Brynmill
Encyclopedia
Brynmill is a suburb
of the City and County of Swansea
, Wales
, UK
. It lies about two miles (3 km) to the west of Swansea city centre
. It is a residential area forming the southern part of the Uplands electoral ward
. As it is close to Swansea university, many students choose to rent rooms here during term time. Aside from the student population, this is a fairly middle-class area.
Brynmill is approximately bounded by Swansea Bay
to the south; Brynmill Lane to the west; Glanbrydan Avenue to the north; Bryn-y-Mor Road to the north-east; and Guildhall Road to the south-east. Brynmill can be further subdivided between the upland area of Brynmill proper and the lowland area of St. Helen's close the sea.
Brynmill is situated on hilly terrain. Many of the properties are built on slopes. Property subsidence is a problem here. Property prices here are around the national average. Council tax
rates here are quite high. The area offers convenient access to the city centre shopping area via the Oystermouth Road to the South, and Sketty Road to the North. However, these roads are rather congested during peak hours.
The parish church of St Gabriel's (Church in Wales
/Anglican) was consecrated in 1889. It is situated on Bryn Road. St. Benedict's Roman Catholic Church
is on Sketty Road. The local primary schools are Brynmill Primary School and Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Bryn-y-mor.The St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground
is located to the South of Brynmill. St. Helen's also plays host to the annual Guy Fawkes night
fireworks display.
To the east of the district is the Swansea Guildhall complex, with its tall clock tower
being visible from a distance. The Guildhall houses the City and County of Swansea council offices. The Northern section of the Guildhall complex houses Law courts. The Southern part of the Guildhall complex houses the Brangwyn Hall
- a venue for social and cultural functions in Swansea. This is a venue for performances of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
when they visit Swansea. This is also used as the venue for graduation
ceremonies for new graduates from Swansea University
.
and a memorial to Swansea Jack
. The truss
structure of the Oystermouth bridge
(a.k.a. Slip Bridge) is now located here. The terminus of the Mumbles
land train is situated here.
Immediately south of the promenade lies Swansea Bay
. Here is a large sandy beach
with fairly calm waters and a very large tidal range. At high tide, the beach is almost entirely covered by Swansea Bay's waters. At low tide, it is about 1/4 mile walk to the water front.
Directly west of St. Helen's is the recreation ground. This is a venue used to host travelling funfair
s and circuses. It has hosted the Moscow State Circus
, the Chinese State Circus
, and Gerry Cottle's Circus. The Rec, as it is referred to by locals, is also host to a seasonal Park and ride
car park.
s and tennis courts. For younger children, there are swings
to play on. Victoria Park contains the Patti Pavilion, which serves as a village hall, and is a venue for village fêtes, pantomime
, and other theatrical entertainment, as well as music gigs. Located at the South East corner of Victoria Park is a weather station
containing a Stevenson screen
.
which is separated from Singleton Park by Brynmill Lane. Brynmill Park is a Victorian
park, and contains a lake, which supports a population of Whooper Swan
s. The lake was originally constructed as a reservoir
, before being converted to recreational use.
In 2007 restoration Work Started at Brynmill Park to restore the facility to its Victorian splendour. Work at the park's play area will formed a £1.3million scheme led by Swansea Council and part-funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Local councillor Peter May
and the Friends of Brynmill Park have also been actively involved in the initiative. The project will incorporate the restoration of the existing bowls pavilion and a new discovery centre offering multifunctional educational facilities.
Other aspects of the Brynmill Park project include:
Singleton Park
houses the Brynmill stream which was once the town boundary, and which was being used to power a corn
mill
as far back the fifteenth century. (Swansea before Industry, Swansea Museum Services.)
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
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...
, 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...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It lies about two miles (3 km) to the west of Swansea 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...
. It is a residential area forming the southern part of the Uplands electoral ward
Uplands (electoral ward)
Uplands is name of an electoral ward, a community and a suburb in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The Uplands community does not have a community council....
