Swansea ( , , "mouth of the
TaweThe River Tawe is a river in South Wales. It flows in a principally south-westerly direction for some 48 km from its source below Moel Feity in the Old Red Sandstone hills of the western Brecon Beacons to the Bristol Channel at Swansea. Its only large tributary is the Clydach River...
") is a coastal
cityCity status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
and
countyFor local government purposes, Wales is divided into 22 unitary authority areas, which are responsible for the provision of all local government services, including education, social work, environment and roads services. Below these in some areas there are community councils, which cover specific...
in
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of
GlamorganGlamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying names and boundaries until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three preserved...
. Situated on the sandy
South West WalesSouth West Wales is a region of Wales. A definition consisting of the unitary authorities of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire is used by a number of government agencies and private organisations including:*BBC...
coast, the county area includes the
Gower peninsulaThe Gower Peninsula is a peninsula on the south west coast of Wales, on the north side of the Bristol Channel in the southwest of the historic county of Glamorgan. Referred to colloquially as 'Gower', this was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural...
and the Lliw uplands. Swansea is the second most populous city in Wales after
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the...
and the third most
populous county in Wales after Cardiff and Rhondda Cynon Taf. During its 19th century industrial heyday, Swansea was one of the key centres of the world copper industry, earning the nickname 'Copperopolis'.
History
Archaeological findsArchaeology or archeology is the science that studies human cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material culture and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, and landscapes...
are mostly confined to the
Gower PeninsulaThe Gower Peninsula is a peninsula on the south west coast of Wales, on the north side of the Bristol Channel in the southwest of the historic county of Glamorgan. Referred to colloquially as 'Gower', this was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural...
, and include items from the
Stone AgeThe Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which humans widely used stone for toolmaking.Stone tools were made from a variety of different sorts of stone. For example, flint and chert were shaped for use as cutting tools and weapons, while basalt and sandstone were used for ground...
,
Bronze AgeThe Bronze Age of a culture is the period when the most advanced metalworking in that culture utilised bronze. This could either have been based on the local smelting of copper and tin from ores, or trading for bronze from production areas elsewhere...
, and
Iron AgeIn archaeology, the Iron Age is the prehistoric period in any area during which cutting tools and weapons were mainly made of iron or steel. The adoption of this material coincided with other changes in society, including differing agricultural practices, religious beliefs and artistic styles.The...
. The Romans visited the area, as did the Vikings.
Swansea originally developed as a
VikingA Viking is one of the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late eighth to the early eleventh century. These Norsemen used their famed longships to travel as far east as Constantinople and the Volga River in Russia, and as far...
trading post, and the name Swansea is derived from
Sveinn's island - the reference to an island may refer to a bank at the mouth of the river Tawe, or perhaps an area of raised ground in marshes. The name is pronounced Swans-y ), not Swan-sea. The
Welsh nameThe placenames of Wales derive in most cases from the Welsh language, but have in many cases also been influenced by the English language. The study of placenames in Wales reveals significant features of the country's history and geography, as well of the development of the Welsh...
first appears in Welsh poems at the beginning of the 13th century, as "Aber Tawy".
The earliest known form of the modern name is
Sweynesse, which was used in the first
charterA charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
granted sometime between 1158–1184 by William de Newburgh, 3rd
Earl of WarwickEarl of Warwick is a title that has been created four times in British history and is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the British Isles.-1088 creation:...
. The charter gave Swansea the status of a
boroughA borough is an administrative division of various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
, granting the townsmen, called burgesses certain rights to develop the area. A second charter was granted in 1215 by
King JohnJohn , King of England, reigned from 6 April 1199 until his death. He acceded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I, who died without issue...
. In this charter, the name appears as
Sweyneshe. The town seal which is believed to date from this period names the town as
Sweyse.
Following the Norman Conquest, a
marcher lordshipThe Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales on the island of Great Britain, in the United Kingdom....
was created under the title of
Gowerthumb|350px|right|Map of the Lordship, showing the area detached , the area added and the Town and Franchise of Swansea. The language boundary is shown as a dotted line....
. It included land around
Swansea BaySwansea Bay is a bay on the Bristol Channel on the South Wales coast. Places on the bay include Mumbles, Swansea and Port Talbot. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan and Blackpill stream flow into the bay....
as far as the River Tawe, the manor of Kilvey beyond the Tawe, and the peninsula itself. Swansea was designated chief town of the lordship and received a borough charter some time between 1158 and 1184 (and a more elaborate one in 1304).
The port of Swansea initially traded in wine, hides, wool, cloth and later in
coalCoal is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock normally occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
. As the
Industrial RevolutionThe Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions in the United Kingdom. The changes subsequently spread throughout Europe, North...
reached Wales, the combination of port, local coal, and trading links with the
West CountryThe West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
,
CornwallCornwall is a county of England in the United Kingdom, forming the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Taken with the...
and
DevonDevon is a large county in England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, although that is an unofficial name, rarely used inside of the county itself and often indicating a traditional or historical context. The county shares borders with Cornwall to the west and Dorset and Somerset to...
, meant that Swansea was the logical place to site
copperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is rather soft and malleable and a freshly-exposed surface has a pinkish or peachy color...
smeltingSmelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
works. Smelters were operating by 1720 and proliferated. Following this, more
coal minesCoal mining is the extraction or removal of coal from the earth by mining. When coal is used for fuel in power generation it is referred to as steaming or thermal coal. Coal that is used to create coke for steel manufacturing is referred to as coking or metallurgical coal...
(everywhere from north-east Gower to
ClyneThe Clyne Valley Country Park is an area of parkland in Swansea, Wales. As its name suggests, it lies in a valley. The valley consists of a wet valley floor and dense woodland on the hillsides....
and
LlangyfelachThe village of Llangyfelach is located in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. Llangyfelach is situated about 4 miles north of Swansea city centre, just west of Morriston, however, it has still retained its village feel and identity. It falls within the Llangyfelach ward...
) were opened and smelters (mostly along the Tawe valley) were opened and flourished. Over the next century and a half, works were established to process
arsenicArsenic is the chemical element that has the symbol As, atomic number 33 and atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250. Arsenic is a notoriously poisonous metalloid with many allotropic forms, including a yellow and several black and grey forms...
,
zincZinc , also known as spelter, is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
and
tinTin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead, like the two possible oxidation states +2 and +4...
and to create tinplate and
potteryPottery is the ceramic ware made by potters. Major types of pottery include earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. The places where such wares are made are called potteries. Pottery is one of the oldest human technologies and art-forms, and remains a major industry today...
. The city expanded rapidly in the 18th and 19th centuries, and was termed "Copperopolis".
From the late 17th century to 1801, Swansea's population grew by 500%—the first official census (in 1841) indicated that, with 6,099 inhabitants, Swansea had become significantly larger than
Glamorgan'sGlamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying names and boundaries until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three preserved...
county town,
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the...
, and was the second most populous town in Wales behind
Merthyr TydfilMerthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 13th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It was formerly in the historic county of...
(which had a population of 7,705). However, the census understated Swansea's true size, as much of the built-up area lay outside the contemporary boundaries of the
boroughA borough is an administrative division of various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
; the total population was actually 10,117. Swansea's population was later overtaken by Merthyr in 1821 and by Cardiff in 1881, although in the latter year Swansea once again surpassed Merthyr. Much of Swansea's growth was due to migration from within and beyond Wales—in 1881, more than a third of the borough's population had been born outside Swansea and Glamorgan, and just under a quarter outside Wales.
Through the 20th century, heavy industries in the town declined, leaving the
Lower Swansea ValleyThe Lower Swansea valley is the lower half of the valley of the River Tawe in south Wales. It runs from approximately the level of Clydach down to Swansea docks, where it opens into Swansea Bay and the Bristol Channel...
filled with derelict works and mounds of waste products from them. The Lower Swansea Valley Scheme (which still continues) reclaimed much of the land. The present
Enterprise ZoneThe Swansea Enterprise Park is a combined business park, retail park and industrial estate in Swansea, Wales. In 1981 it became the first enterprise zone in the United Kingdom, and the largest. Originally it was named the Swansea Enterprise Zone. The designated area covers parts of the...
was the result and, of the many original docks, only those outside the city continue to work as docks; North Dock is now
Parc TaweParc Tawe is a retail park and leisure area in Swansea, Wales. It is located in the eastern area of the city centre on the west bank of the River Tawe in the Lower Swansea valley....
and South Dock became the
MarinaThe Maritime Quarter, or Swansea Marina, is a residential area of Swansea, Wales, UK located immediately south of the city centre shopping core. It falls within Swansea's Castle ward...
.
Little city-centre evidence, beyond parts of the road layout, remains from medieval Swansea; its industrial importance made it the target of bombing, known as
the BlitzThe Blitz was the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, in World War II. While the Blitz hit many towns and cities across the country, it began with the bombing of London for 57 consecutive nights...
in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the centre was flattened completely. The city has three Grade One listed buildings, these being the Guildhall,
Swansea CastleSwansea Castle was founded by Henry de Beaumont in 1106 as the caput of the lordship of Gower, in Swansea, Wales.-History:The original castle seems to have been a sub-rectangular/oval enclosure overlooking the River Tawe on the east, surrounded on the north, west and south sides by a larger...
and the Morriston Tabernacle.
Whilst the city itself has a long history, many of the city centre buildings are post-war as much of the original centre was destroyed by World War II
bombingThe Swansea Blitz was the heavy and sustained bombing of Swansea by the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany on 19 February-21 February 1941.Swansea was selected as a legitimate target due to its importance as a port and docks and its destruction was key to Nazi German war efforts as part of their strategic...
on the 19th, 20th and 21st of February 1941 (the 'Three Nights Blitz'). Within the city centre are the ruins of the
castleSwansea Castle was founded by Henry de Beaumont in 1106 as the caput of the lordship of Gower, in Swansea, Wales.-History:The original castle seems to have been a sub-rectangular/oval enclosure overlooking the River Tawe on the east, surrounded on the north, west and south sides by a larger...
, the Marina, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea Museum, the
Dylan Thomas CentreThe Dylan Thomas Centre is an arts centre located in the Maritime Quarter in Swansea, Wales, UK.Formerly the city's Guildhall, which was originally built in 1825, the Dylan Thomas Centre was restored and refurbished to host the UK Year of Literature and Writing in 1995.It was opened in 1995 by...
, the Environmental Centre, and the Market, which is the largest covered market in Wales. It backs onto the Quadrant shopping centre which opened in 1978 and the adjoining St David's Centre opened in 1982. Other notable modern buildings are the BT Tower (formerly the GPO tower) built around 1970, Alexandra House built in 1976, County Hall built in 1982. Swansea Leisure Centre opened in 1977; it has undergone extensive refurbishment which retained elements of the original structure and re-opened in March 2008. Behind it stands the
National Waterfront MuseumThe National Waterfront Museum, Swansea or NWMS is a museum situated in Swansea, Wales, forming part of the National Museum Wales. It is an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage....
, opened in October 2005.
Swansea was granted
city statusCity status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
in 1969, to mark
Prince CharlesCharles, Prince of Wales is the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1952, he has been heir apparent to the thrones of the Commonwealth realms. After earning a bachelor of arts from Trinity College, Cambridge, Charles served a tour of duty with Royal Navy...
's investiture as the
Prince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland...
. The announcement was made by the prince on 3 July 1969, during a tour of Wales. It obtained the further right to have a
lord mayorThe Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.* In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is a purely ceremonial post, see Mayors in the United Kingdom, list of cities in the United Kingdom, especially Lord Mayor of the City of London The Lord Mayor is the title...
in 1982.
Local government
In 1887, Swansea was a township at the mouth of the river Tawe, covering in the county of
GlamorganGlamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying names and boundaries until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three preserved...
. There were three major extensions to the boundaries of the borough, first in 1835, when
MorristonMorriston is a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales and falls within the Morriston ward. Morriston is sometimes referred to as a distinct town Morriston (Welsh: Treforys) is a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales and falls within the Morriston ward. Morriston is...
, St Thomas,
LandoreLandore is the name of an electoral ward, a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The community does not have a community council....
, St John-juxta-Swansea, and part of
LlansamletLlansamlet is the name of an electoral ward and a coterminous community City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. Llansamlet does not have a community council....
parish were added, and again in 1889 when areas around
CwmbwrlaCwmbwrla is a residential suburb of Swansea, Wales falling within the Cwmbwrla ward. Cwmbwrla located about 1 mile north of Swansea city centre....
and Trewyddfa were included, and in 1918 when the borough was enlarged to include the whole of the ancient parish of Swansea, the southern part of Llangyfelach parish, all of Llansamlet parish,
Oystermouth Urban DistrictOystermouth is an electoral ward and a village in the Mumbles community and also the City and County of Swansea, Wales...
and Brynau parish.
In 1889, Swansea attained
county boroughCounty borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. The Local Government Act 1972 abolished them in England and Wales, but they are still used in the Republic of Ireland and Northern...
status, and it was granted
city statusCity status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
in 1969, which was inherited by the
Swansea districtThe Swansea district was one of the four local government districts of West Glamorgan, Wales from 1974 to 1996. It was formed from the areas of the county borough of Swansea and the Gower Rural District, from the administrative county of Glamorgan....
when it was formed by the merger of the borough and
Gower Rural DistrictThe Gower Peninsula is a peninsula on the south west coast of Wales, on the north side of the Bristol Channel in the southwest of the historic county of Glamorgan. Referred to colloquially as 'Gower', this was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural...
in 1974. In 1996, Swansea became one of 22
unitary authoritiesFor local government purposes, Wales is divided into 22 unitary authority areas, which are responsible for the provision of all local government services, including education, social work, environment and roads services. Below these in some areas there are community councils, which cover specific...
with the addition of part of the former
Lliw Valley BoroughThe Borough of Lliw Valley was one of the four local government districts of West Glamorgan, Wales from 1974 to 1996. It was formed by the merger of the Llwchwr urban district and Pontardawe Rural District, under the Local Government Act 1972.It was abolished in 1996, with part of its area...
