Seaton Park

Seaton Park is a public park in the Old Aberdeen area of Aberdeen, Scotland. One of the city's biggest parks, it was bought by the city for use as a public park in 1947 from Major Malcolm Vivian Hay, a cryptographer during the First World War and a historian of Catholic and Jewish history.[1] It was formerly the grounds of Seaton House, which had been the Hay family home for centuries, but was gradually wound down as a family house due to inheritance tax, the contents were sold off in 1959 and the already dilapidated house burnt down in 1963.[2]

Seaton Park
TypePublic Park
LocationOld Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
Coordinates57°10′18″N 2°6′9″W
Area27 hectares (27,000 m²)
Created(bought by the city) 1947
Operated byAberdeen City Council
StatusOpen all year
Wallace Tower
Mr Therm, a preserved locomotive

The River Don passes through the edge of the park, and there are paths running along both sides of the river. There are well-maintained flower beds on the lawns that run down the centre of one of the park's main pathways, with flowers that are tended daily and planted annually. There is also a secluded set of walled gardens next to a small private housing mews called Seaton Stables. The park is low-lying and has a tendency to flood. In 2016, part of the park was turned into a wetland area to help manage the flooding while creating new wildlife habitats.[3]

The park is often used as a path for students of the University of Aberdeen to move between the university campus and the Hillhead Halls of Residence, which lie atop a hill overlooking the park on the side opposite from St. Machar's Cathedral. The path from the residence halls to the campus leads along the flowerbeds on the main walkway and past the Cathedral via the Chanonry Road. The University authorities advise students to be cautious during dark hours due to the lack of street lighting.[4]

Historic features

The park is home to Mr Therm, a locomotive manufactured by Andrew Barclay in 1947 that previously operated at the Aberdeen Gas Works. The locomotive has formed part of the children's playpark since 1974. During 2017, it was refurbished and repainted.[5][6]

Wallace Tower, situated at the southern edge of the park, is a 17-century building that was formerly located in the city centre but was dismantled and moved to Seaton Park in the 1960s to make room for an expansion of Marks & Spencer.[7]

References
  1. "Seaton Park". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  2. Scotland's Lost Houses by Ian Gow ISBN 1-84513-051-0
  3. McKay, Danny (27 July 2016). "Aberdeen park's wetlands project makes splash at opening". Evening Express. Aberdeen. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  4. Riordan, Conor (7 March 2016). "Campaign launched to improve safety at Aberdeen's Seaton park". Evening Express. Aberdeen. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  5. Hewitt, Sam (12 April 2017). "The return of Aberdeen's Mr Therm". The Railway Magazine. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  6. Hebditch, Jon (26 May 2016). "If you grew up in Aberdeen you definitely played on this train… It's now getting a £60,000 refurb". The Press & Journal. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  7. "The historic Aberdeen tower moved stone-by-stone by Marks and Spencer". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
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