Swansea
Swansea (, "mouth of the
Tawe") is a
city and county in
South Wales in the
United Kingdom, situated on the coast immediately to the east of the
Gower Peninsula. Swansea is Wales's second city, and it grew to its present importance during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, becoming a centre of heavy industry. However, it did not enjoy the same degree of immigration as
Cardiff and the eastern valleys.
The name Swansea is believed to come from "Sweyn's Ey" ("ey" being a
Germanic word for "island") and to have originated in the period when the
Vikings plundered the south Wales coast. Consequently it is pronounced Swan's-y ) not Swan-sea.
| Satellite photo of Swansea Bay |
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The local government area is some 378 km² in size, including a large amount of open countryside, towns like
Gorseinon and
Loughor, and the
Gower Peninsula. The population in mid-2004 is about 225,000, 13.4% of which were
Welsh speakers at the 2001 census, as compared with 11% for the capital city,
Cardiff.
[Source: 2004 Mid Year Estimates, Population Estimates Unit, ONS. Crown Copyright. See Swansea City and County: Population] However, the wider
urban area including most of
Swansea Bay has a total population of 270,506 (making it the 22nd largest urban area in
England and
Wales)
[source: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/urbwales0704.pdf]The Gower Peninsula, to which the city proper is considered the gateway, is Britain's first area to be designated an
area of outstanding natural beauty. The coastal landscape of the Gower Peninsula as a whole is impressive. The wide sandy beaches at Langland, Caswell and Limeslade are the most popular with swimmers and tourists with children, whereas the wide and calm waters of
Swansea Bay tend to attract the water-sport enthusiast. Coastal paths connect most of the Gower bays and Swansea Bay itself, and hikers can enjoy breathtaking views throughout the year. The North of Swansea, whilst little known on the tourist map, has some of the most outstanding countryside in the country, with unparalleled panoramas of the breathtaking Welsh mountains. Felindre, a district in north-west Swansea, will host the
National Eisteddfod in 2006.
As part of a coastal region, Swansea experiences a milder
climate than the mountains and valleys inland. This same location, though, leaves Swansea exposed to rain-bearing winds from the Atlantic: figures from the
Met Office make Swansea the wettest city in Britain
[see icWales: Soggiest city in Britain pays high price for rain].
The
South Wales Coalfield reaches the coast in the Swansea area. This had a great bearing on the development of the town.
The former fishing village of
Mumbles (located on the western edge of Swansea Bay) has excellent restaurants and coffee shops, and is a great place to pick up a local souvenir. In addition, the vista of Swansea Bay is perhaps most spectacular when viewed from the promenade at Mumbles. The nearby village of Oystermouth is home to the ruins of a 12th Century
castle of the same name.
Swansea has numerous urban and country parklands. The region has featured regularly in the
Wales in Bloom awards.
Main article: History of Swansea
Archaeology on the
Gower Peninsula includes many remains from prehistoric times, passing through
Stone Age,
Bronze Age, and
Iron Age. Prehistoric finds in the Swansea city area proper are rare. The
Romans visited the area, as did the
Vikings, whose name for the settlement on the river is used in English today.
Following the
Norman Conquest, a
marcher lordship was created: named Gower, it included land around
Swansea Bay as far as the Tawe, and the manor of Kilvey beyond the Tawe as well as the peninsula itself. Swansea was designated its chief town, and subsequently received one of the earlier borough charters in Wales.
Swansea became an important port: some coal and vast amounts of limestone (for fertiliser) were being shipped out from the town by 1550. As the
Industrial Revolution reached Wales, the combination of port, local coal, and trading links with the
West Country, Cornwall and Devon, meant that Swansea was the logical place to site copper
smelting works. Smelters were operating by 1720 and proliferated.
Following this, more coal mines (everywhere from north-east Gower to Clyne to Llangyfelach) 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 arsenic, zinc and tin and to create tinplate and pottery. The city expanded rapidly in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and was termed "Copperopolis". By the mid-nineteenth century Swansea docks was the largest exporter of coal in the world.
Through the twentieth century, these industries eventually declined, leaving the Lower Swansea Valley 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 Zone exists almost entirely a result of this scheme, and of the many original docks, only those outside the city continue to work as docks: North Dock is now Parc Tawe and South Dock became the
Marina.
Little city centre evidence beyond road layout remains from medieval Swansea; its industrial importance made it the target of heavy bombing in
World War II, and the centre was flattened completely.