. The new authority received the name 'City and County of Swansea' .
Swansea was once a staunch stronghold of the
Labour PartyThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
which, until 2004, had overall control of the council for 24 years. The
Liberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems or just Liberals, are a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party; the two parties had been in alliance for seven years, from shortly after the formation of...
are the largest group in the administration that took control of Swansea Council in the 2004 local elections. For 2009/2010, the
Lord MayorThe Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.* In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is a purely ceremonial post, see Mayors in the United Kingdom, list of cities in the United Kingdom, especially Lord Mayor of the City of London The Lord Mayor is the title...
of Swansea is Councillor Alan Lloyd.
| Position |
Current Representatives |
| Members of Parliament |
Alan Williams Alan John Williams is a Welsh politician and Labour Member of Parliament for Swansea West since the 1964 general election.-Early life:...
, LabourThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
, elected 1964The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after its predecessor, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had first taken power...
Martin CatonMartin Philip Caton is a British politician. He has been the Labour Member of Parliament for Gower since 1997.Martin Caton was born in Bishop's Stortford and educated at the Newport Free Grammar School near Saffron Walden, the Norfolk School of Agriculture, and the Aberystwyth College of Further...
, Labour, elected 1997The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992. The Labour Party won the general election in a landslide victory with 418 seats, the most seats the party has ever held...
Sian JamesSiân Catherine James is the Labour Member of Parliament for Swansea East, Wales, in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
, Labour, elected 2005The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect members to the House of Commons.The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a reduced overall majority of 66 and they failed to gain any new seats...
|
| City & County Council Members |
Viv Abbott, Liberal DemocratsVeronyca Bates Hughes, Liberal DemocratsPeter Black, Liberal DemocratsNicholas Bradley, LabourJune Burtonshaw, LabourMark Child, LabourAudrey Clement, IndependentAnthony Colburn, ConservativeJohn Davies, LabourMike Day, Liberal DemocratsRyland Doyle, LabourJune Evans, IndependentWilliam Evans, LabourWendy Fitzgerald, IndependentRobert Francis-Davies, LabourMair Gibbs, LabourJohn Hague, IndependentMichael Hedges, LabourChris Holley, Liberal DemocratsNichola Holley, Liberal DemocratsPaxton Hood-Williams, ConservativeDavid Hopkins, LabourDai Howells, IndependentBarbara Hynes, LabourDennis James, LabourBilly Jones, LabourDavid I.E. Jones, LabourJeffrey Jones, Liberal DemocratsMary Jones, Liberal DemocratsMervyn Jones, IndependentSusan Jones, IndependentAlan Jopling, IndependentJim Kelleher, Liberal DemocratsRené Kinzett, ConservativeErika Kirchner, LabourRichard Lewis, Liberal DemocratsAlan Lloyd, LabourBob Lloyd, LabourKeith Marsh, IndependentPenny Matthews, LabourPeter May, Liberal DemocratsPaul Meara, Liberal DemocratsJohn Miles, LabourKeith Morgan, Liberal DemocratsHazel Morris, LabourJohn Newbury, Liberal DemocratsByron Owen, LabourDavid Phillips, LabourCheryl Philpott, Liberal DemocratsDarren Price, PlaidHuw T Rees, Liberal DemocratsStuart Rice, Liberal DemocratsIoan Richard, People's RepresentativeChristine Richards, LabourAlan Robinson, IndependentGyln Seabourne, LabourMargaret Smith, ConservativePaulette Smith, LabourRoger Ll. Smith, LabourRob Speht, Liberal DemocratsJune Stanton, Liberal DemocratsRob Stewart, LabourGareth Sullivan, IndependentCeinwen Thomas, LabourDes Thomas, LabourGraham Thomas, Liberal DemocratsJanet Thomas, Liberal DemocratsNick Tregoning, Liberal DemocratsPaul Tucker, IndependentSue Waller Thomas, Liberal DemocratsJayne Woodman, Liberal Democrats |
Welsh politics
The
National AssemblyThe National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
constituencies are:
- Gower
Gower is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of seven constituencies in the South Wales West electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to seven constituency...
, current AM is Edwina HartEdwina Hart MBE AM, is a Welsh Labour Party politician who has been a Member of the National Assembly for Wales representing Gower since 1999. She is also Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Health and Social Services since May 2007....
, LabourThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
since 1999
- Swansea East
Swansea East is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election...
, current AM is Val LloydValerie Lloyd born in Swansea, is a Welsh Labour Party politician who has been a Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Swansea East since 2001.-Professional career:...
, LabourThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
since 2001
- Swansea West
Swansea West is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election...
, current AM is Andrew Davies, LabourThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
since 1999
The city is also part of the South Wales West regional constituency and is served by
Peter Black AMPeter Black is a Welsh Liberal Democrat politician, and Member of the Welsh Assembly for the South Wales West Region.-Background:...
,
Alun Cairns AMAlun Cairns is a member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Welsh Conservative Party in the South Wales West region since the National Assembly for Wales election, 1999.-Background:...
,
Dai Lloyd AMDr David Rees Lloyd is a Welsh politician. He has been married to his wife Catherine since 12 of April 1982. They have 3 children, Aled born 1987, Anwen born 1989 and Gareth born 1991. All of his children went to Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Bryn-y-Mor primary school in Swansea, then to Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr...
and
Bethan Jenkins AMBethan Jenkins is a Plaid Cymru Member of the National Assembly for Wales representing the South Wales West Region.-Background:...
.
UK politics
The
UK parliamentaryThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. It alone has parliamentary sovereignty, conferring upon it ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and its territories...
constituencies in Swansea are:
- Gower
Gower is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency has elected only Labour MPs since 1906, the longest run of any UK constituency...
, current MP is Martin CatonMartin Philip Caton is a British politician. He has been the Labour Member of Parliament for Gower since 1997.Martin Caton was born in Bishop's Stortford and educated at the Newport Free Grammar School near Saffron Walden, the Norfolk School of Agriculture, and the Aberystwyth College of Further...
, LabourThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
since 1997
- Swansea East
Swansea East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Boundaries :The constituency comprises the electoral wards of Bonymaen, Cwmbwrla, Landore, Llansamlet, Morriston, Mynydd-Bach, Penderry, and St.Thomas...
, current MP is Sian JamesSiân Catherine James is the Labour Member of Parliament for Swansea East, Wales, in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
, LabourThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
since 2005
- Swansea West
Swansea West is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, current MP is Alan WilliamsAlan John Williams is a Welsh politician and Labour Member of Parliament for Swansea West since the 1964 general election.-Early life:...
, LabourThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
since 1964 (the MP with the longest continuous service - 45 years as of 2009)
Twinning
Swansea is
twinnedSister cities, also known as town twinning, is an agreement between towns, cities and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties...
with
- Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in Germany. With 327,318 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in the state of Baden-Württemberg after the capital Stuttgart....
, GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
Pau, FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
CorkCork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster...
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Connections with:
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,
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Friendship link with:
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Boundaries
The "City and County of Swansea" local authority area is bordered by unitary authorities of
CarmarthenshireCarmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. Its three largest towns are Carmarthen, Llanelli and Ammanford...
to the north, and
Neath Port TalbotNeath Port Talbot is a county borough and one of the unitary authority areas of Wales. Neath Port Talbot is the 8th most populous county in Wales and the third most populous county borough....
to the east. Swansea is bounded by
Swansea BaySwansea Bay is a bay on the Bristol Channel on the South Wales coast. Places on the bay include Mumbles, Swansea and Port Talbot. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan and Blackpill stream flow into the bay....
and the
Bristol ChannelThe Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England, and extending from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
to the south.
Physical description
The local government area is 378 km² (146 sq mi) in size, about 2% of the area of Wales. It includes a large amount of open countryside and a central urban and suburban belt.
Swansea can be roughly divided into four physical areas. To the north are the Lliw uplands which are mainly open moorland, reaching the foothills of the
Black MountainThe Black Mountain is a mountain range in Mid and West Wales, forming the westernmost range of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Its highest point is Fan Brycheiniog . The Black Mountain also forms a part of the recently-created Fforest Fawr Geopark. The range stretches approximately from...
. To the west is the
Gower peninsulaThe Gower Peninsula is a peninsula on the south west coast of Wales, on the north side of the Bristol Channel in the southwest of the historic county of Glamorgan. Referred to colloquially as 'Gower', this was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural...
with its rural landscape dotted with small villages. To the east is the coastal strip around
Swansea BaySwansea Bay is a bay on the Bristol Channel on the South Wales coast. Places on the bay include Mumbles, Swansea and Port Talbot. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan and Blackpill stream flow into the bay....
. Cutting though the middle from the south-east to the north-west is the urban and suburban zone stretching from the
Swansea city centreSwansea 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...
to the towns of
GorseinonGorseinon is a town in south west 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 north west of the city centre...
and
PontarddulaisPontarddulais is a community and town in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, known by locals as "The Bont". It is situated 16 km north west of Swansea city centre...
.
The most populated areas of Swansea are
MorristonMorriston is a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales and falls within the Morriston ward. Morriston is sometimes referred to as a distinct town Morriston (Welsh: Treforys) is a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales and falls within the Morriston ward. Morriston is...
,
SkettySketty is the name of an electoral ward, a community and a suburb in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The community is coterminous with the electoral ward....
and the
city centreSwansea 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 chief urbanised area radiates from the city centre towards the north, south and west; along the coast of Swansea Bay to
MumblesMumbles otherwise The Mumbles – is a village in Swansea, Wales with adjacent headland stretching into Swansea Bay. The village includes the ruin of Oystermouth Castle and the Mumbles Lighthouse...
; up the Swansea Valley past
LandoreLandore is the name of an electoral ward, a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The community does not have a community council....
and Morriston to Clydach; over
TownhillTownhill is the name of a hill and residential district in Swansea, Wales, UK.-Townhill district:The suburb of Townhill falls within the Townhill ward. The district of Townhill consists of a council estate spread over a steep hill of the same name bordering Mayhill and visible from the Swansea...
to
CwmbwrlaCwmbwrla is a residential suburb of Swansea, Wales falling within the Cwmbwrla ward. Cwmbwrla located about 1 mile north of Swansea city centre....
,
PenlanPenlan is a suburban area of Swansea, Wales falling within the Penderry ward. The area is set on top of a hill, which overlooks Townhill, Kilvey Hill and Swansea Bay.-Leisure:...
,
TreboethTreboeth is a village in the Mynydd-Bach ward of Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales.Gwyrosydd Infants School is located in Treboeth. The local secondary school is the Daniel James Community School...
and
FforestfachFforestfach is a suburban district of Swansea, Wales. It lies within the Cockett ward. The area is residential combined with light industry and out of town shopping due to its proximity to the M4 motorway and several dual carriageways. Famous names like Marks and Spencer and Walkers Crisps had...
; through
UplandsUplands is a suburb of Swansea, Wales. It lies about a mile to the west of Swansea city centre, and falls within the Uplands electoral ward. It is centred around the A4118 road, which links Swansea city centre and Sketty. The main road begins as Walter Road from the east, and becomes Sketty Road...
,
SkettySketty is the name of an electoral ward, a community and a suburb in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The community is coterminous with the electoral ward....
,
KillayKillay is the name of a suburb and local government community in Swansea, Wales. Killay has its own community council. The village is set high above sea level, about 3.5 miles west of Swansea city centre....
to
DunvantDunvant is a suburban district in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, and falls within the Dunvant ward. It is situated in a valley some 4.5 miles west of Swansea city centre.-History:...
; and east of the river from
St. ThomasSt Thomas is a suburban district and community in Swansea, Wales. It is a mainly residential area which lies east of Swansea city centre across the River Tawe and falls within the St Thomas ward. The southern boundary is formed by the Fabian Way...
to Bonymaen,
LlansamletLlansamlet is the name of an electoral ward and a coterminous community City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. Llansamlet does not have a community council....
and
BirchgroveBirchgrove is the name of a community and a large village in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. It does not have a community council. The village is situated roughly 6 miles from the centre of Swansea. It is situated roughly between the flood plain of the River Tawe and Drummau Mountain...
. A second urbanised area is focused on a triangle defined by
GowertonThe village of Gowerton is situated about 4 miles north west of Swansea city centre, Wales. Gowerton is often known as the gateway to Gower. Gowerton's original name was Ffosfelin...
,
GorseinonGorseinon is a town in south west 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 north west of the city centre...
and
LoughorLoughor 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....
along with the satellite communities of
PenllergaerPenllergaer 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. It has begun merging with Gorseinon....
and
PontarddulaisPontarddulais is a community and town in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, known by locals as "The Bont". It is situated 16 km north west of Swansea city centre...
.
