I might be living next year the the bible college of wales, in swansea, and i was just wondering what it is like
thanks It's in Wales. That should be enough to make you not want to live there. Where do you live then Bernard? Report It
At least the Gower peninsula is something really nice, small and spacey enough and enough with coastline as well as relatively clean nature. If you love countryside-like things then Swansea is a must for you! Swansea (Welsh: Abertawe, "mouth of the Tawe") is a city and county in Wales, United Kingdom. It is in the historic county of Glamorgan.
Situated on the South Wales coast immediately to the east of the Gower Peninsula, Swansea is the second largest city in Wales. It grew to its present size during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, becoming a centre of heavy industry. It never experienced, however, the same degree of immigration as Cardiff and the eastern valleys of South Wales.
The name Swansea is often said to come from "Sweyn's Ey" ("ey" being the Old Norse word for "island"), but as there is no island at Swansea, a more likely explanation is that it comes from "Sweyn" (a corruption of the Viking name "Sven") and "sey" ("sey" being an Old Norse word that can mean "inlet"). The name is to thought to have originated in the period when the Vikings settled along the South Wales coast (Swansea is thought to have developed from a Viking trading post). Consequently it is pronounced Swan's-y [恕sw蓲nzi]) not Swan-sea.
The founder of Swansea was the Viking King of Denmark Sweyn Forkbeard who in 1013 conquered the Anglo-Saxons of Wessex and Mercia, and who controlled a vast empire including Southern England, Denmark and Norway.
Swansea is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the north, and Neath Port Talbot to the east.
Geography
The local government area is 378 km虏 in size, including a large amount of open countryside and a central urban and suburban belt. The population in mid-2004 is about 225,000, 13.4% of which were Welsh speakers at the 2001 census. 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).
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.
Bracelet bay, Mumbles and Swansea bay, seen fom the Mumbles LighthouseThe county area 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 Mountain. To the west is the Gower Peninsula with its rural landscape dotted with small villages. To the east is the coastal strip around Swansea Bay. Cutting though the middle from the south east to the north west is the urban and suburban zone stretching from the city of Swansea to the nearby towns of Gorseinon and Pontarddulais.
The most heavily populated areas of the county area are Morriston and Sketty and the city centre. The chief urbanised area radiates from the city of Swansea towards the north, south and west: along the coast of Swansea Bay to Mumbles; up the Swansea Valley past Landore and Morriston to Clydach; over Townhill to Cwmbwrla, Penlan, Treboeth and Fforestfach; through Uplands, Sketty, Killay to Dunvant; and east of the river from St. Thomas to Bonymaen, Llansamlet and Birchgrove. A second urbanised area is focused on a triangle defined by Gowerton, Gorseinon and Loughor along with the satellite communities of Penllergaer and Pontarddulais.
About three quarters of the county is bordered by the sea. The two main rivers in the region are the Tawe which passes the city centre and the Loughor which flows on the northern border with Carmarthenshire. The lower River Tawe has been heavily engineered whilst the River Loughor remains relatively untouched by man.
Rhossili Beach as seen from headland, GowerIn the small county area, the geology is complex, providing diverse scenery. The Gower Peninsula, to which the city is considered the gateway, was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Excluding the small 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 park lands. The region has featured regularly in the Wales in Bloom awards.
The geology of the Gower Peninsula ranges from carboniferous limestone scenery at Worm's Head to the salt-marshes and dune systems of the Loughor estuary to the north. The eastern, southern and western sides of the peninsular are lined with numerous sandy beaches both wide and small, separated by steep cliffs. The South Wales Coalfield 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 sandstone heath ridges including the prominent Cefn Bryn. The traditional agricultural landscape consists a patchwork of fields characterised by walls, stone-faced banks and hedgerows. Secluded valleys cut through the peninsula and contain rich deciduous woodland. Much of the county is very hilly with the highest point of the county being Mynydd y Betws on the border with Carmarthenshire.
History
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 27 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.
More recently, the Swansea University Computer Society originated the networking stack of the Linux kernel.
The city
Swansea's Maritime QuarterSee also: Swansea city centre
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 best-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, are the ruins of the castle, the Marina, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea Museum, the Dylan Thomas Centre, 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.
Wind Street is of the city's two main areas of night-life and is also the location of many chain restaurants. The street is lined with numerous pubs and wine bars. Many of these buildings were originally banks, with one being the old central Post Office and sorting 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 other main area of Swansea nightlife. St Helen's Road connects the city centre with the Brynmill area, and has many Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants and shops on it. These mainly cater for people after a night out when walking back from the Kingsway to Brynmill in the evening.
Swansea was granted city status in 1969, to mark Prince Charles's investiture as the Prince of Wales. The announcement was made by the Prince on July 3, 1969, during a tour of Wales. It obtained the further right to have a Lord Mayor in 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.
Culture
Brangwyn Hall main entranceSee also: List of cultural venues in Swansea and List of Swansea people
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 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 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, Pete Ham of the rock/power pop band Badfinger,screenwriter and director Andrew Jones, 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 Newfoundland dog. 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 history as a port and the use of the word jack to indicate a sailor.
Performing arts
Swansea Grand TheatreThere 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, with a capacity of about 200. The Taliesin building on the university campus has a theatre. Other theatres include the Dylan Thomas Theatre (formerly the Little Theatre) near the marina, and one 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 with events ranging from graduation ceremonies to the annual Chinese New Year celebrations for the local Chinese community. Every autumn, Swansea hosts a Festival of Music and the Arts, when international orchestras and soloists visit the Brangwyn Hall.
Swansea hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1863, 1891, 1907, 1926, 1964, 1982 and 2006. The 2006 event occupied the site of the former Velindre tinplate works to the north of the city and featured a strikingly pink main tent.
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.
Sport
There are a number of sporting venues in Swansea. St Helen's is a cricket and rugby 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. 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.
Liberty Stadium, home of Swansea City and The OspreysSwansea City A.F.C., the Swans, moved from the Vetch Field to the new 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 Carlisle 2-1 in the Football League Trophy Final. The Swans' football following are known as the Jack Army due to the regional nickname for people from Swansea. Swansea has several clubs that play in Welsh Football League - Garden Village, Morriston Town and West End.
In 2003, Swansea RFC merged with Neath RFC to form the Neath-Swansea Ospreys rugby club. Swansea RFC remains at St Helen's in semi-professional form, 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 to be hotly-contested matches, such that there was some debate about whether a team incorporating both areas was possible. In fact the Neath-Swansea Ospreys seem to be the most successful club since Welsh rugby's reorganisation and came fifth in the Celtic League in their first year of existence, and won that league in their second year.
Swansea's rugby league side play a few miles out of the city in the small town of Ystalyfera. They are known as the Swansea Valley Miners but were formed as the Swansea Bulls in 2002.
WBO Cruiserweight boxing champion Enzo Maccarinelli hails from the city.
Religion
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.
Government
Traditionally, Swansea refers to the City of Swansea which is the settlement around the Tawe estuary. Today it also refers to one of the Subdivisions of Wales under the name of the 'City and County of Swansea' (Welsh: Dinas a Sir Abertawe.)
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. |
