Gorseinon
Encyclopedia
Gorseinon is a town in southwest Wales
, near the Loughor estuary. It was a small village
until the late 19th century when it grew around the coal mining
and tinplate industries. It is situated in the north west of Swansea
, around 6 miles (9.7 km) north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local government community
with its own elected town council
.
The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the ONS
defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, Loughor
, Garden Village
and Penllergaer
and has a population of 19,273.
. The name of Gorseynon was then created, later changed to Gorseinon.
Pontybrenin
Loughor
The Cross Keys
The Globe Inn
The Reverend James
Pontybrenin
Loughor
. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only non-conformist chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the English Methodist
s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894–1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.
Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.
St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the Salvation Army
in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.
map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.
The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, Pontlliw, Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from Gower
sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in Flanders
and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.
Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over 130 acre (0.5260918 km²). Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.
The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.
There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.
In 1860 the L.N.W.R. wanted to extend the line from Pontarddulais
to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to Swansea Docks
.
The first day-school was opened in 1880 at Penyrheol
. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.
In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven month strike and times were very hard for the workers.
Gorseinon had two public house
s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.
Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened
district and previously Llwchwr
Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the City and County of Swansea council and falls within the Gorseinon
and Penyrheol wards of Swansea
.
ward and the southern part of the Penyrheol
ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town mayor
annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years.
The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust.
Recently Asda
was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010.
is twinned with: Ploërmel
, France
while Garden Village FC
of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, Gorseinon Cricket Club who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1980.
For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to 'La Charrette
', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the Gower Heritage Centre. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of Danny Boyle
's Alien Love Triangle
attended by Kenneth Branagh
and organised by Observer film critic Mark Kermode
.
A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.
is where 90% of 11-16 year olds go. The school's main buiAccept: image/gif, image/x-xbitm 2006.The school will have a brand new building in September 2008. The fire destroyed most of the school where pupils lost work and GCSE coursework. Additionally the town is home to one campus of Gower College Swansea
, a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.
with services to the surrounding villages and to Llanelli
and Swansea city centre
.The bus station was rebiut making a great imrovement to the area
The primary route through Gorseinon is the A4240 road
which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with Llanelli
to the west; and Penllergaer
and the M4 Motorway
(Junction 47) to the east.
have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, near the Loughor estuary. It was a small village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
until the late 19th century when it grew around the coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
and tinplate industries. It is situated in the north west of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, around 6 miles (9.7 km) north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local government community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
with its own elected town council
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
.
The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the ONS
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, Loughor
Loughor
Loughor is a town in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Loughor. The town has a community council called Llwchwr....
, Garden Village
Garden Village, Swansea
Garden Village is located near Gorseinon, Wales. It falls within the City and County of Swansea's Kingsbridge ward....
and Penllergaer
Penllergaer
Penllergaer is a village in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK, falling within the Penllergaer ward. Penllergaer is situated about 6 miles north west of Swansea city centre, near the M4 Motorway at Junction 47.-Features:...
and has a population of 19,273.
History
In the year 991, there were two princes – the Prince of South Wales, Prince Ithol and the Prince of Glamorgan, Prince Meredith. They fought a bloody battle on Garngoch Common and the Prince of South Wales, who was a brutal man, was defeated. Amongst those who took up arms against the Prince of South Wales was a man called Einon Hywell, Einon meaning “leader”. After the battle Einon Hywell camped his men on the Gorse, near PenllergaerPenllergaer
Penllergaer is a village in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK, falling within the Penllergaer ward. Penllergaer is situated about 6 miles north west of Swansea city centre, near the M4 Motorway at Junction 47.-Features:...
. The name of Gorseynon was then created, later changed to Gorseinon.
Public houses in the area
- Mardy (Now Closed)
- The West End
- The Loughor Workingmans Club (the bug)
- The Riverside Inn(previously 'The bottom hotel')
- The Station Hotel (the gyp)
- The Cockle Shell
Surrounding areas
Pontybrenin
- The Kingsbridge
- Tafarn-Y-Trap
Loughor
The Cross Keys
The Globe Inn
The Reverend James
Surrounding areas
Pontybrenin
- Harvester
Loughor
- (formerly The Red Lion)
- Hurren's Inn
- The Porterhouse
Religious development
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at St. Fagan’s Folk MuseumSt Fagans National History Museum
St Fagans National History Museum , commonly referred to as St Fagans after the village where it is located, is an open-air museum in Cardiff chronicling the historical lifestyle, culture and architecture of the Welsh people...
. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only non-conformist chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the English Methodist
Methodist Church of Great Britain
The Methodist Church of Great Britain is the largest Wesleyan Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain . It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian denomination, with around 300,000 members and 6,000 churches...
s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894–1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.
Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.
St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.
Agricultural and industrial development
Gors Eynon first appeared on an Ordnance SurveyOrdnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.
The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, Pontlliw, Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from Gower
Gower Peninsula
Gower or the Gower Peninsula is a peninsula in south Wales, jutting from the coast into the Bristol Channel, and administratively part of the City and County of Swansea. Locally it is known as "Gower"...
sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.
Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over 130 acre (0.5260918 km²). Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.
The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.
There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.
In 1860 the L.N.W.R. wanted to extend the line from Pontarddulais
Pontarddulais
Pontarddulais is a community and town in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. It is situated north west of Swansea city centre. It falls within the Pontarddulais ward.-Overview:...
to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to Swansea Docks
Swansea docks
Swansea Docks is the collective name for several docks in Swansea, Wales. The Swansea docks are located immediately south east of Swansea city centre. In the mid-19th century the port was exporting 60% of the world's copper from factories situated in the Tawe valley...
.
The first day-school was opened in 1880 at Penyrheol
Penyrheol
Penyrheol is a residential area of the town of Caerphilly, south Wales.It is often spelt as Pen-Yr-Heol by the local community. Penyrheol has one school, named Cwm-Ifor.-External links:*...
. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.
In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven month strike and times were very hard for the workers.
Gorseinon had two public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.
Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened
Government and politics
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of Gorseinon was administered as part of the Lliw ValleyLliw Valley
The Borough of Lliw Valley was one of the four local government districts of West Glamorgan, Wales from 1974 to 1996...
district and previously Llwchwr
Llwchwr
Llwchwr is a community at the far western edge of the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. Llwchwr comprises the town of Loughor and the village and district of Kingsbridge...
Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the City and County of Swansea council and falls within the Gorseinon
Gorseinon (electoral ward)
Gorseinon is the name of an electoral ward in the City and County of Swansea, Wales.The Gorseinon community comprises the electoral ward of Gorseinon and part of the Penyrheol ward. Gorseinon has its own elected town council....
and Penyrheol wards of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
.
Town Council
The community of Gorseinon comprises the GorseinonGorseinon (electoral ward)
Gorseinon is the name of an electoral ward in the City and County of Swansea, Wales.The Gorseinon community comprises the electoral ward of Gorseinon and part of the Penyrheol ward. Gorseinon has its own elected town council....
ward and the southern part of the Penyrheol
Penyrheol
Penyrheol is a residential area of the town of Caerphilly, south Wales.It is often spelt as Pen-Yr-Heol by the local community. Penyrheol has one school, named Cwm-Ifor.-External links:*...
ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years.
Economy
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town. However they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust.
Recently Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010.
Twin Town
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of LlwchwrLlwchwr
Llwchwr is a community at the far western edge of the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. Llwchwr comprises the town of Loughor and the village and district of Kingsbridge...
is twinned with: Ploërmel
Ploërmel
Ploërmel is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-Character of the town:It is a growing and developing community with a thriving economy and a lively atmosphere. The town is modern rather than romantically mediaeval, but it is clean and attractive and offers a...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Public services
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis.Sport and leisure
Gorseinon's local rugby team is Gorseinon RFCGorseinon RFC
Gorseinon RFC is a Welsh rugby union club representing the town of Gorseinon, Swansea, South Wales. Gorseinon RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Ospreys.-History:...
while Garden Village FC
Garden Village F.C.
Garden Village Association Football Club is a football club, based in Swansea, south west Wales and currently playing in the Welsh Football League Division Two...
of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, Gorseinon Cricket Club who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1980.
For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to 'La Charrette
La Charrette
La Charrette was for several decades the smallest cinema in the UK. It closed in February 2008.A tiny, 23-seat venue, sited in a back garden in the town of Gorseinon, near Swansea, 'La Charrette' was built from a disused railway carriage...
', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the Gower Heritage Centre. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle
Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...
's Alien Love Triangle
Alien Love Triangle
Alien Love Triangle is a 2008 comedy-science fiction short film directed by Danny Boyle. It was produced in 2002.The film was originally intended to be one of a trilogy of 30-minute short films shown together...
attended by Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
and organised by Observer film critic Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode is an English film critic, musician and a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He contributes to Sight and Sound magazine, The Observer newspaper and BBC Radio 5 Live, where he presents Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews with Simon Mayo on Friday afternoons...
.
A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.
Education
Penyrheol Comprehensive SchoolPenyrheol Comprehensive School
Penyrheol Comprehensive School is a secondary school in Gorseinon, Swansea, Wales. .-Admissions:It has around 1,000 pupils from the Penyrheol, Gorseinon, and Loughor areas. It is just east of the B4296, accessed via two miles along the A4240 from junction 47 of the M4.It does not have a sixth form...
is where 90% of 11-16 year olds go. The school's main buiAccept: image/gif, image/x-xbitm 2006.The school will have a brand new building in September 2008. The fire destroyed most of the school where pupils lost work and GCSE coursework. Additionally the town is home to one campus of Gower College Swansea
Gower College Swansea
Gower College Swansea is the name of the further education college in Swansea, Wales, which was formed on 20th August 2010 from the merger of Gorseinon College and Swansea College Nick Bennett, the current principal of Gorseinon College, has been offered the post of principal at the new...
, a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.
Notable residents
- David GrenfellDavid GrenfellDavid Rhys Grenfell PC, CBE, LlD was a British Member of Parliament. He represented the Gower constituency for the Labour Party from 1922 to 1959.-Early life:...