About three quarters of Swansea is bordered by the sea—the
Loughor EstuaryThe River Loughor in Carmarthenshire, Wales has its source at an underground lake at the Black Mountain. It flows past settlements like Ammanford and Hendy in Carmarthenshire and Pontarddulais in Swansea. The river divides Carmarthenshire from Swansea for much of its course and it separates...
, Swansea Bay and the
Bristol ChannelThe Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England, and extending from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
. The two largest rivers in the region are the
TaweThe River Tawe is a river in South Wales. It flows in a principally south-westerly direction for some 48 km from its source below Moel Feity in the Old Red Sandstone hills of the western Brecon Beacons to the Bristol Channel at Swansea. Its only large tributary is the Clydach River...
which passes the city centre and the
LoughorThe River Loughor in Carmarthenshire, Wales has its source at an underground lake at the Black Mountain. It flows past settlements like Ammanford and Hendy in Carmarthenshire and Pontarddulais in Swansea. The river divides Carmarthenshire from Swansea for much of its course and it separates...
which flows on the northern border with Carmarthenshire.
In the local authority area, the geology is complex, providing diverse scenery. The Gower peninsula was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an
Area of Outstanding Natural BeautyAn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
(AONB). Excluding the urbanised area in the south-eastern corner of the county, the whole of the Gower peninsula is part of an AONB. Swansea has numerous urban and country parklands. The region has featured regularly in the Wales in Bloom awards.
The geology of the Gower peninsula ranges from
carboniferous limestoneCarboniferous Limestone is a term used to describe a variety of different types of limestone occurring widely across Great Britain and Ireland which were deposited during the Dinantian stage of the Carboniferous period. They were formed between 363 and 325 million years ago...
cliffs along its southern edge from Mumbles to
Worm's HeadRhossili is a small village and community on the southwestern tip of the Gower peninsula near Swansea in Wales. Since the 1970s it has fallen within the boundaries of Swansea. It is in an area designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
and the salt-marshes and dune systems of the Loughor estuary to the north. The eastern, southern and western coasts of the peninsula are lined with numerous sandy beaches both wide and small, separated by steep cliffs. The
South Wales CoalfieldThe South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits.- The coalfield area :The South Wales Coalfield lies in parts of the unitary authorities of Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Vale of Glamorgan, Merthyr Tydfil,...
reaches the coast in the Swansea area. This had a great bearing on the development of the city of Swansea and other towns in the county like Morriston. The inland area is covered by large swathes of grassland common overlooked by
sandstoneSandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains. Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any color, but the most common colors are tan, brown, yellow,...
heathA heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly infertile acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae...
ridge300px|thumb|right|Stratigraphic ridge found in Northeastern [[Tennessee]]A ridge is a geological feature that features a continuous elevational crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size...
s including the prominent
Cefn BrynCefn Bryn is a 5 mile long Old Red Sandstone ridge in the heart of the Gower peninsula in Wales. Local people colloquially refer to it as the "backbone of Gower". The highest point on the ridge is the second highest point in Gower, offering panoramic views of the surrounding Gower countryside...
. The traditional agricultural landscape consists in a patchwork of fields characterised by walls, stone-faced banks and hedgerows. Valleys cut through the peninsula and contain rich
deciduousDeciduous means falling off at maturity or tending to fall off and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
woodlandEcologically, a woodland is an area covered in trees, usually at low density, forming an open habitat, allowing sunlight to penetrate between the trees, and limiting shade. Woodland may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to...
.
Much of the county is hilly with the main area of upland being located in the council ward of
MawrMawr is both an electoral ward and a community of the City and County of Swansea, Wales. Mawr has its own elected community council.Mawr falls within in the parliamentary constituency of Gower...
. Areas of high land up to 185 metres (600 ft) range across the central section of the county and form the hills of
KilveyKilvey Hill is a hill to the east of Swansea city centre. Kilvey Hill is high and is classed as a Sub Marilyn. The top of Kilvey Hill enjoys panoramic views of Swansea city centre, Swansea Docks, Swansea Bay, the Lower Swansea Valley, Bon-y-maen, Neath and Port Talbot.There are a number of...
,
TownhillTownhill is the name of a hill and residential district in Swansea, Wales, UK.-Townhill district:The suburb of Townhill falls within the Townhill ward. The district of Townhill consists of a council estate spread over a steep hill of the same name bordering Mayhill and visible from the Swansea...
and Llwynmawr, separating the centre of Swansea from its northern suburbs.
Cefn BrynCefn Bryn is a 5 mile long Old Red Sandstone ridge in the heart of the Gower peninsula in Wales. Local people colloquially refer to it as the "backbone of Gower". The highest point on the ridge is the second highest point in Gower, offering panoramic views of the surrounding Gower countryside...
, a ridge of high land, forms the backbone of the Gower peninsula. Rhossili Down, Hardings Down and Llanmadoc Hill form land features over 600 ft high. The highest point of the county is located at
Penlle'r CastellPenlle'r Castell is an historic ruin on the summit of Mynydd y Betws in the far north of the City and County of Swansea. The Penlle'r Castell site was probably a late 13th-century stronghold garrisoned by one of the Marcher Lords....
at 374 metres (1215 ft) on the northern border with
CarmarthenshireCarmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. Its three largest towns are Carmarthen, Llanelli and Ammanford...
.
Climate
Typical of the west of Britain, Swansea has a
temperateIn geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally mild, rather than extreme hot or cold. But in continental areas, such as central North America the variations between summer...
climateClimate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorological elements in a given region over long periods of time...
. As part of a coastal region, it experiences a milder
climateThe climate of the United Kingdom is classified as a mid-latitude oceanic climate , with warm summers, cool winters and plentiful precipitation throughout the year...
than the mountains and valleys inland. This same location, though, leaves Swansea exposed to rain-bearing winds from the
AtlanticThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
: figures from the
Met OfficeThe Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Ministry of Defence. Part of the Met Office headquarters at Exeter in Devon is the Met Office College, which handles the training for internal personnel and many forecasters from around the world...
make Swansea the wettest city in Britain. In midsummer, Swansea's temperatures can reach into the high twenties Celsius, depending on the weather; the hottest recorded temperature in Swansea was 31.6°C, recorded in 1980.
Demography
According to Census 2001 data, the population in the unitary authority was 225,000, and Swansea was the 34th
largest settlement in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, while the wider urban area was the
25th largest. Around 82% of the population were born in Wales and 13% born in England; 13.4% were
WelshWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic spoken natively in Wales, in England by some along the Welsh border and in the Welsh immigrant colony in the Chubut Valley in Argentine Patagonia....
speakers.
From 1804 until the 1920s, Swansea experienced continuous population growth. The 1930s and 1940s was a period of slight decline. In the 1950s and 1960s the population grew and then fell in the 1970s. The population grew again in the 1980s only to fall again in the 1990s. In the 2000s, so far, Swansea is experiencing a small amount of population growth; the local authority area had an estimated population of 228,100 in 2007.
The population of the Swansea urban area within the unitary authority boundaries in 2001 was about 169,880, and the council population was 223,301. The other urban area within the unitary authority, centred on Gorseinon, had a population of 19,273 in 2001. However, the wider
urban areaThe Swansea Urban Area is an area of land in Wales, UK defined by defined by the Office for National Statistics for population monitoring purposes. It is an urban conurbation and is not coterminous with the City and County of Swansea and discludes the urban area of Gorseinon within the county...
including most of
Swansea BaySwansea Bay is a bay on the Bristol Channel on the South Wales coast. Places on the bay include Mumbles, Swansea and Port Talbot. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan and Blackpill stream flow into the bay....
has a total population of 270,506 (making it the 25th largest urban area in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
). Over 218,000 of the population are White; 1,106 are of mixed race; 2,215 are Asian - mainly
BangladeshiA British Bangladeshi is someone of Bangladesh origin who resides in the United Kingdom having emigrated to the UK and attained citizenship through naturalisation or whose parents did so; they are also known as British Bengalis...
(1,015); 300 are
blackThe term black people usually refers to a racial group of humans with skin colors that range from light brown to nearly black. It also has been used to categorize a number of diverse populations into a common group. Some definitions of the term include only people of relatively recent Sub Saharan...
; and 1,195 belong to other ethnic groups.
Culture
The
Royal Institution of South WalesThe Royal Institution of South Wales is an Welsh learned society founded in Swansea in 1835 as the Swansea Philosophical and Literary Society with objectives:In 1838, the Society received its Royal charter as the Royal Institution....
was founded in 1835 as the Swansea Literary and Philosophical Society.
Performing arts
The
Grand TheatreThe Grand Theatre is a performing arts venue in the centre of Swansea, Wales. The theatre stages plays, pantomimes and touring theatrical acts visiting Swansea. The Grand Theatre is the base for the UK's only Russian ballet company, the Swansea Ballet Russe....
in the centre of the city is a Victorian theatre which celebrated its centenary in 1997 and which has a capacity of a little over a thousand people. It was opened by the celebrated opera singer
Adelina PattiAdelina Patti was one of the most highly regarded opera singers of the 19th century, earning huge fees at the height of her career....
and was refurbished from 1983–1987. The annual programme ranges from pantomime and drama to opera and ballet. A new wing of the Grand, the Arts Wing, has a studio suitable for smaller shows, with a capacity of about 200. The
Taliesin buildingThe Taliesin Arts Centre is owned and managed by the University of Wales, Swansea and is located on the university campus. The venue hosts a broad programme of events including cinema screenings, an average of ten visiting exhibitions per year, and a variety of live performances, from dance and...
on the university campus has a theatre, opened in 1984. Other theatres include the Dylan Thomas Theatre (formerly the Little Theatre) near the marina, and one in Penyrheol Leisure Centre near
GorseinonGorseinon is a town in south west 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 north west of the city centre...
. Fluellen Theatre Company is a professional theatre company based in Swansea performing regularly at the Grand Theatre. In the summer, outdoor Shakespeare performances are a regular feature at
Oystermouth CastleOystermouth Castle is a Norman stone castle in Wales, overlooking Swansea Bay on the east side of the Gower peninsula near the village of Mumbles.- The Early Castle :...
, and
Singleton ParkSingleton Park is the largest urban park in the city of Swansea and is located in Sketty. The park has hosted many entertainment and cultural events such as Party in the Park and Proms in the Park which were regular events by local stations The Wave 96.4 FM & Swansea Sound and other music events...
is the venue for a number of parties and concerts, from dance music to outdoor Proms. Outside the city,
PontardawePontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales...
hosts an annual folk festival. Another folk festival is held on Gower. Standing near Victoria Park on the coast road is the Patti Pavilion; this was the Winter Garden from Adelina Patti's Craig-y-Nos estate in the upper Swansea valley, which she donated to the town in 1918. It is used as a venue for music shows and fairs. The
Brangwyn HallThe Brangwyn Hall is a concert venue in Swansea. It is named after the artist Frank Brangwyn, whose famous "panels", originally intended for the House of Lords, are displayed there....
is a multi-use venue with events such as the graduation ceremonies for Swansea University. Every autumn, Swansea hosts a Festival of Music and the Arts, when international orchestras and soloists visit the Brangwyn Hall. The Brangwyn Hall is praised for its acoustics for recitals, orchestral pieces and chamber music alike.
Festivals
Swansea hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1863, 1891, 1907, 1926, 1964, 1982 and 2006. The 2006 event occupied the site of the former
FelindreFelindre is a rural village in south Wales. The village can be found in the far north of Swansea, in the electoral ward of Mawr.The nearby Lower Lliw Reservoirs are a popular venue for walking and fishing. The water mill in the village was working until the late 1960s, there was also an abbatoir...
tinplate works to the north of the city and featured a strikingly pink main tent. The international BeyondTv film festival has been hosted in Swansea since 2000 by Swansea based media charity Undercurrents.
Welsh language
There are many
Welsh-languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic spoken natively in Wales, in England by some along the Welsh border and in the Welsh immigrant colony in the Chubut Valley in Argentine Patagonia....
chapels and churches in the area. Welsh-medium education is a popular and growing choice for both English- and Welsh-speaking parents, leading to claims in the local press in autumn 2004 that, to accommodate demand, the council planned to close an English-medium school in favour of opening a new Welsh-medium school. The Welsh-medium school is named
Bryn Tawe, and is located in the buildings of the former Penlan boys' school, which itself was merged with the girls' school at Mynyddbach on that site to become Daniel James Community School. This arrangement was a subject of considerable controversy in the period leading up to Bryn Tawe's inauguration.
45% of the rural council ward
MawrMawr is both an electoral ward and a community of the City and County of Swansea, Wales. Mawr has its own elected community council.Mawr falls within in the parliamentary constituency of Gower...
speak
WelshWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic spoken natively in Wales, in England by some along the Welsh border and in the Welsh immigrant colony in the Chubut Valley in Argentine Patagonia....
, as do 38% of the ward of
PontarddulaisPontarddulais is a name of an electoral ward and parish of the City and County of Swansea, south Wales. The parish of Pontarddulais has its own elected town council....
.
ClydachClydach is the name of an electoral ward, a community and a town in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The town has its own elected community council serving the community....