On 27th of June 1906, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in the UK during the twentieth century struck Swansea with a strength of 5.2 on the Richter Scale. Earthquakes in the UK very rarely cause any structural damage as most occur away from heavily populated areas but with the earthquake centered on Swansea many taller buildings were damaged
[See British Geological Survey: The Swansea Earthquake of 27 June 1906].
see also Swansea city centreSwansea is a heavily zoned city. In addition to being a holiday resort, Swansea is also a commercial centre, and the recently regenerated dock areas are home to some cutting-edge hi-tech industries. One of the most well-known employers in Swansea is the
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Whilst the city itself has a long history, many of the city centre buildings are post-war as much of the centre was destroyed by World War II bombing in the so-called Three Nights' Blitz. Within the city centre, sites worth a visit are the ruins of the
castle, the Marina, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea Museum, the
Dylan Thomas Centre, the Environmental Centre, and the Central Market, which is the largest covered market in Wales. It backs onto the Quadrant shopping centre which opened in
1978.
Wind Street is the city's main watering hole and also the location of many chain restaurants. Many of these buildings were originally banks, with one being the old central Post Office and thus they are substantially larger than some of the other city centre pubs. Discos and clubs line the Kingsway and this street is one of two hubs of central Swansea nightlife, the other being the aforementioned Wind Street. St Helen's Road connects the city centre with the
Brynmill area, and has many Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants and shops on it: convenient when walking back from the Kingsway to Brynmill in the evening.
|
Another shot of the marina from Trawler Road |
Swansea was granted
city status in
1969[London Gazette, issue no. 44986, 12 December 1969], to mark
Prince Charles's investiture as the
Prince of Wales. It obtained the further right to a have
Lord Mayor in
1982[London Gazette, issue no. 48932, 25 March 1982].
Many areas of the city have seen changes within the early part of the 21st century. The
Wales National Pool, of Olympic size, was completed. A new multi-million pound
National Waterfront Museum officially opened in October 2005. Out-of-town retail parks increased in the
first years of the new century. In addition to the Enterprise Park, there arose new developments at Fforestfach and next to the
Liberty Stadium in Landore.
Swansea's diverse and interesting past has helped weave a city of character and charm, which has produced many famous personalities. On the literary stage, the poet
Dylan Thomas is perhaps the most well 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 Park. The actress
Catherine Zeta-Jones is probably the most famous of the city's recent cultural exports, and she maintains close links with the city. Welsh rock band
Man, author
Mary Balogh, singer/songwriter
Mal Pope,
MP Michael Heseltine, scriptwriter and producer
Russell T. Davies and entertainer Sir
Harry Secombe were also born and raised in the city, as was the current
Archbishop of Canterbury,
Rowan Williams.
Perhaps the city's most celebrated personality is
Jack - a black Labrador. During his seven years of life, he managed to save twenty-seven people from drowning in the murky waters of Swansea docks. There is a monument to commemorate Jack's gallant efforts on the foreshore near the St. Helen's stadium. 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 Jack, the life-saving dog. Others point to Swansea's long history as a port and the use of the word
jack to indicate a sailor.
Sport
There are a number of sporting venues in Swansea. St Helen's is a cricket ground which is one of the homes of
Glamorgan County Cricket Club. It was in this ground that Sir
Garfield Sobers hit six sixes in one over: the first time this was achieved in a game of
first-class cricket. One ball is reputed to have landed in the Cricketers' pub just outside the ground. The stadium is metres from the coast of Swansea Bay. The Swans' football following are known as the Jack Army due to the regional nickname for people from Swansea. Strong local rivalries exist between Swansea and
Cardiff in football and between Swansea and
Llanelli in rugby. Swansea also boasts one of the largest Saturday local football leagues in the country, second only to the one in Birmingham at its peak.
Swansea City A.F.C., the Swans, moved from the Vetch Field to Liberty Stadium at the start of the 2005-2006 season, winning promotion to League One in their final year at their old home. The first game at the new stadium was on
July 23: a football friendly between the Swans and
Fulham which ended 1-1. Swansea City are currently pushing for promotion from League One to the Championship after losing to Barnsley in the League 1 play-off final at the Millennium Stadium. Swansea City have recently retained the FAW cup and on April 2nd 2006 30,000 swans fans made the journey to Cardiff to see their side defeat Carsile 2-1 in the Football League Final.
