Swansea
Swansea maps (2 available)
Map of West Glamorgan
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
See this old map of West Glamorgan
Personalised maps
Create an historic map centred directly on any postcode!
Swansea books (1 available)
Did You Know? Swansea - A Miscellany
Hardback
- 14 photos on Swansea appear in 5 Frith books - View photos of Swansea
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Swansea and West Glamorgan
Swansea memories
Read and share memories of Swansea and West Glamorgan inspired by Frith photos
Swansea Deaf and Dumb School
I was born and bred in the Mount Pleasant area of Swansea, in which the D&D Institute was based. My schooling was Terrace Road infants & juniors. Lots of football in the street, Cwmdonkin Park and playing in and around the quarry off the Promenade, that overlooked the Institute. The quarry was wild, with steep drops and the cause of many mishaps. A lad of my age was the son of the caretaker at the Institute and a group of us kids frequently used to wander the corridors of the school, which was a dark, auspicious and sprawling affair, very much reminiscent of the Victorian building I subsequently learned it to be. Dropping out of the back of the Institute's grounds, ...read more here
Contributed by Niall O'Brien
One of my trips from London to the Mumbles to Auntie Connie's house
This looks exactly like the picture I took to prove to Mom I had been on my way to Auntie Connies' house. I took the train from Doncaster in England to Swansea - one of the train ticketers' kept bothering me, so I snuck past him when he got to Swansea and ran over to the Grand to book a room for the night.
I made my way to go to Auntiie Connie's in the morning, or so I thought. I was going to take the bus - everybody I asked knew who my Auntie Connie Thorpe was. So, they probably knew the young girl she raised, who would be my Mom, Robina. Anyway, being only 17, I got scared ...read more here
Contributed by Susie Somerville-Franz
West Glamorgan memories
Swansea Deaf and Dumb School
I was born and bred in the Mount Pleasant area of Swansea, in which the D&D Institute was based. My schooling was Terrace Road infants & juniors. Lots of football in the street, Cwmdonkin Park and playing in and around the quarry off the Promenade, that overlooked the Institute. The quarry was wild, with steep drops and the cause of many mishaps. A lad of my age was the son of the caretaker at the Institute and a group of us kids frequently used to wander the corridors of the school, which was a dark, auspicious and sprawling affair, very much reminiscent of the Victorian building I subsequently learned it to be. Dropping out of the back of the Institute's grounds, ...read more here
A memory of Swansea contributed by Niall O'Brien
One of my trips from London to the Mumbles to Auntie Connie's house
This looks exactly like the picture I took to prove to Mom I had been on my way to Auntie Connies' house. I took the train from Doncaster in England to Swansea - one of the train ticketers' kept bothering me, so I snuck past him when he got to Swansea and ran over to the Grand to book a room for the night.
I made my way to go to Auntiie Connie's in the morning, or so I thought. I was going to take the bus - everybody I asked knew who my Auntie Connie Thorpe was. So, they probably knew the young girl she raised, who would be my Mom, Robina. Anyway, being only 17, I got scared ...read more here
A memory of Swansea contributed by Susie Somerville-Franz
Extracts From Swansea & West Glamorgan books
This panoramic view is very evocative of two major factors in the city's history: the rolling hills which surround it, and the rows of terraced worker's cottages, which testify to the city's once significant industrial power.
An extract from from"South Wales Photographic Memories".
Swansea's maritime tradition has always been vital to the town, and the various port extensions drove its economic development. Here we see the open-top trams of the High Street to Morriston and Cwmbwrla service. Horse-drawn until the turn of the century, the trams provided much manure for Swansea gardeners.
An extract from from"Welsh Address Book".
The hospital was opened in 1869 and is located on St Helen's Road. St Andrew's church is just visible in the distance. Note the tram advertising Miller & Co's ales and stout, the overhead power cables to power it and the tramlines on which it ran - all of which have now disappeared.
An extract from from"South Wales Photographic Memories".
Circuses, including Barnum and Bailey's, once passed down this street on their way to the Vetch field. The arrival of the overhead tram wires at the turn of the century put paid to this practice, for they were too low for the circus wagons to pass underneath. Note the Metropole Hotel entrance on the right.
An extract from from"South Wales Photographic Memories".
With the opening in 1920 of the Queen’s Dock, Swansea Docks covered an area of 269 acres. South Dock opened in
1859, followed by the Prince of Wales Dock in 1891 (extended in 1898) and the King’s Dock in 1904.
An extract from from"Victorian and Edwardian Maritime Album".