,
KingsbridgeKingsbridge , is a village in the City and County of Swansea, Wales falling within the Kingsbridge ward. Kingsbridge lies between Garden Village, Gorseinon, Gowerton and Loughor....
and
Upper LoughorUpper Loughor is an electoral ward in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. The ward covers the eastern part of the town of Loughor in the parliamentary constituency of Gower....
all have levels of more than 20%. By contrast, the urban
St. ThomasSt Thomas is a suburban district and community in Swansea, Wales. It is a mainly residential area which lies east of Swansea city centre across the River Tawe and falls within the St Thomas ward. The southern boundary is formed by the Fabian Way...
has one of the lowest figures in Wales, at 6.4%, a figure only barely lower than
PenderryPenderry is the name of an electoral ward and a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. Penderry does not have a community council....
and
TownhillTownhill is the name of a hill and residential district in Swansea, Wales, UK.-Townhill district:The suburb of Townhill falls within the Townhill ward. The district of Townhill consists of a council estate spread over a steep hill of the same name bordering Mayhill and visible from the Swansea...
wards.
Food
Local produce includes
cockleCockle may refer to:* Cockle * Cockle * Berwick cockles, a confectionery from Scotland* The phrase 'warm the cockles of one's heart' refers to the ventricles of the heart...
s and laverbread which are sourced from the Loughor estuary. Local Gower salt marsh lamb is produced from sheep which are raised in the salt marshes of the Loughor estuary.
Notable people
People from Swansea are known locally as Swansea Jacks, or just Jacks. The source of this nickname is not clear. Some attribute it to
Swansea JackSwansea Jack was a famous dog whose name lives on in the nickname given to natives of Swansea, Wales.Many people believe that this stems from the famous dog of that name. Others claim that the derivation is from the nickname given to Swansea's sailors, who had a reputation as skilled and...
, the life-saving dog.
On the literary stage, the poet
Dylan ThomasDylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer[, Encyclopædia Britannica . Retrieved 11 January 2008.] who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
is perhaps the best-known. He was born in the town and grew up at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Uplands. There is a memorial to him in the nearby
Cwmdonkin ParkCwmdonkin Park is an urban park situated in the Uplands area of Swansea, south Wales. The park has a bandstand, children's play area, water gardens, tennis courts, and a bowling green.- History :...
; his take on Swansea was that it was an "ugly lovely town". In the 1930s Thomas was a member of a group of local artists, writers and musicians known as The Kardomah Gang.
Other former residents include:
- Alan Woods
- Ivor Allchurch
Ivor John Allchurch MBE was a Welsh footballer.During his professional career Allchurch played for Swansea Town, Newcastle United and Cardiff City, where he amassed 691 games scoring 249 goals. His record of 68 caps for Wales stood until 1986, when it was exceeded by Joey Jones total of 72 caps...
- Keith Allen
Keith Philip George Allen is a Welsh-born actor, comedian, musician, singer–songwriter, artist, author and television presenter. He is the father of British singer Lily Allen.-Acting career:...
- Kevin Allen
Kevin Allen is a Welsh-born screenwriter, film director and film producer, and actor. In 1997, he directed and wrote the cult Welsh black comedy feature Twin Town. He also directed the feature films The Big Tease and Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London, and he directed hit UK TV series Benidorm...
- Kingsley Amis
Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE was an English novelist, poet, critic and teacher. He wrote more than twenty novels, three collections of poetry, short stories, radio and television scripts, and books of social and literary criticism...
- Jimmy Austin
James Phillip "Jimmy" Austin was a professional baseball player and coach.-Early Years:Austin was born in Swansea, Wales, the son of a shipbuilder. He was one of only three Major League baseball players to be born in Wales...
- Mary Balogh
Mary Balogh is a British-Canadian historical romance novelist.-Personal life:...
- Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio presenter, and impressionist most famous for his role as Keith Barret in the BBC comedy Marion and Geoff and its spin-off The Keith Barret Show, as well as the host of panel quiz shows Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive and Would I Lie To...
- Nicole Cooke
- John Charles
William John Charles, CBE , commonly known as John Charles, was a Welsh football player best remembered for spells with Leeds United and Juventus. Rated by many as the greatest all-round footballer ever to come from Wales, he was equally adept at centre-forward or centre-back...
- Mel Charles
Melvyn Charles is a Welsh former professional footballer. He played at both centre forward and centre half, and is the brother of John Charles and father of ex-footballer Jeremy Charles.-Club career:...
- Chris Coleman
Christopher Coleman is a Welsh football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Coventry City....
- Robert Croft
Robert Damien Bale Croft is a Welsh cricketer who has played international cricket for both England and Wales. He is an off-spin bowler who plays for Glamorgan and captained the county from 2003 to 2006...
- Alan Cox
Alan Cox is a British computer programmer heavily involved in the development of the Linux kernel since its early days in 1991...
- Lisa Lee Dark
Lisa Lee Dark , is a Welsh singer and voice actress.-Early life:Dark was born in Clydach, one of the Swansea valleys. She is related to Adelina Patti and Bette Davis Dark was born with a rare inter-sex medical condition called Congenital adrenal hyperplasia...
- Mervyn Davies
Thomas Mervyn Davies , is a former Welsh rugby union player who won 38 caps for Wales as a No. 8.Davies was born in Swansea, where he attended Penlan Comprehensive School....
- Russell T Davies
- Charles Fisher
Charles Fisher was a Welsh writer, poet and adventurer. Charles was the last surviving member of the Kardomah group, a literary and artistic circle in Swansea circa 1930, which included Dylan Thomas, Vernon Watkins and Daniel Jones...
- Mike Gibbins
Michael George Gibbins was a Welsh musician, best known for being the drummer in the rock group Badfinger....
- James Henry Govier
James 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 on the Gower coast in South Wales, where James was educated at the local school. At the age of fourteen he left...
- Iris Gower
Iris Gower is a Swansea-based novelist. Her historical romances are all set within Swansea and Gower in South Wales.Born in 1939, Iris now lives in Derwen Fawr, a part of Sketty, Swansea...
- Clive Granger
Sir Clive William John Granger was a British economist, and Professor Emeritus at the University of California, San Diego. In 2003, Granger was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. In bestowing this honor, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences committee recognized that Granger...
- Pete Ham
Peter William Ham was a Welsh singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the leader of the group Badfinger.- Early life :...
- John Hartson
John Hartson is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a striker, best known for his spells with Arsenal and Celtic. Hartson also featured prominently for Wales, earning 51 caps until his international retirement in 2006...
- Michael Heseltine
Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC is a British businessman, Conservative politician and patron of the Tory Reform Group....
- Ian Hislop
Ian David Hislop is a British satirist, writer, broadcaster and editor of the magazine Private Eye. He has appeared on many radio and television programmes, most notably as a team captain on the BBC current affairs quiz Have I Got News for You.-Early life:Hislop was born in Mumbles, Swansea in...
- Shaheen Jafargholi
Shaheen Jafargholi is a Welsh child actor and singer from Swansea, Wales. He is of both Iranian and Welsh descent. He appeared on ITV's Britain's Got Talent show and sang "Who's Lovin' You" at Michael Jackson's globally televised public memorial service in July 2009.-Life:Shaheen Jafargholi lives...
- Leighton James
Leighton James is a former Wales international footballer.Leighton started his career as a Left Winger with Burnley making his league debut in November 1970 against Nottingham Forest ,...
- Robbie James
Robert Mark James was a Welsh international footballer who played for many teams including Swansea City, Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers....
- Alfred Janes
Alfred Janes was a Welsh artist, best known as a member of the circle of Dylan Thomas and Vernon Watkins.Janes was born in Swansea, and first met Thomas, who was a few years his junior, at Bishop Gore School. A mutual friend was the composer Daniel Jones...
- Andrew Jones
Andrew Jones is a British screenwriter and director.-Biography:Began his career in 2004 when he had his first script, a horror film entitled Stray Dogs, optioned for a small fee by a US production company. Set up the South Wales based production company Steel & Glass Films Ltd with the proceeds in...
- Colin Jones
- Daniel Jones
Daniel Jenkyn Jones OBE was a Welsh composer of classical music.Jones was born in Pembroke, Wales. He studied at the University of Wales and the Royal Academy of Music, where his teachers included Sir Henry Wood...
- Jack Kelsey
Alfred John "Jack" Kelsey was a Welsh international football goalkeeper, who also played for Arsenal. He is regarded as, one of the greatest goalkeepers to play for Wales....
- Tony Lewis
Anthony Robert Lewis CBE is a former Welsh cricketer, who went on to become the face of BBC TV cricket coverage in the 1990s and to become president of the Marylebone Cricket Club. Lewis attended Christ's College, Cambridge and played for Cambridge University. He also played for Glamorgan and for...
- Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland
Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland is a member of the Swedish Royal Family.-Early life:Born in Swansea, Wales, the daughter of William John Davies and wife Gladys Mary Curran, her first name was originally spelled Lillian, but she dropped one L when she became a fashion model...
- Enzo Maccarinelli
Enzo Maccarinelli is a Welsh professional boxer who fights in the cruiserweight division and is a former WBO & WBU champion.- Professional career :...
- John Maddox
Sir John Royden Maddox, FRS was a British science writer. He was an editor of Nature for 22 years, from 1966-1973 and 1980-1995.-Academics and honors:...
- Man
Man are a rock band from South Wales whose style is a mixture of West Coast pychedelia, progressive rock, blues and country-rock. Formed in 1968 as a reincarnation of Welsh rock harmony group ‘’The Bystanders’’, Man are renowned for the extended jams in their live performances, and having had...
- Sean Mathias
Sean Gerard Mathias is a British theatre director, film director, writer and actor.He was born in Swansea, south Wales. He is known for directing the film, Bent, and for directing highly acclaimed theatre productions in London, New York, Cape Town, Los Angeles and Sydney...
- Terry Medwin
Terence "Terry" Medwin is a former Welsh footballer.He moved from Swansea Town to Tottenham Hotspur for £25,000 in May 1956, and played there until 1963 when a broken leg that forced his early retirement. During this period he scored 72 goals in 215 matches in all competitions and helped the club...
- Andy Melville
Andrew Roger Melville is a Welsh former professional footballer. In the early years of his career, he played in midfield. He was later converted into a central defender....
- Paul Moriarty
W. Paul Moriarty is a Welsh former international rugby union and rugby league footballer. He is currently employed as forwards coach at the Scarlets....
- Richard Moriarty
Richard 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....
- Beau Nash
Beau Nash , born Richard Nash, was a celebrated dandy and leader of fashion in 18th-century Britain. He is best remembered as the Master of Ceremonies at the spa town of Bath.- Biography :...
- Alan Petherbridge
Alan Petherbridge MBE is a British Olympic athlete and holds a kudan in Judo, one of only four in the world....
- Dewi Zephaniah Phillips
- Mal Pope
Mal Pope , is a Welsh musician and composer who is especially notable for his contribution to music theatre portraying Welsh national identities and themes...
- Craig Quinnell
Craig Quinnell is a former Welsh Rugby Union player.Craig Quinnell played 54 games for the Cardiff club between November 1999 and May 2002 and established himself as one of the backbones of the pack. Though often in the firing line from opposition forwards, he never took a step backwards and was a...
- Scott Quinnell
Scott Quinnell is a former Welsh international rugby league and rugby union player, who was a number 8 for Wales, Llanelli RFC, the Llanelli Scarlets and the Lions. He scored 11 tries for Wales and captained his country on 7 occasions in rugby union.-Biography:Scott is the son of former Welsh...
- Ceri Richards
Ceri Geraldus Richards , was a Welsh painter.Richards was born the mining village of Dunvant, near Swansea. After studying drawing in his home town, he attended a summer school at Gregynog, where he became interested in modern art and drawn to the work of Claude Monet...
- John Sachs
John Sachs is a British television presenter, voiceover and commentator known for his narration on the original series of Gladiators and as a long time DJ on London's 95.8 CapitalFM....
- Dean Saunders
Dean Nicholas Saunders is a former Welsh footballer who played as a striker in a professional career which lasted from 1982 until 2001. He is manager of Wrexham.He is probably best known for playing for Aston Villa...
- Harry Secombe
Sir Harry Donald Secombe, CBE was a Welsh entertainer with a noted fine tenor singing voice and a talent for comedy. He is best known for playing Neddie Seagoon, the central character in The Goon Show , a BBC radio comedy series...
- The Storys
The Storys are a Welsh rock band from Swansea, Wales, UK, formed in Spring 2003. Their main influence is 1970s U.S. West Coast bands in the country-rock genre...
- Haydn Tanner
Haydn Tanner was a Welsh international rugby union player who also played for the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians....
- Gary Taylor
Gary Taylor is a former strongman from Wales who won the World's Strongest Man contest in 1993...
- Rob Terry
Robert "Rob" Terry is a Welsh professional wrestler and bodybuilder, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.- World Wrestling Entertainment :...
- Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer[, Encyclopædia Britannica . Retrieved 11 January 2008.] who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
- Wynford Vaughan-Thomas
Lewis John Wynford Vaughan-Thomas CBE was a Welsh newspaper journalist and radio and television broadcaster with a lengthy career. In later life he took the name Vaughan-Thomas after his father....
- Viva Machine
Viva Machine were a welsh rock band who started out in 2003 under the name Ipsofacto before changing their name and reinventing themselves in 2006 under the name Viva Machine, and later in 2008 adding a second guitarist and synth player Justin Hendy...
- Vernon Watkins
Vernon Watkins , was a Welsh poet, and a painter.-Family history and upbringing:Vernon was born in Maesteg in Glamorgan, and brought up mainly in Swansea. His birth coincided with slight earth tremors; another baby born that night was christened John Earthquake Jones...
- Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams is an Anglican bishop and theologian. He is the current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003....
- Shane Williams
Shane Mark Williams is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a for the Ospreys and Wales, and who can also play . Williams is notable for his well-known side-step, acceleration and his ability to find open space through opposition defence. Shane has been described as one of the most exciting...
