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Thursday Doors – The Tower Of The Ecliptic

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Hugh W. Roberts

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Although we’ve lived in Swansea in South Wales for the last five years, it always amazes me when we take a walk off the beaten track and come across something you had no idea was there.

This is the door to ‘The Tower Of The Ecliptic’. 

Photo of a green door that has paint peeling off it and which has a porthole in it.
Door to The Tower Of The Ecliptic

And it’s on this building that you’ll find the door. Can you spot it and any other doors?

Photo of The Tower Of The Ecliptic in Swansea
The Tower Of The Ecliptic – Swansea

If you think of me standing in front of that door taking the photo, you’ll get an idea of how big this building is. How on earth have I managed to miss a big building like this in the city where I live?

What is The Tower Of The Ecliptic? 

It’s an observatory that houses the largest telescope in Wales. Designed by architect Robin Campbell in 1989, the building opened in 1993 for the local astronomical society.

Sadly, in 2010, the building was closed to the public due to a disagreement with the Swansea City Council regarding the building’s rental terms. The Swansea Astronomical Society now holds regular observing sessions at the University College of Swansea. I’ve no idea if they took the telescope with them. Do you think they did? 

For more information about The Tower Of Ecliptic, click here.

Linking to the weekly photography challenge ‘Thursday Doors,’ hosted by Dan Antion who blogs at No Facilities. Click here to join hundreds of other participants with your Thursday Doors.

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29 responses to “Thursday Doors – The Tower Of The Ecliptic”

  1. Thursday Doors – Door To Another Time, Another Place – Hugh's Views & News   avatar
    Thursday Doors – Door To Another Time, Another Place – Hugh's Views & News  

    […] for ‘Thursday Doors’, the ‘Open, Sesame!‘ door and the door to ‘The Tower Of The Ecliptic‘, the ‘Another Time, Another Place’ door is only a ten minute walk from […]

    Reply
  2. Did You Miss Any Of These? Monthly Round-Up – August 2021 – Hugh's Views & News   avatar
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    […] Thursday Doors: The Tower Of The Ecliptic […]

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  3. Thursday Doors – Open, Sesame! – Hugh's Views & News   avatar
    Thursday Doors – Open, Sesame! – Hugh's Views & News  

    […] Doors’ last week, the ‘Open, Sesame!’ door is only a short walk from ‘The Tower Of The Ecliptic‘ in Swansea, South […]

    Reply
  4. D. Wallace Peach avatar
    D. Wallace Peach

    I like that door, Hugh, and what an interesting building. I don’t know how you missed it. Lol. :-)

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Neither do I. Diana. I wonder what I’ll find in another 5 years time?

      Reply
  5. Jean Reinhardt avatar
    Jean Reinhardt

    That certainly is an unusual door, Hugh.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Thanks, Jean. I thought so too. I hope they give it a fresh lick of paint if the tower reopens.

      Reply
  6. JT Twissel avatar
    JT Twissel

    I sure hope they took the equipment! Great door.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      So do I. I’m rather worried it’s still in there.

      Reply
  7. Anne Fraser @theplatinumline.blog avatar
    Anne Fraser @theplatinumline.blog

    I love the door and the story

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Thank you.

      Reply
  8. TanGental avatar
    TanGental

    Penny pinching bureaucracy! Small minded pultroons! Grubby little bean counters! One day… it looks a marvel and so new! Missing its purpose is easy isn’t it?

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      It is, especially when you know it’s there but is all locked up. Maybe after the pandemic, they will open it up again. I hope so.

      Reply
  9. Janis @ RetirementallyChallenged.com avatar
    Janis @ RetirementallyChallenged.com

    That is a great door and wonderfully fanciful building! I love the patina. Are those masks on the end of the two leaning poles under the green dome?

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Thanks, Janis. Those masks are below the green dome but not exactly under the edge of the dome. They stick out more on an angle from the building.

      Reply
  10. Terri Webster Schrandt avatar
    Terri Webster Schrandt

    Definitely a really cool building and door, Hugh. How fun to stumble upon this finally. The name of it is the best though..ecliptic sounds so out-of-this-world, LOL!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      I’ll be honest and say I had to look up the word ‘ecliptic’, Terri. That’s my dyslexia for you. I don’t think I can even pronounce the word correctly. Anyway, I love what it means and how it has a connection to what’s inside the tower. I hope they open the doors again and allow the public in, maybe once the pandemic is over? I’d definitely love a look around and to have a look at the night sky through the telescope.

      Reply
  11. Paul avatar
    Paul

    It’s a weird design, even for an observatory. A great oddball door though. Shame it’s not used.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Hopefully, one day soon, it’ll get used again, Paul. I hope nobody has forgotten the entry numbers for the keypad lock to open the door.

      Reply
  12. Cathy avatar
    Cathy

    What a shame a disagreement resulted in the observatory being shut down. I hope it does get re-opened. I’ve always wanted to visit one.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Me too, Cathy. I used to have a telescope (many years ago) but have no idea what happened to it. Looking at the stars is a very relaxing way to spend some time. I should do it more often. I hope Swansea council reopen this building to the public sometime. Maybe once the pandemic is under control, they plan to? My fingers are crossed.

      Reply
      1. Cathy avatar
        Cathy

        Let’s hope so, Hugh.

        Reply
  13. Alison avatar
    Alison

    Thats a shame it’s locked up, it’s piqued your interest even more. Unusual building

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      It sure does, Alison. And from the description of what the inside looks like (on the page I linked to in this post), it sounds beautiful inside. But 10 years on, and it’s still closed.

      Reply
  14. Liesbet @ Roaming About avatar
    Liesbet @ Roaming About

    I’m not sure I like the looks of the building itself – it appears very industrial to me – but that is one cool door! I assume you missed it, because the observatory is located outside of town, in an area you never visited?

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      It’s on the other side of the city to where we live, but when I was out walking the dogs locally along the seafront yesterday, I could see it in the distance across the bay, Liesbet. I had no idea that Swansea housed the biggest telescope in Wales. I hope I get a look through it one day, providing it’s still in that building, of course.

      Reply
  15. Dan Antion avatar
    Dan Antion

    I have a long history of missing the obvious, Hugh, so I feel for you on this one. At first I thought it was a grain silo, then (after you mentioned it) I saw the observatory window. It’s one of the more interesting doors we’ve had. Thanks for sharing it with us.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Thanks, Dan.

      When we first approached this building, we also thought it was a grain store, especially because it’s located on the seafront near the docks. But the various statues on the building didn’t make any sense as to why it was for storing grain. I thought it was a much older building, so I was shocked when I discovered it was only built in the early 1990s. I’d love to go inside and look around, but sadly it’s all locked up. Maybe, one day, the local council will open it up again to the public? I do hope so.

      Reply
      1. Dan Antion avatar
        Dan Antion

        I hope so, too.

        Reply

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