Hafod
Encyclopedia
Hafod is a district of the city of Swansea
, Wales
and lies just outside the city centre in the north of the city. It falls within the Landore ward.
The word hafod is Welsh
for 'summer dwelling' or 'farm', and refers to the seasonal cycle of transhumance
- the movement of livestock and people from a lowland winter pasture at the main residence (Welsh hendre) to a higher summer pasture from roughly May through October.
The western part of Hafod is a residential suburb
. In the late 20th century, this was a mostly run-down area of Swansea, with property prices there being some of the lowest in the city centre area. In the new millennium, many properties in the main Neath Road (B4603) and some of the side streets have benefited from council grants to improve the façade of the properties. This has certainly improved the image of the area superficially. Beside the River Tawe
to the east is a small industrial strip around Morfa Road.
Hafod has a comprehensive school
called Pentrehafod Comprehensive School, and a primary school called Hafod Primary school. There used to be junior and senior schools located on the same site but the school was ravaged by fire during the early 1990s. The new primary school was built to replace it and new buildings were constructed within the grounds of Pentrehafod school to cater for the junior and senior pupils. The community sports facility is the Pentrehafod sports hall and pool located in the grounds of the Pentrehafod Comprehensive School. The school is built on what was formerly the waste product dumping ground for the Morris family copper works.
Neath Road is a busy thoroughfare used by buses and cars to travelling between central Swansea
and the northern suburbs in and around Morriston
and Llansamlet
. There is currently work underway in constructing a dedicated express bus route to the east of Neath Road, which will be used by buses serving the Landore
Park and Ride
site. As new distributor road is planned, further east of the bus road to allow traffic to bypass the Hafod.
, a Grade II listed building, still lie on the banks of the River Tawe
. These can be seen clearly from the east side of the river. The works was founded in 1810 by the Cornishman John Vivian. During the 19th century, this was the largest copper works in the world. It continued rolling copper until its closure in 1980.
The two engine houses and their chimneys, built successively to drive the rolling mills in 1860-62 and 1910, remain with adjacent rolling machinery. At the entrance to the works is a very large wall that once formed the abutment to bridges giving access to the works over the Swansea Canal
. It is built of cast copper-slag blocks, the largest surviving example of the use of this material for constructional purposes. The locomotive shed by the river (built for the first standard-gauge articulated locomotive in Britain) bears the name 'Vivians' spelt out in polychromatic brickwork on its river facade.
The local authority indends to have the site re-developed where the listed buildings would be preserved and new uses would be given to heritage buildings. The development could include a new hotel, restaurant and new housing.
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...
and lies just outside the city centre in the north of the city. It falls within the Landore ward.
The word hafod is Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
for 'summer dwelling' or 'farm', and refers to the seasonal cycle of transhumance
Transhumance
Transhumance is the seasonal movement of people with their livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and to lower valleys in winter. Herders have a permanent home, typically in valleys. Only the herds travel, with...
- the movement of livestock and people from a lowland winter pasture at the main residence (Welsh hendre) to a higher summer pasture from roughly May through October.
The western part of Hafod is a residential suburb
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...
. In the late 20th century, this was a mostly run-down area of Swansea, with property prices there being some of the lowest in the city centre area. In the new millennium, many properties in the main Neath Road (B4603) and some of the side streets have benefited from council grants to improve the façade of the properties. This has certainly improved the image of the area superficially. Beside the River Tawe
River Tawe
The River Tawe is a river in South Wales. It flows in a principally south-westerly direction for some from its source below Moel Feity in the Old Red Sandstone hills of the western Brecon Beacons to the Bristol Channel at Swansea. Its main tributaries are the right bank Upper and Lower Clydach...
to the east is a small industrial strip around Morfa Road.
Hafod has a comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
called Pentrehafod Comprehensive School, and a primary school called Hafod Primary school. There used to be junior and senior schools located on the same site but the school was ravaged by fire during the early 1990s. The new primary school was built to replace it and new buildings were constructed within the grounds of Pentrehafod school to cater for the junior and senior pupils. The community sports facility is the Pentrehafod sports hall and pool located in the grounds of the Pentrehafod Comprehensive School. The school is built on what was formerly the waste product dumping ground for the Morris family copper works.
Neath Road is a busy thoroughfare used by buses and cars to travelling between central 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...
and the northern suburbs in and around Morriston
Morriston
Morriston is a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales and falls within the Morriston ward. Morriston is sometimes referred to as a distinct town , however Morriston never had a town charter, and is now part of the continuous urban area around Swansea, the centre of which lies three...
and Llansamlet
Llansamlet
Llansamlet is the name of an electoral ward and a coterminous community City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. Llansamlet does not have a community council....
. There is currently work underway in constructing a dedicated express bus route to the east of Neath Road, which will be used by buses serving the Landore
Landore
Landore is the name of an electoral ward, a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The community does not have a community council....
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. As new distributor road is planned, further east of the bus road to allow traffic to bypass the Hafod.
Hafod Copper Works
The remains of the Hafod Copper Works of Vivian & SonsVivian & Sons
Vivian & Sons was a British metallurgical and chemicals business based at Hafod, in the lower Swansea valley. The firm was founded in 1810, disappearing as a separate entity in 1924...
, a Grade II listed building, still lie on the banks of the River Tawe
River Tawe
The River Tawe is a river in South Wales. It flows in a principally south-westerly direction for some from its source below Moel Feity in the Old Red Sandstone hills of the western Brecon Beacons to the Bristol Channel at Swansea. Its main tributaries are the right bank Upper and Lower Clydach...
. These can be seen clearly from the east side of the river. The works was founded in 1810 by the Cornishman John Vivian. During the 19th century, this was the largest copper works in the world. It continued rolling copper until its closure in 1980.
The two engine houses and their chimneys, built successively to drive the rolling mills in 1860-62 and 1910, remain with adjacent rolling machinery. At the entrance to the works is a very large wall that once formed the abutment to bridges giving access to the works over the Swansea Canal
Swansea Canal
The Swansea Canal was a canal constructed by the Swansea Canal Navigation Company between 1794 and 1798, running for some from Swansea to Hen Neuadd, Abercraf in South Wales. It was steeply graded, and 36 locks were needed to enable it to rise over its length...
. It is built of cast copper-slag blocks, the largest surviving example of the use of this material for constructional purposes. The locomotive shed by the river (built for the first standard-gauge articulated locomotive in Britain) bears the name 'Vivians' spelt out in polychromatic brickwork on its river facade.
The local authority indends to have the site re-developed where the listed buildings would be preserved and new uses would be given to heritage buildings. The development could include a new hotel, restaurant and new housing.