Swansea Castle
Transcript: Welcome to this AudioWalk where we’ll explore the city of Swansea. You should be standing next to Swansea Castle, or at least what’s left of it.The ruins you can see would have been the walls of the new Swansea castle and you’d currently be standing in the outer ward.The new castle was built in the late 13th century by the De Breos family who were marcher lords. They were appointed the lordship of Gower by the king of England and this castle was built as part of their efforts to subdue the Welsh.Now I call it the new castle because the original castle was a timber structure built in the same spot 200 years earlier by a previous marcher lord. But this one was eventually burned down by the Welsh princes who were enemies of the marcher lords.This location was chosen for the castle because it was directly next to the River Tawe which used to run inbetween these ruins and the BT tower behind. That river is where Swansea gets its Welsh name, Abertawe, which means ‘Mouth of the Tawe’.The river is no longer here because it was redirected in 1845 to create Swansea Docks which we’ll see later on.Can you see a circular plaque in the pavement? This marks where a well would have once provided water for the castle. Other shapes in the pavement mark where stairs would have provided access to the upper floors.The castle ruin is made up of two distinct parts. The smaller, square-shaped part was later used as a debtor's prison. If you owed money which you couldn’t pay, the courts would send you here to work off your debt or until your family and friends bailed you out. Read the information panel to find out about some interesting past prisoners.During this tour, I’ll provide clear instructions to help you navigate and the audio will automatically play as you approach each stop. You can also use the onscreen map to navigate and choose which audio to play. But the tour works best when you visit each stop in the order I recommend.Now, we’re going to cross the road in front of the castle to the large public square known as castle square.
Castle Square
Transcript: You are now in castle square which would have once been within the castle walls.When the marcher lords and the Welsh princes stopped fighting, the castle began to decay and the courtyard started taking on other uses.During the Tudor period, Castle Square became home to the guildhall which would have included a court room, a gaol, and stocks to humiliate misbehaving locals. This would have been on the right of the square as you approached.Over time, more buildings popped up around the square, including a town hall, a workhouse, a meat market, a branch of the Bank of England and the post office.By the 20th century, this entire area would have been full of elegant Victorian and Edwardian buildings. Even the centre of the square, where you are now standing, would have been built on. This is where Wales' first large department store once stood, Ben Evans & Co, sometimes called the Harods of Wales.However, disaster came in February 1941 during WWII when all of these buildings were wiped to the floor by bombs during the blitz. After this, the Council decided not to rebuild in the centre of the square and to keep it as a public space.The focal point for the public space is castle square fountain.Do you see the large glass and steel sculpture at the top of the fountain? This represents a leaf which has been turned into a boat. It was inspired by lines from the Dylan Thomas poem, ‘Rain Cuts the Place We Tread’.Dylan Thomas was one of Wales’ most famous Poets who used to work in Newspaper offices near the castle and frequented one of the pubs on this square, before they were both destroyed by the bombing.From here, head towards the large church which you can see at the bottom left of the square.
St Mary's Square
Transcript: You are now in St Mary’s Square, which is named after St Mary’s church standing in the middle of it.The current St Mary’s Church was only built in the 1950’s but was the 5th or possibly 6th church to be built here. The previous building was destroyed during the WWII blitz which also destroyed castle square.Make your way towards the main entrance which is at the end near the quadrant shopping centre. When you reach it, notice the carving above the door. This is a remnant recovered from the previous church. It shows Jesus reigning in heaven surrounded by the four gospel writers in their traditional representations. Matthew is a man, Mark a lion, Luke a bull and John an eagle.The previous church was only around 60 years old when it was bombed. It was built in the 1890s when it was put out to tender. Many designs were received but the contract was eventually awarded to English architect Sir Arthur Blomfield.However, one of the architects whose design wasn’t chosen took the decision personally and planned revenge. He bought a plot of land opposite the church entrance, where the Quadrant shopping centre now stands.Here, he built a block of offices for a local brewery and on top he placed a carving of Satan, directly facing the church’s entrance. This became known as the Swansea Devil, or Old Nick.In 2019, Old Nick was taken down and donated to the Swansea museum where you can see him today.Down the road to the right of the Quadrant shopping centre, you’ll find Swansea Market, the largest indoor market in Wales. We’re not going to walk past this on the tour, but you can take a quick if you haven’t seen it yet. I’m going to meet you at our next stop which is the statue of Sir Henry Hussey Vivian in the corner of this square to the left of the quadrant shopping centre.
Statue of Sir Henry Hussey Vivian
Transcript: This bronze statue is of Sir Henry Hussey Vivian. We’re going to hear a lot about the Vivian family over the rest of this tour.The Vivian family, originally from Cornwall, were responsible for the growth of the copper smelting industry in Swansea which bought a lot of wealth to the city in the 19th century.There was a good reason why they chose Swansea. The two things required to smelt copper are coal and copper ore. Back in the1830s, you needed three tons of coal for each ton of copper ore. So, it made sense to bring the copper ore to the coal. With it’s close proximity to the South Wales coalfields and it’s docks, Swansea was the perfect place. In its heyday, the city exported 60% of the world's copper, earning it the nickname Copperopolis.As well as his family’s role in the copper industry, Sir Henry Hussey Vivian, was also a politician and served as MP for Swansea.Now leave the square past the statue and follow the path over the bridge.