. As it is close to Swansea university, many students choose to rent rooms here during term time. Aside from the student population, this is a fairly middle-class area.
Brynmill is approximately bounded by Swansea Bay
Swansea Bay
Swansea Bay is a bay on the Bristol Channel on the South Wales coast. Places on the bay include Mumbles, Swansea and Port Talbot. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan and Blackpill stream flow into the bay....
to the south; Brynmill Lane to the west; Glanbrydan Avenue to the north; Bryn-y-Mor Road to the north-east; and Guildhall Road to the south-east. Brynmill can be further subdivided between the upland area of Brynmill proper and the lowland area of St. Helen's close the sea.
Brynmill is situated on hilly terrain. Many of the properties are built on slopes. Property subsidence is a problem here. Property prices here are around the national average. Council tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
rates here are quite high. The area offers convenient access to the city centre shopping area via the Oystermouth Road to the South, and Sketty Road to the North. However, these roads are rather congested during peak hours.
Local Amenities
Church in Wales
The Church in Wales is the Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses.As with the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Wales serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The current archbishop is Barry Morgan, the Bishop of Llandaff.In contrast to the...
/Anglican) was consecrated in 1889. It is situated on Bryn Road. St. Benedict's Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
is on Sketty Road. The local primary schools are Brynmill Primary School and Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Bryn-y-mor.The St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground
St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground
St. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground is a spectator venue in Swansea, Wales. It is used for both rugby and cricket.It is owned and operated by the City and County of Swansea council and is also used to host the local annual Guy Fawkes night fireworks display.-History:Since the ground opened in...
is located to the South of Brynmill. St. Helen's also plays host to the annual Guy Fawkes night
Guy Fawkes Night
Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in England. Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding...
fireworks display.
To the east of the district is the Swansea Guildhall complex, with its tall clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
being visible from a distance. The Guildhall houses the City and County of Swansea council offices. The Northern section of the Guildhall complex houses Law courts. The Southern part of the Guildhall complex houses the Brangwyn Hall
Brangwyn Hall
The Brangwyn Hall is a concert venue in Swansea. It is named after the artist Frank Brangwyn, whose famous "panels", originally intended for the House of Lords, are displayed there....
- a venue for social and cultural functions in Swansea. This is a venue for performances of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in Wales, occupying a dual role as both a broadcasting orchestra and national orchestra.The BBC NOW has its...
when they visit Swansea. This is also used as the venue for graduation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
ceremonies for new graduates from Swansea University
Swansea University
Swansea University is a university located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. Swansea University was chartered as University College of Swansea in 1920, as the fourth college of the University of Wales. In 1996, it changed its name to the University of Wales Swansea following structural changes...
.
Waterfront
The Swansea waterfront promenade and cycle track crosses Brynmill across its southern boundary. This is just a few metres away from St. Helen's. Situated here is a war memorialWar memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
and a memorial to Swansea Jack
Swansea Jack
Swansea Jack was a famous dog whose name lives on in the nickname given to natives of Swansea, Wales.- Life :Swansea Jack was a black retriever with a longish coat...
. The truss
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
structure of the Oystermouth bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
(a.k.a. Slip Bridge) is now located here. The terminus of the 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...
land train is situated here.
Immediately south of the promenade lies Swansea Bay
Swansea Bay
Swansea Bay is a bay on the Bristol Channel on the South Wales coast. Places on the bay include Mumbles, Swansea and Port Talbot. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan and Blackpill stream flow into the bay....
. Here is a large sandy beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
with fairly calm waters and a very large tidal range. At high tide, the beach is almost entirely covered by Swansea Bay's waters. At low tide, it is about 1/4 mile walk to the water front.