In 2003,
Swansea RFC became a feeder club for the
Neath-Swansea Ospreys regional rugby club. Swansea RFC remains at St Helen's, but the Ospreys moved to the then named
New Stadium in Landore for the start of the 2005-2006 season. The final Ospreys match at St Helen's was played on the same day as the final Swans league game at the Vetch:
April 30 2005. Swansea/Neath rugby games used also to be a hotly-contested match, such that there was some debate about whether a regional team incorporating both areas was possible. The Neath-Swansea Ospreys, in fact came fifth in the
Celtic League in their first year of existence as a regional team, and won the league in their second year.
Swansea's
rugby league side actually play a few miles out of the city in the small town of Ystylafera. They are known as the Swansea Valley Miners but were formed as the Swansea Bulls in 2002.
Performing arts
There are a number of theatres in the city and the surrounding areas. The
Grand Theatre 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 Patti. 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 (capacity about 200). The
Taliesin building on the university campus has a theatre. Other shows are held at the theatre in Penyrheol Leisure Centre near Gorseinon. In the summer, outdoor Shakespeare performances are a regular feature at
Oystermouth Castle, and
Singleton Park is the venue for a number of parties and concerts, from dance music to outdoor
Proms. Although
Pontardawe is outside the city boundaries, the trip from Swansea to Pontardawe for the annual folk festival is a short one. Another folk festival is held on Gower. Standing near Victoria Park on the coast road is the
Patti Pavillion: 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 Hall is a multi-use venue ranging from graduation ceremonies to the annual
Chinese New Year celebrations for the local Chinese community. Every autumn, Swansea hosts the ‘Festival of Music and the Arts', when international orchestras and soloists visit the Brangwyn Hall.
The film
Twin Town is set in Swansea
Swansea hosted the
National Eisteddfod in
1863,
1891,
1907,
1926,
1964 and
1982. The Eisteddfod returns to Swansea in
2006.
Welsh language
There are many Welsh-language 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. (Source: Swansea Evening Post,
September 8 2004, and subsequent issues.)
45% of the rural council ward
Mawr speak
Welsh, as do 38% of the ward of
Pontarddulais.
Clydach,
Kingsbridge and
Upper Loughor all have levels of more than 20%. By contrast, the urban
St. Thomas has one of the lowest figures in Wales, at 6.4%, a figure only barely lower than
Penderry and
Townhill wards.
Swansea, like Wales in general, has seen many non-conformist religious revivals. In 1904, Evan Roberts, a miner from Loughor (Llwchwr), just outside Swansea, was the leader of what has been called one of the world's greatest protestant 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 April 9, 1906 at Los Angeles, USA. It has been said that 25% of the world's Christians (usually Protestant Pentecostals or Charismatics) are Christians as a direct result of the 1904 revival in Swansea.
Traditionally,
Swansea refers to the
City of Swansea which is the settlement around the
Tawe estuary. Today it refers to one of the
Subdivisions of Wales under the name of the 'City and County of Swansea' (
Welsh:
Dinas a Sir Abertawe.)
[see Swansea City and County and National Council on Archives: Rules for the Construction of place names].
Swansea was once a staunch
Labour stronghold. The
Liberal Democrats are the largest group in the administration that took control of Swansea Council in the
2004 local elections.
International links
The City & County of Swansea is
twinned with:
*
Mannheim (
Germany)
*
Pau (
France)
*
Cork (
Republic of Ireland)Connections with:
*
Ferrara (
Italy)
*
Århus (
Denmark) Friendship link with:
*
Nantong (
China)
*
New York (
USA)
Swansea originally developed as centre for
metals and
mining, especially the
copper 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 valley. However, by the end of the
Second World War these heavy industries were in decline, and over the post-wat decades Swansea shared in the general trend towards a
post-industrial,
service sector economy.
Today, the most important economic sectors in Swansea are: public administration, education and health (37.4% of local jobs); distribution, hotels and restaurants (25.5%); and banking, finance and insurance (16.3%). The high proportion of
public sector employment is common to Wales as a whole (32.8%) and much higher than the UK average (26.4%). This primarily reflects the relative weakness of the
private sector in Swansea (and Wales) rather than an "overly" large public sector, although some
Government departments and agencies (including the
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) have purposely located offices in Swansea and other less prosperous cities and regions.
The largest single major category of jobs in Swansea is associate professional & technical occupations (comprising 13.7% of employment), although compared to the Welsh and UK averages the city also has relatively large shares of administrative & secretarial occupations (13.4%), elementary occupations (13.1%) and sales & customer service occupations (10.7%). There are proportionally more managers & senior officials in Swansea than Wales as a whole (13.3% compared to 12.5%), but this lags behind the overall UK figure (14.8%), reflecting the lack of any large regional
corporate presence with the high
value-added employment that brings.
