Castle, Swansea
Encyclopedia : C : CA : CAS : Castle, Swansea
| |
|---|---|
| Ordnance Survey | |
| OS grid reference: | |
| Geography | |
| Principal locality | Swansea City Centre |
| Total population | 11,933 (2001 census) |
| Land area (km²) | 3.03 (2001 census) |
| Administration | |
| Local council: | City and County of Swansea |
| Nation: | Wales |
| Post office and telephone | |
| PostCode(s): | SA1 |
| Dialling code: | +44-1792 |
| Politics | |
| UK Parliament: | Swansea West |
| European Parliament: | Wales |
Castle is the name of an electoral ward and a community in the City and County of Swansea, South Wales. Castle covers most of the heart of the City of Swansea.
The electoral ward consists of some or all of the following areas: Swansea City Centre, Brynmelin, Dyfatty, Maritime Quarter, Parts of Mount Pleasant and Sandfields in the parliamentary constituency of Swansea West.
Localities
Swansea city centre
Parc Tawe
Parc Tawe is an area on the west bank of the River Tawe in the Lower Swansea Valley. The area includes many large "out-of-town" style stores and entertainments. There are plenty of car parking spaces in this area, but at peak periods this area is subjected to severe traffic congestion. A highly visible landmark in the area is the Plantasia - a large triagular tropical plant house that looks a bit like a space ship. Entertainments in the area include a 10 screen cinema multiplex showing popular modern films and a ten pin bowling centre.The area occupied by Parc Tawe was once the North Dock. The North dock was opened in 1852 becoming the first dock in the Swansea Docks complex. During the 1930s changes in methods of working, reduced trade and the increasing size of ships led to the North Dock being closed and susequenty filled in. For decades the North dock area was an industrial wasteland, until re-development as a shopping complex in the late 1980s.
Maritime Quarter
- see Maritime Quarter
Sandfields
Sandfields is an area of Swansea bounded by St. Helen's Road to the North, Oystermouth Road to the south and Dillwyn Street to the east. This area lies immediately west of the main shopping district in the city centre. Sandfields in Swansea is often confused with Sandfields Port Talbot, even by the post office. The two places are different.
The Sandfields area consists mostly of two story terraced houses, with some larger housing as well as several pubs and schools. Rising above the east end of the Sandfields is the "Vetch" football ground, former home of Swansea City A.F.C. football club. In 2005 the football ground was closed and after an emotional final game the club relocated to the new stadium at Morfa outside Swansea. Discussion continues as of 2005 on what should be done with the Vetch ground. Several previous planning proposals to build houses on the field have been rejected. The small terraced houses have helped keep the area relatively free of student accommodation and the family atmosphere of the Sandfields makes it a popular area with house buyers.
Today the sea frontage edge of Sandfields along the Oystermouth road is a line of mostly small privately owned hotels. Adjacent to the line of hotels is Swansea HM Prison. Colloquially known as 'Cox's farm' after a former governor it is a victorian prison built in 1861 to replace former prison accommodation at Swansea Castle. It is classed as a category B prison and holds adult males, remanded into custody from the courts, convicted and sentenced prisoners. Across the road from the prison and in some eyes a conveniently short distance away is Swansea County Hall built on part of the original Mumbles Railway which ran along the sea front until 1960.
Local legend states that custard powder was invented here in one of the side streets near the Vetch Field. The story goes that Alfred Bird of Bird's Custard fame was a chemist who had a chemist shop in this area. Alfred Bird in fact invented egg-free custard powder using cornflour, and did so in Bull Street Birmingham.
Christ Church Infant School and St. Helens Infant and Primary Schools serve the local area. It was in a school room at Christ Church school in 1863 that Christ Church on the Oystermouth Road was founded, becoming a separate parish in 1871.
Swansea Council intends the Sandfields area to remain primarily residential. With the exception of limited extension of hotels on the Oystermouth road the planning policy for the area is to prohibit further commercial usage within the Sandfields community.
Dyfatty
Dafatty is an area to the far north of the ward. It consists mainly of council housing. The most prominent feature of the area is the high rise apartment blocks.
| Swansea electoral wards |
| Bishopston | Bon-y-maen | Castle | Clydach | Cockett | Cwmbwrla | Dunvant | Fairwood | Gorseinon | Gower | Gowerton | Killay North | Killay South | Kingsbridge | Landore | Llangyfelach | Llansamlet | Lower Loughor | Mawr | Mayals | Morriston | Mynydd-Bach | Newton | Oystermouth | Penclawdd | Penderry | Penllergaer | Pennard | Penyrheol | Pontarddulais | St. Thomas | Sketty | Townhill | Uplands | Upper Loughor | West Cross |
| Communities of Swansea |
| Birchgrove | Bishopston | Bon-y-maen | Castle | Clydach | Cockett | Cwmbwrla | Dunvant | Gorseinon | Gowerton | Grovesend | Ilston | Killay | Landore | Llangennith, Llanmadoc and Cheriton | Llangyfelach | Llanrhidian Higher | Llanrhidian Lower | Llansamlet | Llwchwr | Mawr | Morriston | Mumbles | Mynydd-Bach | Penderry | Penllergaer | Pennard | Penrice | Pontarddulais | Pont-Lliw | Port Eynon | Reynoldston | Rhossili | Sketty | St. Thomas | Townhill | Uplands | Upper Killay |
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.