- Terry Williams
Terry Williams is a Welsh rock drummer, whose resume includes work for Dire Straits, B. B. King, and Bob Dylan....
- Nick Wire
- Lloyd Woolf
Lloyd Woolf is a British comedian and member of the four man group Cowards, which also includes Tim Key, Tom Basden and Stefan Golaszewski.Woolf was born in Swansea...
- Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta Jones is a Welsh actress, currently based in the United States. She began her career on stage at an early age. After starring in a number of UK and US television films and small roles in films, she came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as The Phantom, The Mask of...
- Sally-Anne Rees
Sport
Strong local rivalries exist between Swansea and
CardiffCardiff City Football Club is a football team based in Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff are currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City play their home games at the Cardiff City Stadium. Until May 2009, Cardiff played at Ninian Park....
in
footballFootball is the name of several similar team sports, all of which involve kicking a ball with the foot in an attempt to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
,
SwanseaSwansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
and
LlanelliLlanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
and the Ospreys and
ScarletsThe Scarlets are a Welsh professional rugby union team based in south-west Wales. They play in the Magners League, as well as competing in the EDF Energy Cup and the Heineken Cup...
in
RugbyRugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...
.
Swansea City A.F.C.Swansea City Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales, currently playing in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1912, they joined the Football League in 1920, and have been members ever since....
moved from the
Vetch FieldVetch Field was a multi-purpose stadium in Swansea, Wales. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home ground of Swansea City until the Liberty Stadium opened in 2005. Opened in 1912, the ground held around 12,000 at the time of its closure, but upwards of 30,000 at its peak...
to the new
Liberty StadiumLiberty Stadium may refer to:*Liberty Stadium in Swansea, Wales*Liberty Stadium in Ibadan, Nigeria*Liberty Stadium in Salonta, Romania-See also:*Liberty Bank Stadium, Des Moines, Iowa, USA...
at the start of the 2005–2006 season, winning promotion to League One in their final year at their old home.
Swansea has four clubs that play in
Welsh Football LeagueThe Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales. The First Division of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.Despite its name, the Welsh football league covers only the south of Wales...
:
Garden VillageGarden Village Association Football Club is a football club, based in Swansea, south west Wales and currently playing in the Second Division of the Welsh Football League...
, Morriston Town,
South GowerSouth Gower A.F.C. is a football club based in Scurlage in Wales, currently playing in the Welsh Football League Third Division.During the 2008-09 season South Gower were playing in the Swansea Senior League Division One when it was decided that the club should apply for membership to the Welsh...
and
West EndWest End Football Club is a football team, based in the Mayhill area of Swansea, Wales, and play in the First Division of the Welsh Football League...
.
In 2003,
Swansea RFCSwansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
merged with
Neath RFCNeath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white Maltese cross as an emblem...
to form the Neath-Swansea Ospreys rugby club. Swansea RFC remained at St Helen's in semi-professional form, but the Ospreys moved into the Liberty Stadium in Landore for the start of the 2005–2006 season. Neath-Swansea rugby games used to be hotly-contested matches, such that there was some debate about whether a team incorporating both areas was possible. The team came fifth in the
Celtic LeagueThe Magners League is an annual rugby union competition involving regional sides from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is one of the three major leagues in Europe, along with the English Guinness Premiership and the French Top 14...
in their first year of existence and topping that league in their second year.
St Helens Rugby and Cricket GroundSt. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground is a spectator venue in Swansea, Wales. It is used for both rugby and cricket.It is owned and operated by the City and County of Swansea council and is also used to host the local annual Guy Fawkes night fireworks display...
is the home of
Swansea RFCSwansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
and
Glamorgan County Cricket ClubGlamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Its limited overs team is called the...
have previously played matches there. In this ground, Sir
Garfield SobersSir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers AO is a former cricketer who captained West Indies. His first name of Garfield is variously abbreviated as Gary or Garry. He is widely regarded as cricket's greatest ever all-rounder, having excelled at all the essential skills of batting, bowling and fielding...
hit six sixes in one over; the first time this was achieved in a game of
first-class cricketFirst-class cricket refers to the class of cricket matches of three or more days scheduled duration, between two sides of eleven players and officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
. The final ball landed on the ground past the Cricketers' pub just outside the ground. It is also the home of the tallest floodlight stand in Europe.
Swansea's
rugby leagueRugby league football is a full-contact form of football, played with a prolate spheroid ball by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. Rugby league is one of the two codes of rugby football, the other being rugby union...
side plays seven miles outside the county in the small town of
YstalyferaYstalyfera is a former industrial village situated on the River Tawe in the unitary authority of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. The estimated population for Ystalyfera and neighbouring Ystradgynlais is 10,247, with an estimate of 4,000 for Ystalyfera itself...
. They are known as the Swansea Valley Miners but were formed as the Swansea Bulls in 2002.
The Swansea Bowls Stadium opened in early 2008. The stadium hosted the World Indoor Singles and Mixed Pairs Championship in April 2008 and the Gravelles Welsh International Open Bowls Championships in 2009.
Religion
In 2001, 158,457 people in Swansea (71 per cent) stated their religion as
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
, 44,286 (20 per cent)
no religionIrreligion is an absence of religion, indifference to religion, and/or hostility to religion. Depending on the context, it may be understood as referring to atheism, deism, nontheism, agnosticism, ignosticism, antireligion, skepticism, freethought, or secular humanism. Irreligious people may have...
, 16,800 (7.5 per cent) did not state a religion and 2,167 were
MuslimIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
. There are small communities of other religions, each making up less than 1 per cent of the total population.
Swansea is part of the
AnglicanThe Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches. There is no single "Anglican Church" with universal juridical authority as each national or regional church has full autonomy...
Diocese of Swansea and BreconThe Diocese of Swansea and Brecon was established as a Diocese of the Church in Wales in 1923 with Brecon Priory as the Cathedral. The Diocese has a border with five other Welsh Dioceses, as well as with the English Diocese of Hereford....
and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia. The
Catholic seeThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and speaks for the whole Catholic...
is based in Swansea at
Cathedral Church of Saint JosephThe Cathedral Church of Saint Joseph is the Roman Catholic cathedral of the Diocese of Menevia. St. Joseph's Cathedral is located in the Greenhill area of Swansea, Wales....
in the Greenhill area. The city is home to 10 per cent of the total Welsh Muslim population; Swansea's Muslim community is raising money to open a new central mosque and community centre in the former
St Andrews United Reform ChurchThe present Swansea Mosque is located in a commercial building on St. Helen's Road Swansea, Wales serving the Muslim community in Swansea.A project is currently underway to re-develop larger mosque on the site of a disused church building nearby on St. Helen's Road. The disued church building was...
. This would be in addition to the four other existing mosques (Swansea University Mosque, Hafod Mosque, Imam Khoei Mosque and the original Swansea City Mosque). Dharmavajra Kadampa Buddhist Centre, Swansea Synagogue and Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall are all located in the
UplandsUplands is a suburb of Swansea, Wales. It lies about a mile to the west of Swansea city centre, and falls within the Uplands electoral ward. It is centred around the A4118 road, which links Swansea city centre and Sketty. The main road begins as Walter Road from the east, and becomes Sketty Road...
area. The international Kagyu Buddhist group 'Pulpung Changchub Dargyeling'
http://www.palpung.org/ also holds regular meetings in Swansea.
Swansea, like Wales in general, has seen many non-conformist religious
revivalsThe term Welsh Revival usually refers to the 1904–1905 Welsh Revival.It may also refer to the 18th century Welsh Methodist revival....
. In 1904,
Evan RobertsEvan John Roberts , was a leading figure of the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival who suffered many setbacks in his later life.His obituary in The Western Mail summed up his career thus:- Early life :...
, a miner from
LoughorLoughor 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....
(Llwchwr), just outside Swansea, was the leader of what has been called one of the world's greatest
ProtestantProtestantism is a branch within Christianity, containing many denominations with some differing practices and doctrines, that principally originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the major divisions within Christianity, together with the Roman...
religious revivals. Within a few months about 100,000 people were converted. This revival in particular had a profound effect on Welsh society. The "Welsh Revival" of 1904 is acknowledged as having been an instigator of, and a major influence on the twentieth century's Pentecostal movement. One of its first overseas influences was seen in the African American church: the Azusa Street Revival, beginning 9 April 1906 at Los Angeles, USA.
Future plans
Swansea City Centre is undergoing a transformation until 2015. £1 billion is to be spent on improvements. A large area of the city is earmarked for redevelopment. A new city-centre retail precinct is planned involving demolition of the dilapidated St. David's Shopping Centre which has three or four traders, about 13% of the retail space in the centre and the
Quadrant Shopping CentreThe Quadrant Shopping Centre is the principal under-cover shopping centre in the city of Swansea, Wales. The centre originally opened in 1979. Since the 1980s it has been home to the Swansea Devil, a controversial carved wooden statue of the Devil.-Stores:...
. Including relocation of the
TescoTesco plc is a UK-based international grocery and general merchandising retail chain. It is the largest British retailer by both global sales and domestic market share, with profits exceeding £3 billion. It is currently the third largest global retailer based on revenue, behind Wal-Mart and...
Superstore near to the city's Sainsbury's store in
Parc TaweParc Tawe is a retail park and leisure area in Swansea, Wales. It is located in the eastern area of the city centre on the west bank of the River Tawe in the Lower Swansea valley....
, the new retail precinct will be almost four times the size of the Quadrant Centre. The city centre is also being brightened up with street art and new walkways, along with the first phase of the David Evans - Castle Street development. New green spaces will be provided in conjunction with the proposed Quadrant Square and Grand Theatre Square. Redevelopment of the Oxford Street car park and Lower Oxford Street arcades are also planned.
At the sea front, The Tower, Meridian Quay is now Wales's tallest building at a height of over ; upon completion in 2009 it is planned to be in height with a restaurant on the top (29th) floor. It is still under construction adjacent
Swansea MarinaSwansea Marina is a marina located behind the Swansea barrage at the mouth of the River Tawe in Swansea, south Wales. Swansea Marina was awarded blue flag status in June 2005 and has been awarded five gold anchors by the Yacht Harbour Association...
.
Economy
Swansea originally developed as centre for metals and
miningMining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, usually from an ore body, vein or seam. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock salt and potash...
, especially the
copperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is rather soft and malleable and a freshly-exposed surface has a pinkish or peachy color...
industry, from the beginning of the 18th century. The industry reached its apogee in the 1880s, when 60% of the copper ores imported to Britain were smelted in the
Lower Swansea valleyThe Lower Swansea valley is the lower half of the valley of the River Tawe in south Wales. It runs from approximately the level of Clydach down to Swansea docks, where it opens into Swansea Bay and the Bristol Channel...
. However, by the end of the Second World War these heavy industries were in decline, and over the post-war decades Swansea shared in the general trend towards a post-industrial, service sector economy.
Of the 105,900 people estimated to work within the City and County of Swansea, over 90% are employed in the service sectors, with relatively high shares (compared to the Welsh and UK averages) in
public administration, education & health and
banking, finance & insurance, and correspondingly high proportions of employment in occupations associated with the service sector, including professional, administrative/secretarial and sales/customer service occupations. The local authority believes this pattern reflects Swansea's role as a service centre for South West Wales.
Economic activity and employment rates in Swansea were slightly above the Welsh average in October 2008, but lower than the UK average. In 2005, GVA per head in Swansea was £14,302 - nearly 4% above the Welsh average but 20% below the UK average. Median full-time earnings in Swansea were £21,577 in 2007, almost identical to the Welsh average.
Education
Swansea UniversitySwansea University is a university located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. Swansea University was chartered as University College of Swansea in 1920, as the fourth college of the University of Wales, following the report of the Haldane Commission into University Education in Wales...
has a campus in
Singleton ParkSingleton Park is the largest urban park in the city of Swansea and is located in Sketty. The park has hosted many entertainment and cultural events such as Party in the Park and Proms in the Park which were regular events by local stations The Wave 96.4 FM & Swansea Sound and other music events...
overlooking Swansea Bay. Its engineering department is recognised as a centre of excellence with pioneering work on computational techniques for solving engineering design problems. The Department of Physics is renowned for its research achievements at the frontiers of Theoretical Physics, particularly in the areas of Elementary Particle Physics and String Theory. And many other departments such as
HistoryHistory is the study of the human past, with special attention to the written record. Scholars who write about history are called historians. It is a field of research which uses a narrative to examine and analyse the sequence of events, and it often attempts to investigate objectively the patterns...
,
Computer ScienceComputer science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation, and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems. It is frequently described as the systematic study of algorithmic processes that create, describe and transform...
and
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
were awarded an "Excellent" in the last inspection. The university was awarded the Times Higher Education Supplement Award for the UK's "best student experience" in 2005. Other establishments for further and higher education in the city include Swansea Metropolitan University and
Swansea CollegeSwansea College is a further education college in Swansea. It is one of the largest further education colleges in Wales with over 15,000 students and employing approximately 1,000 staff....
, with
Gorseinon CollegeColeg Gorseinon College is a further education college situated to the west of Swansea, in the suburb of Upper Loughor in Gorseinon. It is ranked as one of the best colleges in Wales and the United Kingdom. Recently the college was rated as 'outstanding' by Her Majesty's Inspectorate for Education...
seven miles (11 km) outside the city. Swansea Metropolitan University (formerly Swansea Institute of Higher Education) is particularly well-known for its Architectural Glass department; stained glass being a long time speciality.
