Clyne Castle, which has been home to thousands of alumni over the years, is to be converted into luxury flats.

Developers have been given the go-ahead to convert the listed building into one and two-bedroom apartments.

Clyne Castle, which was originally built by Carmarthenshire landowner Richard Phillips in 1791, had been used as a halls of residence at Swansea since the university bought it in the 1950s. Further residential blocks were added in the 1950s and 1960s.

The university decided to sell the Grade II Listed building last year and replace it with more modern accommodation on the campus itself.

In 1860, the castle was bought by William Graham Vivian, the second son of John Henry Vivian who lived at Singleton Abbey. It remained in the family until 1952.

During their ownership, the Vivian family extensively remodelled the mansion in the Gothic Revival style.

Both Queen Victoria and Edward VII stayed at Clyne on many occasions. In the 1920s Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin dropped in. During the 1930s, future wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited, as did the future King Edward VIII when he was still Prince of Wales.

Strict conditions

Members of Swansea Council's Development Control Committee visited the site after several local residents had opposed the application. They had objected on the grounds that the road leading to the property was too narrow to handle the extra traffic that would be generated.

The council's planning department said that strict conditions would be imposed on developers Regalian Clyne Limited to ensure that both the look and setting of the castle were protected.

A report to councillors said: 'It is considered that the proposal would respect and be sympathetic to the character of the site.'

The castle will be converted into 17 apartments and the coach house in the grounds will be converted into three town houses.

The developers have also been granted permission to demolish the refectory and outbuildings in order to replace them with 14 two to five-storey homes.

The proposals were unanimously approved by the councillors.