Blackpill
Encyclopedia
Blackpill is a suburban area of Swansea
, Wales
. It is located beside Swansea Bay, about 3 miles (4.8 km) south west of the city centre.
Blackpill falls into the Mayals ward
.
The area is centered around a seafront building on Mumbles road, which once served as a station and power station for the Swansea and Mumbles Railway. Today, it houses a cafe called "The Junction". The land between Mumbles road and Blackpill beach is used as Blackpill Lido, a family and children's play area with popular in summer. Also on Mumbles road is 'The Woodman', a local pub, and Blackpill Post Office. Behind the Woodman, to the left of the main entrance to Clyne Gardens, is Clyne Chapelhttp://www.churchinwales.org.uk/~s442/clynechapel.htm. The chapel was built in 1907 by Graham Vivian, who owned the nearby Clyne Castle and Estate, as the private chapel for his family. Although Vivian specified that the Chapel should have no stained glass windows to distract from the beauty of its surroundings, there are within it a range of notable artefacts that he collected on his tours to Italy. Clyne Chapel is a Grade II listed building and serves as the Anglican church for the local community.
The southern entrance to the Clyne valley cycle track is located just across the road from the boating lake area. This cycle track runs though the Clyne Valley Country Park
to Killay
, Dunvant
, and Gowerton
, by following the route of a former railway line, which formed the start of the Heart of Wales Line
prior to the Beeching Axe
of the 1960s.
Sloping uphill to the west of Blackpill are Clyne Gardens
(Gerddi Clun), the landscaped former park of Clyne Castle. Clyne Castle
, first built in the late 18th century and much altered, was for half a century a university hall, but is now converted to flats, while replacing demolished 20th-century student accommodation blocks is a new estate of luxury futuristic houseshttp://www.clynethehouses.com/ built by Holder Mathias Architects and were nominated for a RIBA
awardhttp://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=2136
A Territorial Army barracks is based just off the Mumbles Road leading up to West Cross
.
Blackpill has leisure facilities such as a former boating lake, which was located here for about thirty years and has now been converted into a shallow paddling pool. North of the boating lake is a mini golf course sandwiched between a carriageway and cycle track. Blackpill Pitch-and-Putthttp://www.facebook.com/jmchenryphotog?ref=pymk#!/pages/Ashleigh-Road-Golf-Course-Swansea/145772128783099?v=wall&ref=ts, despite its name, is actually located within the Sketty
electoral ward and Community
. The course is colloquially known in some quarters as "Royal Ashleigh" due to its proximity to Ashleigh Road and is in fact a small municipally-owned links course. It is often advertised as a nine-hole course, but in fact has ten par-three holes. Along the edge of the course, bordering the seafront footpath and bicycle track, is an obstacle course for BMX bikers and skate-boarders. On the West Cross side of Blackpill is a recreation ground containing a ramp for BMX bikers and skateboarders to practice their aerial stunts on.
.
A new foot- and cycle-bridge has been proposed, crossing over the dual carriageway, to connect the waterfront promenade to the cycle track in the Clyne Valley. A fourth park and ride
site for Swansea
is planned to be located at the existing car park at the entrance to the Clyne Valley Country Park
. This new park-and-ride facility would serve both Mumbles
and the city centre
.http://www.swansea.gov.uk/media/pdf/7/r/Swansea_Bay_Strategy_Action_Plan_27th_June_2007.pdf
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...
, 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...
. It is located beside Swansea Bay, about 3 miles (4.8 km) south west of the city centre.
Blackpill falls into the Mayals ward
Mayals (electoral ward)
Mayals is the name of an electoral ward of the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. It is also part of the Mumbles Community.The electoral ward consists of some or all of the following geographical areas: Blackpill, Mayals and part of West Cross, in the parliamentary constituency of Swansea West...
.
The area is centered around a seafront building on Mumbles road, which once served as a station and power station for the Swansea and Mumbles Railway. Today, it houses a cafe called "The Junction". The land between Mumbles road and Blackpill beach is used as Blackpill Lido, a family and children's play area with popular in summer. Also on Mumbles road is 'The Woodman', a local pub, and Blackpill Post Office. Behind the Woodman, to the left of the main entrance to Clyne Gardens, is Clyne Chapelhttp://www.churchinwales.org.uk/~s442/clynechapel.htm. The chapel was built in 1907 by Graham Vivian, who owned the nearby Clyne Castle and Estate, as the private chapel for his family. Although Vivian specified that the Chapel should have no stained glass windows to distract from the beauty of its surroundings, there are within it a range of notable artefacts that he collected on his tours to Italy. Clyne Chapel is a Grade II listed building and serves as the Anglican church for the local community.