In the local authority area, there is one nursery school; six infant schools and five junior schools. There are 77 primary schools, nine of which are Welsh-Medium, and six of which are voluntary aided. There are 15 comprehensive schools under the remit of the local education authority, of which two are Welsh-
mediumMedium of instruction is the language that is used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the territory.-Media of instruction in different countries and regions:*In Australia, most schools use English....
. In addition, there are six special schools.
The oldest school in Swansea is
Bishop Gore SchoolBishop Gore is a secondary school in Swansea, Wales established in 1682.Bishop Gore School was founded on 14 September 1682 by Hugh Gore , Bishop of Waterford and Lismore...
. The largest comprehensive school in Swansea is the
Olchfa SchoolOlchfa School is the largest comprehensive school in Swansea, South Wales, with approximately 1900 pupils. It provides secondary education for GCSEs and tertiary education leading to A-Level qualifications...
. There is one Roman Catholic comprehensive school in the county -
Bishop Vaughan Catholic Comprehensive SchoolThe Bishop Vaughan Catholic Comprehensive School, as its name suggests, is a secondary school associated with the Roman Catholic faith. The premises are located on Mynydd Garnlwyd Road, in the Morriston area of Swansea. In terms of church territory, the school belongs to the Diocese of...
. The Welsh medium schools are
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg GŵyrYsgol Gyfun Gŵyr is a Welsh language medium secondary school in Gowerton, Swansea, Wales, with approximately 800 pupils as of 2006. However, GCSE Science lessons are also held in English. It was established in 1984...
and
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryn TaweYsgol Bryn Tawe is a Welsh-language comprehensive school based in Penlan, Swansea, southwest Wales. It opened in 2003 to complement Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr and to provide additional capacity following the increased demand for Welsh-medium education in the area. Upon its opening, it held only its own...
.
Independent schools in Swansea include
Ffynone House SchoolFfynone House School is an independent secondary school in Swansea, Wales. The school is owned and operated by the Cognita group. Situated in the Ffynone area of the city at 36 St. James Crescent....
, Oakleigh House School and Craig-y-Nos School.
Local media
The local newspaper is the Swansea edition of the
South Wales Evening PostThe South Wales Evening Post is a tabloid evening newspaper that distributed in South West Wales. The paper has three daily editions - Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire and is published by South West Wales Publications, part of the Northcliffe Media group...
. The
Swansea Herald of WalesThe Swansea Herald of Wales is a free local weekly newspaper distributed in the Swansea area of south Wales. It is published by South West Wales Publications.-External links:*...
is a free newspaper which is distributed freely every week to residential addresses. The Cardiff edition of the free daily paper
MetroMetro is the trading name of a free daily newspaper, published by Associated Newspapers Ltd in the United Kingdom...
is distributed throughout the city. The Council also produces a free monthly newspaper called the Swansea Leader.
Swansea LifeSwansea Life is an independent local lifestyle magazine published and distributed in Swansea, Wales. The current editor is Wyn Jenkins.-External links:***...
is a monthly lifestyle magazine published and distributed in Swansea.
Swansea is served by three local radio stations, The Wave on 96.4 FM and DAB,
Swansea SoundSwansea Sound is an Independent local radio station broadcasting to Swansea and surrounding areas. Swansea Sound was the first local radio station in Wales, and has won several awards, including the number one regional station in South Wales....
on 1170 AM and DAB and lastly Bay Radio on 102.1 FM. Swansea University also runs its own radio station,
Xtreme RadioXtreme Radio is a student radio station society at Swansea University in the city of Swansea, Wales run by a team of elected volunteer Executive members, and is located in Union House...
, on 1431 AM.
Since 1924, the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
has maintained a studio in the city;
Dylan ThomasDylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer[, Encyclopædia Britannica . Retrieved 11 January 2008.] who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
worked here in the interwar years, when the studio was used for the
BBC Regional ProgrammeThe BBC Regional Programme was a BBC radio network from the 1920s until the outbreak of World War II.-Foundation:When the BBC first began transmissions on 14 November 1922, the technology for both national coverage and joint programming between transmitters did not exist...
. Currently it has facilities to broadcast live radio and television and is listed as a BBC regional studio. .
In mid 2008, the BBC included Swansea in its "Big Screen" project, and a large live permanent television screen has been sited in Castle Square.
Swansea is one of the few regions in Wales with reasonable
digital radioDigital radio describes radio technologies which carry information as a digital signal, by means of a digital modulation method. The most common meaning is digital audio broadcasting technologies, but the topic may also cover TV broadcasting as well as many two-way digital wireless communication...
coverage, and this was improved further in January 2005 with the launch of the Swansea
DABDigital Audio Broadcasting , is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
multiplex, which carries a number of local and regional stations. The
Kilvey HillKilvey Hill is a hill to the east of Swansea city centre. Kilvey Hill is high and is classed as a Sub Marilyn. The top of Kilvey Hill enjoys panoramic views of Swansea city centre, Swansea Docks, Swansea Bay, the Lower Swansea Valley, Bon-y-maen, Neath and Port Talbot.There are a number of...
transmitter provides digital terrestrial TV, DAB, analogue radio and TV in the Swansea area, and the city is also in the catchment areas of the Wenvoe transmitter (in the
Vale of GlamorganThe Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in in the southern part of Glamorgan, south Wales...
) and the Carmel transmitter in
CarmarthenshireCarmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. Its three largest towns are Carmarthen, Llanelli and Ammanford...
.
Independent filmmakers
UndercurrentsUndercurrents is an alternative video news network which began with the UK distribution of videotapes shot by volunteers. It has since expanded to include a web presence, media training for volunteers, and a film festival, BeyondTV.-History:...
and Studio8 are based in Swansea, and the city plays host to the
BeyondTVBeyondTV is an international video festival in Swansea. Organised by independent filmmakers Undercurrents, BeyondTV has taken place since 2000 in various venues, from the Patti Pavilion, BeyondTV 2005-06 in the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea Marina. BeyondTV 2005 hosted the Misty Awards for...
Film Festival. BeyondTV is annual event organised by Undercurrents to showcase the best of activism filmmakers. Swansea has also hosted the annual Swansea Bay Film Festival, where past-winning directors have included Gareth Evans, Anthony James,
Alun D PugheAlun D Pughe is an award-winning Welsh film and music video director.-Biography:Alun's career began in 2005 with a fifteen minute psychological film noir entitled The Girl, the Gun and the Desert. After the film was optioned for a European graphic novel adaptation it was nominated and later won...
and
Andrew Jones (filmmaker)Andrew Jones is a British screenwriter and director.-Biography:Began his career in 2004 when he had his first script, a horror film entitled Stray Dogs, optioned for a small fee by a US production company. Set up the South Wales based production company Steel & Glass Films Ltd with the proceeds in...
.
Representation in the media
Swansea has been used as a filming location for the films
Only Two Can PlayOnly Two Can Play is a 1962 comedy film based on the novel That Uncertain Feeling by Kingsley Amis. Sidney Gilliat directed the film from a screenplay by Bryan Forbes....
and
Twin TownTwin Town is a 1997 black comedy film made and set in Swansea, south Wales, although some parts were filmed in Port Talbot and Briton Ferry. It was directed by Kevin Allen and had a working title of Hot Dog; a hot dog van features in a number of scenes in the film. It stars real-life brothers Rhys...
, the TV series
Mine All MineMine All Mine is a British television series produced by Red Production Company for ITV. It was written by Russell T Davies and starred Griff Rhys Jones...
and in episodes of
Doctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious alien time-traveller known as "the Doctor" who travels in his space and time-ship, the TARDIS, which normally appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s police box...
.
Swansea was the first city in Wales to feature in its own version of the board game
MonopolyMonopoly is a board game published by Parker Brothers, a subsidiary of Hasbro. The game is named after the economic concept of monopoly, the domination of a market by a single entity....
. The Swansea edition of Monopoly features 33 local landmarks, including the
Mumbles PierThe Mumbles Pier is an 835ft/225m long Victorian pier built in 1898. It is located at the south-eastern corner of Swansea Bay near the village of Mumbles in Swansea, Wales.-Construction:...
and the
National Waterfront MuseumThe National Waterfront Museum, Swansea or NWMS is a museum situated in Swansea, Wales, forming part of the National Museum Wales. It is an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage....
; the game has been produced in both English and Welsh.
Public services
Swansea is policed by the
South Wales PoliceSouth Wales Police is one of the four territorial police forces in Wales. Its headquarters are based in Bridgend.Covering Wales' capital city, Cardiff, as well as Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Swansea, and the western South Wales Valleys, it is the largest police force in Wales in terms of population,...
. The regional headquarters for the Swansea area is Cockett police station. Ambulance services are provided by the Wales Ambulance Service, and fire services by the
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue ServiceThe Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is the fire and rescue service covering the Welsh principal areas of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Powys and Swansea....
.
Swansea AirportSwansea Airport is an aerodrome located at Fairwood Common on the Gower peninsula to the west of Swansea, Wales.-Operations:Swansea Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee...
is one of the country's three Wales Air Ambulance bases, the others being
WelshpoolWelshpool Airport is located 2 nautical miles south west of Welshpool, Powys, Wales.Welshpool Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee...
and
CaernarfonCaernarfon Airport is located southwest of Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales.Caernarfon Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee...
. Local public healthcare services are operated by
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS TrustAbertawe Bro Morgannwg NHS University Trust is an NHS Trust in Wales. ABM covers Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend county borough and the western part of Vale of Glamorgan. It was formed on the 1 April 2008 from the merger of Swansea NHS Trust and Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust...
who operate two hospitals in Swansea with
Accident and EmergencyThe emergency department , sometimes termed the emergency room , emergency ward , accident & emergency department or casualty department is a hospital or primary care department that provides initial treatment to patients with a broad spectrum of illnesses and injuries, some of which may be...
services:
Singleton HospitalSingleton Hospital is a 550 bed hospital located in Sketty Lane, Swansea, Wales, operated by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust. The main building was completed in 1958. The hospital adjoins Singleton Park and the main campus of the Swansea University where there is a nursing school and a...
and
Morriston HospitalMorriston Hospital is a 750 bed hospital located in Cwmrhydyceirw near Morriston in Swansea, Wales. Morriston is the largest hospital in the city and county of Swansea and is operated by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust. Alongside its role as a district general hospital, Morriston is a...
.
Waste managementWaste management is the collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal, and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics. Waste management is...
services are coordinated by the local council which deals with refuse collection and recycling, and operates five
civic amenity siteA civic amenity site or household waste recycling centre is a facility where the public can dispose of household waste and also often containing recycling points. Civic amenity sites are run by the local authority in a given area. Collection points for recyclable waste such as green waste,...
s. The
electricityElectricity is a general term that encompasses a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge...
distribution network operatorDistribution network operators are companies licensed to distribute electricity in Great Britain by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets....
supplying Swansea is
Western Power DistributionWestern Power Distribution is the trading identity of two electricity distribution companies - WPD South West and WPD South Wales both companies act as the distribution network operators for their respective regions...
.
Welsh WaterDŵr Cymru / Welsh Water is a company which supplies drinking water and wastewater services to most of Wales and parts of western England.It is regulated under the Water Industry Act 1991.-History:...
provides
drinking waterDrinking water or potable water is water of sufficiently high quality that it can be consumed or used without risk of immediate or long term harm...
supply and
wastewaterWastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. It comprises liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industry, and/or agriculture and can encompass a wide range of potential contaminants and concentrations...
services to Swansea. There is a water treatment works at
Crymlyn BurrowsCrymlyn Burrows is an area of land in Wales, UK to the east of Swansea city centre, and south of Crymlyn Bog. It is bounded by Jersey Marine Beach to the south and the River Neath to the east...
. Reservoirs which supply Swansea include the
Cray reservoirCray Reservoir is a storage reservoir located in the Brecon Beacons National Park for the water supply to the city of Swansea in South Wales and was built between 1898 and 1906 by Swansea Corporation....
and the Lliw Reservoirs, which are operated by Welsh Water. The Local Gas Distribution company is Wales and West Utilities.
Public order
There was a high rate of car crime during the 1990s. The BBC has described Swansea as a "black spot for car crime", for example. However, over the past few years, there seems to have been a decline in car crime, possibly due to national media awareness or economic trends. Car crime is a central theme in the film
Twin TownTwin Town is a 1997 black comedy film made and set in Swansea, south Wales, although some parts were filmed in Port Talbot and Briton Ferry. It was directed by Kevin Allen and had a working title of Hot Dog; a hot dog van features in a number of scenes in the film. It stars real-life brothers Rhys...
, which is set in and around Swansea.
The football violence that Swansea experienced during the 1970s-1990s has considerably reduced, the only major clashes occurring between Swansea City supporters and Cardiff City supporters. Many matches between these sides have ended in violence in both Swansea and Cardiff. These two clubs have a long history of intense rivalry, being described in the media as
tribal.
Transport
The
M4 motorwayThe M4 motorway is a motorway in Great Britain linking London with West 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....
crosses though Swansea (junctions 44 to 47 inclusive). The
A48The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
, formerly a trunk road, passes through the north of the city centre, through Llansamlet and past Morriston. The A48 and the M4 connect Swansea with other towns and cities including
Port TalbotPort Talbot is an industrial town in south Wales, UK, with a population of 35,633 in 2001. Port Talbot is now a part of the unitary authority of Neath Port Talbot county borough.-History:...