In May 2006, 71.9% of Swansea's working age residents were in employment, 23.3% were economically inactive and 6.1% unemployed. The
economic activity rate is higher than the Welsh average but notably lower than the overall UK figure. This differential may be partly due to the relatively large number of students in Swansea (the city has a
university and an institute of
higher education), but is also caused by a large element of 'hidden unemployment' especially in the more deprived areas such as
Townhill and much of
Swansea East. Only 8.1% of Swansea residents are self-employed, compared to an average of more than 12% in Wales and the UK as a whole.
Swansea has a higher proportion of working age population qualified to degree (NVQ 4 or equivalent) level than the Welsh average, but a lower proportion than the UK average. Similarly, fewer Swansea residents have no qualifications (16%) relative to Wales as a whole, but this figure is slightly higher than the UK level.
The city is a centre of net in-
commuting, with around 16,000 people making a daily journey outside the authority for work (principally to neighbouring
Neath Port Talbot and
Carmarthenshire) and 25,100 commuting in (again, mainly from Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire).
[source: http://www.swansea.gov.uk/media/pdf/i/r/Swa_LMEc_Profile_May06.pdf]Surveys show that annual full-time gross median earnings for Swansea residents are lower than the Welsh and UK averages (£21,003 against £21,023 and £22,901). The annual gross median earnings for those who work in Swansea are even lower, only £19,391. Similarly, Gross Value Added (
GVA) per head is relatively low in Swansea at £13,507 compared to a UK figure of £16,485, although here Swansea performs better than Wales as a whole (£12,716).
[source: http://www.swansea.gov.uk/media/pdf/i/r/Swa_LMEc_Profile_May06.pdf] However, since the cost of living is lower in Swansea (indeed most of Wales) compared to many other parts of the UK, lower earnings and GVA per head do not necessarily signify a major gap in living standards.
[source: http://www.wales.gov.uk/subitradeindustry/content/wave/wave-report-e.pdf]Although some surveys place Swansea as the 18th largest
retail centre in the UK - a high placement considering the size of its population - in rankings of
shopping attractiveness and competitiveness Swansea is usually placed outside the top 50, largely because of the low quality of the
city centre retail offer. A peculiarity of Swansea is the lack of employment in the city centre, relative to other towns and cities of similar size. Many major employers have moved to the Enterprise Park or other city fringe locations; only 4,510 office jobs are now are located in the city centre, compared to 13,910 in
Cardiff. This reduces spend in the city centre economy and helps to underpin the weakness of the local retail sector. Low demand prevents speculative development of new commercial premises, which has created a
vicious circle of city centre decline.
[source: http://www.swanseacitycentre.com/media/pdf/n/f/city_centre_strategic_framework_060623.pdf]Given the weakness of the local market, most new retail and office developments are supported by public sector 'gap funding'. The former
Welsh Development Agency promoted the
regeneration of several sites in the city, in recent years most notably the
SA1 Waterfront development, which continues to be supported by the
Welsh Assembly Government.
[source: Swansea SA1 Waterfront] The WDA's
Technium concept of incubator space for
high technology firms (often 'spin outs' from the local university) was launched at the SA1 site, and additional facilities have now been constructed there and on the university
campus. The Assembly and
IBM are supporting a new Institute of
Life Sciences at the university, which it is hoped will generate high
skill, high value-added jobs in future.
[source: http://www.swan.ac.uk/research/centresandinstitutes/ILS/]The
University of Wales Swansea has a large campus in Singleton Park overlooking Swansea Bay. Other establishments for further and higher education in the city include
Swansea Institute of Higher Education and
Swansea College, with
Gorseinon College just outside the city proper. Swansea Institute was particularly well-known for its Architectural Glass department; stained glass was a long time speciality.
There are fifteen comprehensive schools under the remit of the local education authority, of which two are Welsh-
medium. The oldest school in Swansea is
Bishop Gore School. The largest comprehensive school in Swansea is the
Olchfa School. Swansea is also home to
The Bible College of Wales. Swansea's most famous independent school is
Ffynone House.
The local newspaper is the
Evening Post. There is also a local free newspaper called the Swansea Herald. Local radio stations include
Swansea Sound and
96.4 FM The Wave. Swansea is one of the few regions in Wales with reasonable
digital radio coverage: this was improved in January 2005 with the launch of the Swansea
DAB multiplex which is located on the top of Kilvey Hill. The local
papur bro (Welsh-language news) is
Wilia.
Documentary films
Swansea plays host to the BeyondTV International Film Festival.