Copr Bay Bridge
Transcript: You are now walking over the copr bay bridge which links the town centre with the newly developed copr Bay Area.On the other side of the bridge, the large gold building is Swansea arena.When you reach the other side of the bridge, go down the steps in front of you and head right at the bottom.
The Marina
Directions: Head into the marina.
Maritime Quarter
Transcript: After entering the marina, turn left and continue walking while I tell you about the area.This is now known as the Maritime Quarter residential area but was once part of Swansea Docks. The docks were created by diverting the River Tawe from its earlier route which ran near Swansea castle as we discovered earlier. This part would have been the South Dock and was key to the copper smelting industry, importing copper ore and exporting copper.I’ve already told you about why the industry grew here, but what happened to copperopplis and how did the busy port end up as a residential area?Well, as copper smelting technology advanced and became more efficient, the amount of coal needed to smelt each ton of copper ore reduced from a ratio of 3 to 1 in the early days right down to a ratio of 1 to 1.Now, it made economic sense to transport the coal to the copper ore instead of vice versa. This is when the industry in Swansea started to take a downturn.South Dock closed in 1971 and was redeveloped in the 1980s to become Swansea Marina for leisure craft and the area around became the Maritime Quarter residential area.Continue walking along this path.
National Waterfront Museum
Transcript: On your left, you should be walking past the National Waterfront Museum. If you’ve enjoyed learning about the history of the industrial revolution in Wales, this museum will be of interest to you as it delves much deeper into the evolution of transport, technology, and Swanseas maritime history.Continue walking into reach the open square with a small statue in the middle.
Dylan Thomas Square
Transcript: This square is called Dylan Thomas Square, after the renowned Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas whom I spoke about earlier.His poems and plays gained popularity during the 1930s and 40s. He also wrote radio dramas, recorded a vinyl, and travelled to America several times where he was also a popular figure.In the centre of the square, you’ll see a statue of Dylan Thomas himself.His poems were known for being particularly emotional with his most famous poem being 'Do not go gentle into that good night'. This 19-line poem urges his father, who was dying at the time, to fight against death and live life fully until the end. Lets take a look around the square. The building on your left is the Swansea Museum Tramway Centre, referred to as the tramshed. It contains exhibits from Swansea’s old street trams and the Mumbles Railway which was the world's first passenger train, carrying passengers around Swansea Bay as early as 1807.Clockwise from the Tramshed is the Dylan Thomas thatre which hosts plays, dance groups, music festivals and comedy.The next building along, the big red building with the clock tower is the pumping house, This would have powered most of the machinery around south dock using hydraulic water pressure. It powered the swing bridge, which we’ll head across shortly, the cranes, lock gates and hoists. The building has now been converted into a pub, keeping its original name the Pump House.We’re going to take the path to the right of the pump house.
The Tower
Transcript: I’m a moment, We’re going to head right and go over the pedestrian swing bridge. But before you cross, glance back behind you at the tall white tower.This is known as The Tower at Meridian Quay. Standing 107m tall, it’s the tallest building in Wales and the country’s only skyscraper.A restaurant on the 29th floor, called the Grape and Olive, is Wales highest restaurant, owned by Brains Brewery. It’s worth a visit, if not for the view alone.Now cross the swing bridge and I’ll meet you next to the statue of a captain on the other side.
Captain Cat
Transcript: This is a statue of Captain Cat, the blind old sea captain who featured in Dylan Thomas’ radio drama, Under Milk Wood, which later became a stage play.‘Under Milk Wood' explores the dreams and innermost thoughts of the inhabitants of a fictional Welsh village called Llareggub, which is buggerall spelt backwards.Thomas grew up in Swansea but later spend time living in London as well as the smaller Welsh villages of Laugharne and New Quay in West Wales. The characters in Under Milk Wood are based on real people he met in these villages.Follow the path on the left side of the captain and continue straight until you reach the seafront promenade.
Towards the Promenade
Directions: Continue straight until you reach the promenade and turn right.
Swansea Observatory
Transcript: The unusual building in front of you is Swansea Observatory. It was originally home to the local astronomical society who lead public observing sessions and educated the public about astronomy. At the time, it was home to Wales's largest optical astronomical telescope.Can you see the statue of a woman on top. She is known as ecliptica and she is holding a representation of an eclipse. The statue also functions as a weathervane so you may see it spin around.The astronomical society no longer occupy the building but it’s now home to a bar and restaurant with a great terrace looking across the beach. Talking of the beach, that’s the final stop on today’s tour. You can either make your way down onto the sand or find somewhere to stop on the promenade while I give you some more information.Swansea Beach is the longest beach in Wales, stretching for 8 kilometers, or 5 miles.At high tide, the tide is over 10 metres higher than at low tide. This is one of the largest tidal ranges in the world and it’s why Swansea Bay is the focus of proposals to build a tidal lagoon for green energy generation.As you look out across the bay, you should be able to make out a lighthouse in the distance, built on the outer of two tiny islands. This is Mumbles lighthouse which has guided vessels safely into Swansea Bay for hundreds of years.Sailors have compared the two tiny islands to a pair of breasts, or mamelles, in French, which is where the name of the village, Mumbles, is thought to have come from.The promenade along the back of the beach is known as the marine walk and is dotted with sculptures, often depicting the city’s important maritime connections which have been a vital part of its success. That brings us to the end of today’s tour. I look forward to joining you on another AudioWalk soon.