,
BridgendBridgend is a town in the County Borough of Bridgend in Wales. It is roughly equidistant between the cities of Cardiff and Swansea. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
,
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the...
,
BristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London, and east of Cardiff.With an estimated population of 416,400 for the unitary authority in mid-2007, and a surrounding urban area with an estimated 561,500 residents, it is England's sixth, and...
and
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
to the east and
LlanelliLlanelli , the largest town in the county of Carmarthenshire, 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 tradition and is a centre of tinplate production...
and
Cross HandsCross Hands is a village in Carmarthenshire, Wales about 12 miles from Carmarthen . It is supposedly named from the practice of prisoners intended for jail in Carmarthen and Swansea being staged for exchange. Cross Hands has since become a busy little village with its own shopping centre and has...
to the west. The
A483The A483 is a major road in the United Kingdom, running from Swansea in Wales to Chester in England.-Swansea:From the M4 motorway Junction 42, just east of Swansea, it travels west along the Fabian way towards Swansea where it turns to a northwesterly direction towards the M4 motorway junction 47...
passes though the city centre, providing a link to the
Heads of Valleys RoadThe A465 is a major road in south Wales. It is more commonly known as the Heads of the Valleys Road because it joins together the north ends of the South Wales Valleys. An Ordnance Survey Pathfinder Guide describes it as the unofficial border between rural and industrial South Wales.- The Route...
to the west. On departing to the north, the A483 continues through mid Wales via towns like Ammanford,
Builth WellsBuilth Wells is a town in the county of Powys, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, mid Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Wye and the River Irfon, in the Welsh of the Wye Valley.-History and geography:...
and Newtown and terminates at
ChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
. The
A4067The A4067 road is an A road in Wales connecting Swansea with Sennybridge. It runs in a southwest to northeast direction beginning at Oystermouth Square in Mumbles, Swansea, and continuing from there to Swansea city centre, where there is a break in the route...
(Swansea Valley Road) links Swansea with settlements in the
Swansea ValleyThe Swansea Valley , one of the South Wales Valleys, encompasses the upper reaches of the River Tawe area in Wales, UK, upstream from Swansea. Today, the area is divided between the City and County of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, and Powys....
and continues towards
BreconBrecon is a long-established market town in southern Powys, mid Wales, with a population of roughly 8,000 with around 6,000 in the surrounding area...
.
Park and RidePark and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and others wishing to travel into city centres to leave their personal vehicles in a car park and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
services are operated from car parks at
LandoreLandore is the name of an electoral ward, a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The community does not have a community council....
, Fabian Way and
FforestfachFforestfach is a suburban district of Swansea, Wales. It lies within the Cockett ward. The area is residential combined with light industry and out of town shopping due to its proximity to the M4 motorway and several dual carriageways. Famous names like Marks and Spencer and Walkers Crisps had...
. During busy periods of the year, additional Park and Ride services are operated from the
BrynmillBrynmill is a suburb of the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. It lies about two miles to the west of Swansea city centre. It is a residential area forming the southern part of the Uplands electoral ward. As it is close to Swansea university, many students choose to rent rooms here during...
recreation ground.
Bus routes within Swansea are operated predominately by
First CymruFirst 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...
and
Veolia Transport CymruVeolia Transport Cymru is a division of the Veolia Transport group , part of the French multinational Veolia Environnement. Since its formation, Veolia has acquired a number of smaller operators in Wales. Companies acquired by Veolia Transport Cymru include: Bebb Travel, Pullman Coaches, Longs,...
, originating from Swansea bus station. First operates the
Swansea MetroThe Swansea Metro is an unguided bus rapid transit route being implemented in Swansea, Wales. The route will be served by FTR articulated buses in an attempt to relieve traffic congestion and provide alternative transport to cars....
, a road-based FTR
bus rapid transitBus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems that use buses to provide a service that is of a higher speed than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
route, introduced between
Morriston HospitalMorriston Hospital is a 750 bed hospital located in Cwmrhydyceirw near Morriston in Swansea, Wales. Morriston is the largest hospital in the city and county of Swansea and is operated by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust. Alongside its role as a district general hospital, Morriston is a...
and
Singleton HospitalSingleton Hospital is a 550 bed hospital located in Sketty Lane, Swansea, Wales, operated by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust. The main building was completed in 1958. The hospital adjoins Singleton Park and the main campus of the Swansea University where there is a nursing school and a...
in 2009, and a shuttle bus (Service 100) to
Cardiff Central bus stationCardiff Central bus station is the main bus transport interchange in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. With 34 stands, it is the largest bus station in the city and in Wales. It is located adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station forming a major bus-rail-cycle-taxi interchange.The station...
calling at Bridgend Designer Outlet. Veolia operates the rural services around the Gower peninsula and the Lliw Valley branded Gower Explorer and Lliw Link respectively. Swansea is on the X40
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the...
to
AberystwythAberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. It is often colloquially known as Aber, and is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
TrawsCambriaTrawsCambria is a brand name applied to a network of long and medium-distance express bus routes in Wales which are sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government.-History:...
bus route connecting the west and south of Wales.
National ExpressNational Express is the brand under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are marketed, and also the company that manages this network and operates some of the services...
serves Swansea operating eastbound to Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport,
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
,
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the second-most populous British city, with a population of 1,006,500 ....
,
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the...
and
BristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London, and east of Cardiff.With an estimated population of 416,400 for the unitary authority in mid-2007, and a surrounding urban area with an estimated 561,500 residents, it is England's sixth, and...
, and westbound to
LlanelliLlanelli , the largest town in the county of Carmarthenshire, 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 tradition and is a centre of tinplate production...
,
CarmarthenCarmarthen is a community and the county town of Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy and lays claim to being the oldest town in Wales. In 2001, the combined population of the town's three wards was 13,760....
and
HaverfordwestHaverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales. Haverfordwest is the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire, with a population of 13,367 in 2001; though its community boundaries make it the second most populous settlement in the county, with 10,812 people..-Pembrokeshire Coast...
.
There are four dedicated cycle routes in the county area:
- Swansea Bay
Swansea Bay is a bay on the Bristol Channel on the South Wales coast. Places on the bay include Mumbles, Swansea and Port Talbot. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan and Blackpill stream flow into the bay....
: The Maritime QuarterThe Maritime Quarter, or Swansea Marina, is a residential area of Swansea, Wales, UK located immediately south of the city centre shopping core. It falls within Swansea's Castle ward...
to the Knab Rock near the Mumbles PierThe Mumbles Pier is an 835ft/225m long Victorian pier built in 1898. It is located at the south-eastern corner of Swansea Bay near the village of Mumbles in Swansea, Wales.-Construction:...
.
- Clyne Valley Country Park
The Clyne Valley Country Park is an area of parkland in Swansea, Wales. As its name suggests, it lies in a valley. The valley consists of a wet valley floor and dense woodland on the hillsides....
: BlackpillBlackpill is a suburban area of Swansea, south Wales. It is located beside Swansea Bay, about 3 miles south west of the city centre.Blackpill falls into the Mayals ward....
to GowertonThe village of Gowerton is situated about 4 miles north west of Swansea city centre, Wales. Gowerton is often known as the gateway to Gower. Gowerton's original name was Ffosfelin...
forming part of National Cycle RouteThe National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
4.
- Along the east bank of the River Tawe
The River Tawe is a river in South Wales. It flows in a principally south-westerly direction for some 48 km from its source below Moel Feity in the Old Red Sandstone hills of the western Brecon Beacons to the Bristol Channel at Swansea. Its only large tributary is the Clydach River...
forming the start of National Cycle Route 43, which continues northwards to Builth WellsBuilth Wells is a town in the county of Powys, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, mid Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Wye and the River Irfon, in the Welsh of the Wye Valley.-History and geography:...
.
- Adjacent to the Fabian Way: Forming part of National Cycle Route 4
Between London and St David's, the route runs through Reading, Bath, Bristol, Newport, Swansea and Llanelli. Within Wales, NCR 4 forms one of the branches of the Celtic Trail cycle route.-London to Reading:Chertsey | Staines | Eton | Maidenhead...
and extending as the Celtic Trail to ChepstowChepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
and (eventually) London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
.
City cruiser pedal vehicles are being introduced to the
city centreSwansea 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...
in a joint venture between the council and Swansea
Business Improvement DistrictA business improvement district is a public-private partnership in which businesses in a defined area pay an additional tax or fee in order to fund improvements within the district's boundaries. BIDs may go by other names, such as business improvement area, business revitalization zone, community...
.
In November 2007 a new bridge was completed over the Fabian Way which provides an express bus-only lane and a shared-use pedestrian and cycle way. The leaf-shaped bridge was shortlisted for the 2008 Structural Steel Design Awards.
Swansea railway stationSwansea railway station is the railway station serving Swansea, Wales. The station is one of four in the City and County of Swansea and is the fourth busiest in Wales after Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street and Newport.-Train services:...
is located 10 minutes from Swansea bus station by foot. Services calling at Swansea operate to
LlanelliLlanelli , the largest town in the county of Carmarthenshire, 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 tradition and is a centre of tinplate production...
,
CarmarthenCarmarthen is a community and the county town of Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy and lays claim to being the oldest town in Wales. In 2001, the combined population of the town's three wards was 13,760....
,
Milford HavenMilford Haven is a town in Pembrokeshire, Wales on the north side of the inlet of the same name...
and
HaverfordwestHaverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales. Haverfordwest is the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire, with a population of 13,367 in 2001; though its community boundaries make it the second most populous settlement in the county, with 10,812 people..-Pembrokeshire Coast...
to the west,
ShrewsburyShrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is home to 70,689 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
to the north, and
Cardiff CentralCardiff Central railway station is a major British railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Cardiff itself and in Wales...
(for connections to England and beyond),
NewportNewport railway station is the 3rd busiest railway station in Wales , situated in the heart of the city of Newport. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although First Great Western and CrossCountry also provide services...
and London Paddington to the east. There are also suburban stations in
GowertonGowerton railway station serves the village of Gowerton, Wales. It is located at street level on Station Road in Gowerton. Since it is unmanned, tickets need to be bought in advance or on the train...
,
LlansamletLlansamlet railway station is a minor railway station in Llansamlet, Swansea, Wales. The station is located below street level at Frederick Place in Peniel Green...
and in
PontarddulaisPontarddulais railway station serves the town of Pontarddulais and village of Hendy in Wales. The station is located at street level not far from the town centre and the Loughor estuary...
which are served by
Arriva Trains WalesArriva Trains Wales is a train operating company that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches. Its busiest stations are Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street and Newport...
.
Swansea AirportSwansea Airport is an aerodrome located at Fairwood Common on the Gower peninsula to the west of Swansea, Wales.-Operations:Swansea Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee...
is a minor aerodrome situated in the
GowerThe Gower Peninsula is a peninsula on the south west coast of Wales, on the north side of the Bristol Channel in the southwest of the historic county of Glamorgan. Referred to colloquially as 'Gower', this was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural...
providing recreational flights only. Further development of the airport is strongly resisted by the local communities and environmental groups. Swansea is served by Cardiff Airport, east, in the
Vale of GlamorganThe Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in in the southern part of Glamorgan, south Wales...
, which provides scheduled domestic and international flights. It is approximately 40 minutes away by road or 70 minutes by rail.
Pembrey AirportPembrey Airport is located west northwest of Llanelli in Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, in Wales. It is the home of Cambrian Flying Club.The airfield is situated within a designated danger area, the nearby Royal Air Force bombing range...
, to the west offers charter flights to a few
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
an destinations.
Swansea MarinaSwansea Marina is a marina located behind the Swansea barrage at the mouth of the River Tawe in Swansea, south Wales. Swansea Marina was awarded blue flag status in June 2005 and has been awarded five gold anchors by the Yacht Harbour Association...
to the south of the city centre has berths for 410 leisure boats. An addition 200 berths for leisure boats are located near the mouth of the River Tawe. Further leisure boating berths are being constructed at the Prince of Wales Dock in the
Swansea DocksSwansea 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...
complex. The Swansea Docks complex is owned and operated by Associated British Ports and is used to handle a range of cargo ranging from agribulks and coal to timber and steel. Swansea Docks consists of three floating docks and a ferry terminal. The
Swansea-Cork ferryThe term Swansea Cork ferry came into existence in 1987 with the commencement of a ferry service by Swansea Cork Ferries Ltd. Prior to that various routes between Wales and Ireland spanning over 100 years were run by companies such as the Cork Steampacket Company and B+I Line. The original routes...
service which ceased in 2006 is due to re-start again in March 2010. The service will be operated by new Irish ferry company FastnetLine which acquired a new ship for the service in September 2009.
Mumbles railway and tram
The
Swansea and Mumbles RailwayThe Swansea and Mumbles Railway was the world's first passenger railway service , located in Swansea, Wales.Originally built under an Act of Parliament of 1804 to move limestone from the quarries of Mumbles to Swansea and to the markets beyond, it carried the world's first fare-paying railway...
was built in 1804 to move limestone from the quarries of Mumbles to Swansea and to the markets beyond. It carried the world's first fare-paying rail passengers on the day the British Parliament abolished the transportation of slaves from Africa. It later moved from horse power to steam locomotion, and finally converting to electric trams, before closing in January 1960, in favour of motor buses. [2].
At the time of the railway's decommissioning, it had been the world's longest serving railway and it still holds the record for the highest number of forms of traction of any railway in the world - horse-drawn, sail power, steam power, electric power, diesel and petrol.