The southern entrance to the Clyne valley cycle track is located just across the road from the boating lake area. This cycle track runs though the Clyne Valley Country Park
Clyne Valley Country Park
The Clyne Valley Country Park is an area of parkland in Britain, at Swansea in south Wales. It lies on either side of the valley of the Clyne River and comprises an area of over 700 acres of land running from the sea at Blackpill, Swansea, inland to Gowerton...
to Killay
Killay
Killay is the name of a suburb and local government community in Swansea, Wales. Killay has its own community council. The village is set high above sea level, about 3.5 miles west of Swansea city centre....
, Dunvant
Dunvant
Dunvant is a suburban district in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, and falls within the Dunvant ward. It is situated in a valley some 4.5 miles west of Swansea city centre.-History:...
, and Gowerton
Gowerton
The village of Gowerton is situated about 4 miles north west of Swansea city centre, Wales. Gowerton is often known as the gateway to Gower. Gowerton's original name was Ffosfelin...
, by following the route of a former railway line, which formed the start of the Heart of Wales Line
Heart of Wales Line
The Heart of Wales Line is a railway line running from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in South Wales. It runs, as the name suggests, through some of the heartlands of Wales. It serves a number of rural centres en route, including several once fashionable spa towns, including Llandrindod Wells...
prior to the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
of the 1960s.
Sloping uphill to the west of Blackpill are Clyne Gardens
Clyne Gardens
Clyne Gardens is a botanical garden located in Swansea, Wales, UK. The current park was formed from the landscaped gardens created by Glynn Vivian who purchased the castle in 1860.. The estate passed to his nephew Algernon, 'The Admiral' in 1921 who owned it until his death in 1952. He had the...
(Gerddi Clun), the landscaped former park of Clyne Castle. Clyne Castle
Clyne Castle
Clyne Castle is a grade II listed building situated on a hill overlooking Swansea Bay, adjacent to the Clyne valley, near Blackpill, Swansea.It was originally built in 1791 by Richard Phillips, a wealthy Carmarthenshire landowner. The Castle was subsequently remodelled by later owners...
, first built in the late 18th century and much altered, was for half a century a university hall, but is now converted to flats, while replacing demolished 20th-century student accommodation blocks is a new estate of luxury futuristic houseshttp://www.clynethehouses.com/ built by Holder Mathias Architects and were nominated for a RIBA
Riba
Riba means one of the senses of "usury" . Riba is forbidden in Islamic economic jurisprudence fiqh and considered as a major sin...
awardhttp://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=2136
A Territorial Army barracks is based just off the Mumbles Road leading up to West Cross
West Cross
West Cross is a suburban area of Swansea, Wales, located to the south of Swansea city centre, near Mumbles falling within the West Cross ward....
.
Leisure
Sketty
Sketty is the name of an electoral ward, a community and a suburb in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The community is coterminous with the electoral ward....
electoral ward and Community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
. The course is colloquially known in some quarters as "Royal Ashleigh" due to its proximity to Ashleigh Road and is in fact a small municipally-owned links course. It is often advertised as a nine-hole course, but in fact has ten par-three holes. Along the edge of the course, bordering the seafront footpath and bicycle track, is an obstacle course for BMX bikers and skate-boarders. On the West Cross side of Blackpill is a recreation ground containing a ramp for BMX bikers and skateboarders to practice their aerial stunts on.
Blackpill Beach
Blackpill Beach is a known for wildlife and wildlife watchers. Large numbers of wading birds and a variety of gulls, some rare, gather here at high tide. The beach and the stream that flows out of the area is a designated Site of Special Scientific InterestSite of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
.
Future plans
The local council has plans to improve the leisure facilities in the area. Proposals include a new visitor centre for bird watchers at the mouth of the Blackpill Stream, additional car parking, upgrades to the Blackpill Lido to create a children's water park, a cycle hire centre, and improvements to the waterfront skate park.http://www.swansea.gov.uk/media/pdf/7/r/Swansea_Bay_Strategy_Action_Plan_27th_June_2007.pdfA new foot- and cycle-bridge has been proposed, crossing over the dual carriageway, to connect the waterfront promenade to the cycle track in the Clyne Valley. A fourth park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
site for 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...
is planned to be located at the existing car park at the entrance to the Clyne Valley Country Park
Clyne Valley Country Park
The Clyne Valley Country Park is an area of parkland in Britain, at Swansea in south Wales. It lies on either side of the valley of the Clyne River and comprises an area of over 700 acres of land running from the sea at Blackpill, Swansea, inland to Gowerton...
. This new park-and-ride facility would serve both Mumbles
Mumbles
Mumbles or The Mumbles is an area and community in Swansea, Wales which takes its name from the adjacent headland stretching into Swansea Bay...
and the city centre
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...
.http://www.swansea.gov.uk/media/pdf/7/r/Swansea_Bay_Strategy_Action_Plan_27th_June_2007.pdf