BeyondTV is annual event organised by independent filmmakers Undercurrents to showcase the best of activism filmmakers. Independent filmmakers
Undercurrents are based in Swansea.
Swansea is policed by the
South Wales Police.
As well as its more creditable achievements, Swansea has acquired a less enviable reputation for car crime: the BBC has described it as a "black spot for car crime"
[source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/in_depth/uk/2002/cracking_crime/2262344.stm], for example. Car crime is a central theme in the film
Twin Town, which is set in and around Swansea.
Drunk and disorderly behaviour is an acute problem in the pub and
nightclub areas of Kingsway and
Wind Street during the busiest clubbing periods. On a typical Saturday night, you will find a heavy police presence at these areas. The city centre area is heavily watched by police cameras.
Fortunately, Swansea experiences relatively little football violence, it has occurred only occasionally - mainly between Swansea City supporters and Cardiff City supporters where many matches between these sides have ended in violent clashes between supporters. These two clubs have a long history of intense rivalry, being described in the media as
tribal.
Getting around
Swansea's main mode of local public transport is via buses. The Quadrant bus station in the city centre serves as the main bus transport hub. The local commercial bus companies include
First Cymru. Some rural routes in the local authority area are funded by the council; this includes the majority of the services on Gower, for example, which are operated by Pullman Coaches under the brand name of 'Gower Explorer' with its distinctive Ray Stenning-designed livery.
Park and Ride services are operated from secure car parks at Landore and the Fabian Way. During busy periods of the year, additional Park and Ride services are operated from the
Brynmill recreation ground. A third Park and Ride site at Fforestfach on Carmarthen Road (on the site of the old Mettoys factory) is expected to open by the end of 2006.
Numerous
taxi firms operate in Swansea ranging from large professional outfits to small and cheap
minicab firms. Vehicles include typical 3/4 seat family saloons, 5 seat
London cabs and eight-seat mini-buses. For city centre shoppers, the main taxi rank is located next to St. Mary's church. For transport connections, taxi ranks are located at the Quadrant bus station and the High Street railway station. In addition, small taxi ranks are located at Castle Square and the Kingsway, providing a convenient if expensive way to get home after a good night out on the town.
The
Swansea Bay promenade forms a convenient cycle commuting route, offering panaromic views of Swansea Bay. The
Maritime Quarter and the Knab Rock near the
Mumbles Pier form the ends of this route. At the heart of the Clyne Valley Country Park is the Clyne Valley Cycle Track, part of
National Cycle Route 4. This track connects Blackpill with Gowerton, cutting through much tranquil woodland. On the east bank of the
River Tawe is a cycle track (
National Cycle Route 43) and foot path, offering excellent views of the
River Tawe and the industrial ruins at Hafod. This route terminates at the Quay Parade road bridge and Pentre-Chwyth traffic junction.
Getting in and out
Swansea's
High Street railway station is the terminus of the
South Wales Main Line (a branch of the
Great Western Main Line.) From here, there are connecting
Arriva services on their way to
west Wales:
Carmarthen,
Milford Haven and
Haverfordwest. The famous
Heart of Wales train service with its distinctive bright orange and yellow carriage, terminates at High Street station. It travels via Gowerton to
Llanelli where it joins the Heart of Wales line. Arriva operate the regular direct service from Swansea to Manchester Piccadilly via the
Welsh Marches Line.
Swansea is close to the
M4 motorway (junctions 42 to 48 inclusive), the main artery for road traffic through south Wales. It is a
National Express stop, and for a short while was on the
Megabus route. The Swansea-
Cardiff shuttle bus (Service 100) is heavily used. Swansea is also on the
TrawsCambria bus network which connects the north and south of the country together via Aberystwyth.
Swansea Airport is situated on Fairwood Common on
Gower. It is primarily a domestic airport, first built during
WWII when there was no need for an inquiry.
Air Wales operated services from Swansea, but ceased to use the airport from late
2004.
There is a passenger ferry service between Swansea and
Cork, Ireland run by
Swansea Cork Ferries.
With its seaside location and varied inland geography, Swansea makes a suitable destination for a range of outdoor activies like
swimming,
sailing,
water skiing,
surfing, sea
angling,
canoeing, and
rowing, or
hiking.
*
List of places in Swansea*
Swansea city centre*
Lower Swansea valley*
City and County of Swansea Council*
Swansea Heritage*
2006 National Eisteddford of WalesSwansea castles
*
Landimor Castle*
Loughor Castle*
Oxwich Castle (Gower)*
Pennard Castle (Gower)*
Weobly Castle (Gower)
