales’s heritage for future generations.”
Cllr Cen Phillips, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing, said: “It’s exciting to see the progress taking place at Gnoll Country park. Upon completion, this beloved local gem will boast more modern and high-quality facilities for our residents, and visitors. The renovations will not only breathe new life into the park, but also highlight the historic significance, attracting visitors from near and far.”