, born in nearby PenyrheolPenyrheolPenyrheol is a residential area of the town of Caerphilly, south Wales.It is often spelt as Pen-Yr-Heol by the local community. Penyrheol has one school, named Cwm-Ifor.-External links:*...
, former Father of the House of Commons and local Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for 37 years. - Michael HowardMichael HowardMichael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
, former British Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Leader and former Home SecretaryHome SecretaryThe Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State... - Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
- Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
- Norman GaleNorman Gale (rugby player)Norman Gale was a Welsh rugby union player. A hooker, he captained the Wales national rugby union team on two occasions in 1967-68. Gale played his club rugby for Llanelli RFC and Swansea RFC, but it was with the Scarlets of Llanelli that he is most associated...
, former Welsh rugby unionWelsh Rugby UnionThe Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
captain - Richard MoriartyRichard MoriartyRichard Moriarty is a former international Wales rugby union player. He played on 23 occasions for his country, either as a 2nd row or back row forward scoring 2 tries and captained Wales on 8 occasions....
, former Welsh rugby unionWelsh Rugby UnionThe Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
captain - Leigh HalfpennyLeigh HalfpennyStephen Leigh Halfpenny is a Welsh international rugby union footballer who plays for the Cardiff Blues regional side.-Biography:...
, Welsh International Rugby Union and British and Irish LionsBritish and Irish LionsThe British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
player - Lewis Jones, Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
- Lord Garel-Jones, former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
- Keith Allen, actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
- Gwynne HowellGwynne HowellGwynne Howell is a Welsh bass, particularly associated with Verdi and Wagner roles.-Life and career:Born in Gorseinon, Wales, he studied at the RMCM, where he sang Leporello in concert, and Hunding, Fasolt, and Pogner in staged performances.He joined the Sadler's Wells Theatre in 1968, and the...
, renowned operatic bass - Colin Jones, Welsh welterweight boxer
- Robbie JamesRobbie JamesRobert "Robbie" Mark James was a Welsh international footballer who played for many teams including Swansea City, Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers...
, the late footballer. - James Henry GovierJames Henry GovierJames Henry Govier was an English painter born at Oakley, Buckinghamshire.He was the only son of Henry Govier and Mary Ann Measey. In 1914 the family moved to the small town of Gorseinon in Gower near Swansea, where James was educated at the local school. At the age of fourteen he left school to...
, (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945. - Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
- Beth MorrisBeth MorrisBethany Morris is a British actress.She is probably best known for her performance as Drusilla in the 1976 BBC adaptation of I, Claudius...
, Television actress. - Aneirin Talfan DaviesAneirin Talfan DaviesAneirin Talfan Davies was a Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.Talfan Davies was brought up in Gorseinon. During the 1930s Davies worked in London as a pharmacist before returning to Wales and settling in Swansea. He was the brother of Alun Talfan Davies, with whom he founded the...
, Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic. - Sir Alun Talfan Davies QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
- Phil JohnPhil John (prop)Phil John is a Welsh rugby union footballer who currently plays at prop for the Scarlets regional side in the RaboDirect Pro12.-External links:* at scarlets.co.uk...
, Welsh Rugby Union player - Colin EdwardsColin Edwards (journalist)Colin Edwards was a radio journalist and documentary film maker. He was also an actor, author, university lecturer, Plaid Cymru activist and founder of the American CADW...
, (1924-1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker. - Elin Manahan ThomasElin Manahan Thomas-Biography:Thomas was born in 1977 in Gorseinon near Swansea, the daughter of M. Wynn Thomas OBE, a Professor of Literature at Swansea University, and Karen Thomas. She was educated at the Welsh-speaking Ysgol Gyfun Gŵyr in Gowerton near Swansea, and by the time she was fifteen was singing in the...
, classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
Transportation
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by First CymruFirst Cymru
First Cymru Buses Ltd. is a provider of public transport bus services in South Wales. First Cymru was formed from a number of privatised former bus companies, including South Wales Transport. Its headquarters are in Penlan, Swansea...
with services to the surrounding villages and to Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
and Swansea city centre
Swansea city centre
Swansea city centre in Swansea, Wales, contains the main shopping, leisure and nightlife district in Swansea. The city centre covers much of the Castle ward including the area around Oxford Street, Castle Square, and the Quadrant Shopping Centre; Alexandra Road, High Street, Wind Street and the...
.The bus station was rebiut making a great imrovement to the area
The primary route through Gorseinon is the A4240 road
A4240 road
-Route description:The A4240 begins at the roundabout at the Loughor side of the Loughor bridge. The road heads east through Loughor, then onwards through Gorseinon, where it forms the east-west main road intersecting with the B4296 in central Gorseinon...
which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
to the west; and Penllergaer
Penllergaer
Penllergaer is a village in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK, falling within the Penllergaer ward. Penllergaer is situated about 6 miles north west of Swansea city centre, near the M4 Motorway at Junction 47.-Features:...
and the M4 Motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
(Junction 47) to the east.
Plans
Supermarket chain AsdaAsda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.