Trams4Swansea is a group led by Councillor Rob Speht trying to bring trams back to Swansea.
Leisure and tourism
The beaches at Langland, Caswell and Limeslade are used by swimmers and tourists with children, whereas
Swansea BaySwansea Bay is a bay on the Bristol Channel on the South Wales coast. Places on the bay include Mumbles, Swansea and Port Talbot. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan and Blackpill stream flow into the bay....
tends to attract water-sport enthusiasts. Coastal paths connect most of the Gower bays and Swansea Bay itself, and can attract hikers to the countryside views throughout the year. Although little known on the tourist map, areas north of Swansea offer various panoramas of mountain landscapes. The former fishing village of
MumblesMumbles otherwise The Mumbles – is a village in Swansea, Wales with adjacent headland stretching into Swansea Bay. The village includes the ruin of Oystermouth Castle and the Mumbles Lighthouse...
(located on the western edge of
Swansea BaySwansea Bay is a bay on the Bristol Channel on the South Wales coast. Places on the bay include Mumbles, Swansea and Port Talbot. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan and Blackpill stream flow into the bay....
) has a
VictorianThe Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements...
pierThe Mumbles Pier is an 835ft/225m long Victorian pier built in 1898. It is located at the south-eastern corner of Swansea Bay near the village of Mumbles in Swansea, Wales.-Construction:...
and a number of restaurants, pubs and coffee shops. The promenade at
Mumbles offers a panoramic view of Swansea Bay.
Attractions
On the Waterfront, Swansea Bay has a five mile (8 km) sweep of coastline which features a beach, promenade, children's lido, leisure pool, marina and maritime quarter featuring the newest and oldest museums in Wales - the
National Waterfront MuseumThe National Waterfront Museum, Swansea or NWMS is a museum situated in Swansea, Wales, forming part of the National Museum Wales. It is an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage....
and
Swansea MuseumThe Swansea Museum in Swansea, Wales, UK is the oldest museum in Wales. The building was built for the Royal Institution of South Wales in 1841 in the neo-classical style.- Collections : is four museums in one -...
. Also situated in the maritime quarter is the
Dylan Thomas CentreThe Dylan Thomas Centre is an arts centre located in the Maritime Quarter in Swansea, Wales, UK.Formerly the city's Guildhall, which was originally built in 1825, the Dylan Thomas Centre was restored and refurbished to host the UK Year of Literature and Writing in 1995.It was opened in 1995 by...
which celebrates the life and work of the author with its permanent exhibition 'Dylan Thomas - Man and Myth'. The centre is also the focal point for the annual Dylan Thomas Festival (27 October - 9 November). The SA1 Waterfront area is the latest development for living, dining and leisure.
Swansea Bay, Mumbles and Gower are home to various parks and gardens and almost 20 nature reserves.
Clyne GardensThe Clyne Valley Country Park is an area of parkland in Swansea, Wales. As its name suggests, it lies in a valley. The valley consists of a wet valley floor and dense woodland on the hillsides....
is home to a collection of plants set in parkland and host to 'Clyne in Bloom' in May.
Singleton ParkSingleton Park is the largest urban park in the city of Swansea and is located in Sketty. The park has hosted many entertainment and cultural events such as Party in the Park and Proms in the Park which were regular events by local stations The Wave 96.4 FM & Swansea Sound and other music events...
has acres of parkland, a botanical garden, a boating lake with pedal boats, and crazy golf.
PlantasiaThe Plantasia is a large public hothouse located in the Parc Tawe retail park, Swansea, Wales.- Exhibits :It exhibits a wide range of tropical plants and insects. It opened in 1990....
is a tropical hothouse pyramid featuring three climatic zones, housing a variety of unusual plants, including several species which are extinct in the wild, and monkeys, reptiles, fish and a butterfly house. Other parks include
Cwmdonkin ParkCwmdonkin Park is an urban park situated in the Uplands area of Swansea, south Wales. The park has a bandstand, children's play area, water gardens, tennis courts, and a bowling green.- History :...
, where Dylan Thomas played as a child, and Victoria Park which is close to the promenade on the seafront.
Activities
Swansea has a range of activities including
sailingSailing is the art of controlling a boat with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to change the direction and speed of a boat...
,
water skiingthumb|left|Slalom skierWaterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a motor boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water. The skier is either wearing one or two skis...
,
surfingSurfing is most commonly known, the term is used for a surface water sport in which the person surfing moves along the face of a breaking ocean wave . However, surfing is not restricted to saltwater, but can sometimes take place on rivers, using a standing wave...
, and other watersports,
walkingWalking is the main form of animal locomotion on land, distinguished from running and crawling. When carried out in shallow waters, it is usually described as wading and when performed over a steeply rising object or an obstacle it becomes scrambling or climbing...
and
cyclingCycling is an activity most commonly performed on a bicycle - when it is it is also referred to as bicycling or simply biking. It is the use of the bicycle, unicycle , tricycles , quadracycles , and other similar wheeled human-powered vehicles for the purpose of transport, as a form of...
. Part of the Celtic Trail and the
National Cycle NetworkThe National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
, Swansea Bay provides a range of traffic-free cycle routes including along the seafront and through
Clyne Valley Country ParkThe Clyne Valley Country Park is an area of parkland in Swansea, Wales. As its name suggests, it lies in a valley. The valley consists of a wet valley floor and dense woodland on the hillsides....
. The Cycling Touring Club
CTC-Government bodies:* Calcutta Tramways Company* California Commission on Teacher Credentialing* Canadian Tourism Commission* Counter-Terrorism Committee * Counterterrorist Center or CTIC-Educational institutes:* Central Texas College...
has a local group in the area. Swansea Bay, Mumbles and Gower have a selection of
golf courseA golf course consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s.
Prior to closure in 2003,
Swansea Leisure CentreSwansea Leisure Centre is a leisure centre located in the city centre of Swansea, Wales, UK. Swansea Leisure Centre re-opened to the public on 1 March 2008 after a £32 million makeover and rebranded as the 'LC'...
was one of the top ten visitor attractions in the UK; it has been redeveloped as an indoor waterpark, rebranded the 'LC', and was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 7 March 2008. The
Wales National PoolThe Wales National Pool in the Sketty area of Swansea, Wales, UK is a 50 metre swimming pool built to FINA standards. The facility, which also has a 25m x 9.5m training pool and 1,200 spectator seats, is used to train Wales' world class aquatic sports athletes and houses the headquarters of the...
is based in Swansea.
Nightlife
Swansea has a range of
public houseA public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises in countries and regions of British influence. Although the terms often have different connotations, there is little definitive difference between pubs, bars,...
s,
barA bar is an establishment that serves drinks, especially alcoholic beverages such as beer, liquor, and cocktails, for consumption on the premises....
s,
clubsA nightclub is a drinking, dancing and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. People who frequent nightclubs are known as clubbers...
,
restaurantA restaurant prepares and serves food and drink to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s and two
casinosCasinos can refer to:*the plural of Casino*Casinos, Valencia, a municipality in Spain...
. The majority of city centre bars are situated on Wind Street, with various
chains[[Image:Eerie-logo.png|thumb|A modern pub company]A pub chain is a group of [[pub]]s owned by a single company, although the term usually refers to chains in the [[United Kingdom]]. Examples include [[Wetherspoons]], [[Walkabout |Walkabout]], [[All Bar One]] and the [[Eerie Pub Company]]...
represented including
RevolutionRevolution is a chain of bars in the United Kingdom, specialising in branded and flavoured vodka.The chain is owned by Ashton-under-Lyne based firm Inventive Leisure, with the first bar opening near the BBC North premises on Oxford Road, Manchester, England in 1996.The chain is currently owned by...
,
VarsityThe Varsity chain of forty bars is owned and operated by Barracuda Group in Marlow in Buckinghamshire. It is marketed towards students, usually located near university campuses in British cities — as such, it is a direct competitor of Mitchells and Butlers' Scream brand. Part of the chain is...
,
Yates'sYates's is a British pub chain, founded as Yates Wine Lodge in Oldham, Lancashire, England by Peter and Simon Yates in 1884..On 27 March 2008, the chain was put into administration ....
and Walkabout. Most clubs, including
OceanaOceana is a chain of nightclubs in the United Kingdom owned and managed by Luminar Leisure. There are Oceana venues in Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Kingston, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Plymouth, Southampton, Swansea, Watford and Wolverhampton.- Decoration and style :Oceana rooms...
, are located on the Kingsway. Some venues feature live music. The
MumblesMumbles otherwise The Mumbles – is a village in Swansea, Wales with adjacent headland stretching into Swansea Bay. The village includes the ruin of Oystermouth Castle and the Mumbles Lighthouse...
Mile, described by the BBC as "one of Wales' best-known
pub crawlA pub crawl is the act of one or more people drinking in multiple pubs or bars in a single night, normally walking to each one between drinking.-Origin of the term:...
s" has declined in recent years with a number of local pubs being converted into flats or restaurants.
Beaches
Oxwich Baythumb|right|200px|Oxwich Bay on the Gower peninsula of South WalesOxwich Bay is a bay on the south of the Gower peninsula, Wales.Its landscape features sand dunes, salt marshes and woodland. Oxwich Bay includes a 2.5 mile long sandy beach, accessible from the village of Oxwich...
on the
Gower peninsulaThe Gower Peninsula is a peninsula on the south west coast of Wales, on the north side of the Bristol Channel in the southwest of the historic county of Glamorgan. Referred to colloquially as 'Gower', this was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural...
was named the most beautiful beach in Britain by travel writers who visited more than 1,000 around the world in search of the perfect sands (2007).
The Travel Magazine praised Oxwich for "magnificent and unspoilt" scenery and as a "great place for adults and children to explore". It boasts over three miles (5 km) of soft, golden sands, making it the ideal family getaway. Not surprisingly,
The GuardianThe Guardian is a British daily newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Founded in 1821, it is unique among major British newspapers in being owned by a foundation .The Guardian Weekly, which circulates worldwide, provides a compact digest of four newspapers...
named it one of Britain's blue-ribband top 10 category beaches (2007).
The IndependentThe Independent is a British newspaper published by Tony O'Reilly's Independent News & Media. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily newspapers. The daily edition was named National...
newspaper hailed Rhossili Bay as "the British supermodel of beaches" (2006) and the best beach in Britain for breathtaking cliffs (2007), whilst
The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
listed it as one of the 25 best beaches in the world (2006). Thanks to its clear air and lovely golden sand, this romantic stretch of sand was voted the best place in the UK to watch the sun set (
Country LivingCountry Living is an American lifestyle and decorating magazine published by the Hearst Corporation since 1978. The monthly magazine focuses on cooking, decorating, gardening, and collecting antiques.The current editor-in-chief is Sarah Gray Miller....
magazine 2005) and one the top romantic spots in the country (
The Guardian 2007). Nearby Llangennith Beach, with its soft sands, consistent beach break and great facilities, was listed as the best place to learn how to surf in Britain by The Observer (2006) and one of the 10 'classic surfing beaches by
The Guardian (2007)
. Gower also claims Britain's Best Beach,
Three Cliffs BayThree Cliffs Bay , otherwise Three Cliff Bay, is a bay on the south coast of the Gower peninsula in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. The bay takes its name from the three sea cliffs that jut out into the bay...
. The Gower landmark topped the BBC Holiday Hit Squad nationwide competition (2006) and was voted Britain's best camping beach by
The Independent thanks to its superb setting and quiet location (2007).
Three Cliffs BayThree Cliffs Bay , otherwise Three Cliff Bay, is a bay on the south coast of the Gower peninsula in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. The bay takes its name from the three sea cliffs that jut out into the bay...
also made the final of the ITV series Britain's Favourite View - the only nomination in Wales and backed by singer
Katherine JenkinsKatherine Jenkins is an award-winning British mezzo-soprano. Her first album Premiere made her the fastest-selling mezzo-soprano to date and she later became the first British classical artist to have two number one albums in the same year...
. Nearby
Brandy CoveBrandy Cove is a very small beach in the Gower peninsula, south Wales, that is much less accessible than Caswell Bay immediately to the east. It is set at the end of a valley from Bishopston village. It is reachable by footpath from Bishopston or from Caswell Bay over some steep cliffs...
came sixth in an online poll to find the UK's top beach for the baby boomer generation (2006). Beaches which won 2006 Blue Flag Beach Awards are:
Bracelet BayBracelet Bay is a bay on the south side of the Gower peninsula, Wales, just to the southwest of Swansea Bay.It is a small bay surrounded by limestone cliffs. There is a large carpark above the beach, with restaurants and a bar....
,
Caswell BayCaswell Bay is a popular UK holiday resort in the south east of the Gower peninsula, Swansea, Wales.Access to the beach is relatively easy and inland from the sandy beach is a recreational park. Caswell is ideal for surfing, holidays in the nearby Hotels and Chalet Park. The beach regularly...
,
Langland BayLangland Bay is a popular coastal holiday resort near Mumbles, Swansea, Wales. In the right conditions, it is one of the best surf beaches in Wales and the West Country...
, Port Eynon Bay and Swansea Marina (one of the few Blue Flag Marinas in Wales). All of these beaches also won a Seaside Award 2006. Limeslade was awarded the Rural Seaside Award and the Green Coast Award. Other Green Coast Awards went to Pwll Du, Rhossili Bay and Tor Bay.
External links
City and County of Swansea:
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History:
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