Bishopston, Swansea
Encyclopedia
Bishopston is a village and community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
situated on the Gower Peninsula
Gower Peninsula
Gower or the Gower Peninsula is a peninsula in south Wales, jutting from the coast into the Bristol Channel, and administratively part of the City and County of Swansea. Locally it is known as "Gower"...
, some 6 miles (9.7 km) west south west of the centre of Swansea
Swansea city centre
Swansea city centre in Swansea, Wales, contains the main shopping, leisure and nightlife district in Swansea. The city centre covers much of the Castle ward including the area around Oxford Street, Castle Square, and the Quadrant Shopping Centre; Alexandra Road, High Street, Wind Street and the...
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. Forming part of the Bishopston ward
Bishopston (electoral ward)
Bishopston is the name of an electoral ward and coterminous community of the same name in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. The community has its own community council. Most of the area is rural consisting of farmland and small villages...
of the City and County of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, it is one of the largest villages on Gower. Bishopston has its own rugby club, South Gower RFC, and its own primary and comprehensive schools. Local beaches include Brandy Cove, Caswell Bay
Caswell Bay
Caswell Bay is a popular UK holiday resort in the south east of the Gower Peninsula, Swansea, Wales.Access to the beach is relatively easy and inland from the sandy beach is a recreational park. Caswell is ideal for surfing, holidays in the nearby Hotels and Chalet Park. The beach regularly...
and Pwll Du.
Bishopston Church, located at the head of Bishopston Valley is dedicated to St Teilo who gives the village its Welsh name. Bishopston gives its name to the Bishopston Mudstone
Marros Group
The Marros Group is the name given to a suite of rocks of Namurian age laid down during the Carboniferous period in South Wales. These rocks were formerly known as the Millstone Grit Series but are now distinguished from the similar but geographically separate rock sequences of the Pennines and...
, a name used by geologists to refer to a rock formation with a widespread occurrence in south Wales.
Education
The Comprehensive School, Bishopston Comprehensive, achieved excellent results again this year (2011). A record 88.5% of the cohort attained at least 5 A* to C grades, and 42.7% of all GCSE grades were awarded at A* or A.In the 2008 GCSE exams, the school was the highest performing comprehensive school in Wales , with 16.85% A*, and 38.93% A* and A combined. (The times online)."The Thunderer" rated the school 8th best Comprehensive without a 6th form in England & Wales.
In 2007 the school was rated amongst the top comprehensive schools in The UK (The Sunday Times league tables 2007) with one of the highest percentage of A*-C grades, and A*/A grades at GCSE - Joint 4th best Comprehensive without a 6th form in England & Wales.
According to the latest inspection report by Estyn
Estyn
Estyn is the education and training inspectorate for Wales. Its name comes from the Welsh language verb meaning "to extend". Its mission is to achieve excellence for all in learning in Wales by providing an independent, high quality inspection and advice service to the Welsh Assembly Government and...
the school had a pass rate of 79% which put it in 7th place in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Shops and services
Bishopston offers the following shops and services:- Spar
- Lamplighter Cafe (Beverages, Cards, Gifts)
- Model Shop (Model trains, planes, cars)
- Post Office
- Sports Hall
- Children's park
Tourist attractions
Many people visiting Bishopston are attracted to its coastline, mainly Caswell Bay because of its easy accessibility. Other Bishopston beaches, such as Pwll Du and Brandy Cove, which can only be visited on foot, remain untouched by the majority of visitors.Population and Housing
The population of Bishopston has increased steadily from the beginning of the 19th century. In 1801, the first census of England and Wales reported that 303 people were living in 73 houses in the parish of Bishopston. By 1931 the population had increased to around 1,500 people living in 369 houses. In 2001 the population of the village was 3,341. The village experienced significant growth between the First and Second World Wars and in the 1960s.Bishopston's rural location has influenced the pattern of its development. Most dwellings are detached or semi-detached and benefit from generous gardens. As a result, property in Bishopston is expensive by the standards of most of South Wales and is beyond the reach of many first time buyers. Nearly all of the property in Bishopston is privately owned, with only 1% of homes rented from the local authority.