Directly west of St. Helen's is the recreation ground. This is a venue used to host travelling funfair
Funfair
A funfair or simply "fair" is a small to medium sized travelling show primarily composed of stalls and other amusements. Larger fairs such as the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts might be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is...
s and circuses. It has hosted the Moscow State Circus
Moscow State Circus
The title “Moscow State Circus” is used for a variety of circuses. Most commonly, it refers to one of the two circus buildings in Moscow, the “” and the “Bolshoi Circus” , or to traveling shows which may or may not be directly related to Russia.The Russian Circus rose to world acclaim during the...
, the Chinese State Circus
Chinese State Circus
To say the Chinese State Circus is merely a show is grossly to underestimate it; it is the embodiment of a traditional art form which can trace its history back over 2000 years. The presentation lives and breathes with the enthusiasm of its acrobatic artistes whose whole lives centre in the...
, and Gerry Cottle's Circus. The Rec, as it is referred to by locals, is also host to a seasonal 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...
car park.
Victoria Park
To the East of St. Helen's is Victoria Park, containing bowling greenBowling green
A bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
s and tennis courts. For younger children, there are swings
Swing (seat)
A swing is a hanging seat, usually found at playgrounds for children, a circus for acrobats, or on a porch for relaxing. The seat of a swing may be suspended from chains or ropes. Once a swing is in motion it continues to oscillate like a pendulum until external interference or drag brings it to a...
to play on. Victoria Park contains the Patti Pavilion, which serves as a village hall, and is a venue for village fêtes, pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
, and other theatrical entertainment, as well as music gigs. Located at the South East corner of Victoria Park is a weather station
Weather station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind...
containing a Stevenson screen
Stevenson screen
A Stevenson screen or instrument shelter is an enclosure to shield meteorological instruments against precipitation and direct heat radiation from outside sources, while still allowing air to circulate freely around them. It forms part of a standard weather station...
.
Brynmill Park
Brynmill Park is the local parkPark
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
which is separated from Singleton Park by Brynmill Lane. Brynmill Park is a Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
park, and contains a lake, which supports a population of Whooper Swan
Whooper Swan
The Whooper Swan , Cygnus cygnus, is a large Northern Hemisphere swan. It is the Eurasian counterpart of the North American Trumpeter Swan. An old name for the Whooper Swan is Elk; it is so called in Francis Willughby and John Ray's Ornithology of 1676.-Description:The Whooper Swan is similar in...
s. The lake was originally constructed as a reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
, before being converted to recreational use.
In 2007 restoration Work Started at Brynmill Park to restore the facility to its Victorian splendour. Work at the park's play area will formed a £1.3million scheme led by Swansea Council and part-funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Local councillor Peter May
Peter May
-External links:* * at Cricket Archive*...
and the Friends of Brynmill Park have also been actively involved in the initiative. The project will incorporate the restoration of the existing bowls pavilion and a new discovery centre offering multifunctional educational facilities.
Other aspects of the Brynmill Park project include:
- The installation of two floating nesting islands on the lake to improve habitats for wild birds.
- Various aquatic planting at four areas of the lake, a reedbed and a variety of water lilies and marginal plants at the south western lake inlet.
- The re-surfacing of paths and the installation of new seats and bins.
- The refurbishment of railings and gates.
- The demolition of the old OAP Pavilion and toilet block and the construction of temporary toilets beside the bowling green.
- The improvement of the large lawned area to the eastern side of the lake by sand slitting and connection to a restored drainage system.
- The repairing of part of the stone wall that forms the lake edge on the north western side of the park.
Singleton Park
Singleton Park
Singleton Park is the largest urban park in the city of Swansea and is located in Sketty. The park has hosted many entertainment and cultural events such as Party in the Park and Proms in the Park which were regular events by local stations The Wave & Swansea Sound and other music events held by...
houses the Brynmill stream which was once the town boundary, and which was being used to power a corn
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
mill
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
as far back the fifteenth century. (Swansea before Industry, Swansea Museum Services.)