About Swansea

Swansea is Wales’ 2nd city, situated in South West Wales it is just under an hour away from Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, by car or train. The city is the regional commercial centre for the area, with a substantial retail offering, major events, museums and galleries, 32 miles of breathtaking coast and more than 50 named beaches and coves.The Gower Peninsula was declared the UK’s first area of outstanding natural beauty in 1956 and still attracts hordes of visitors every year. Nearby towns to Swansea include Port Talbot with its world-famous steelworks, Neath and Llanelli. The region is certainly diverse, with areas of beach, towns, valleys and rolling countryside, it’s a wonderful place to work and play. PopulationThe wider county area includes the city of Swansea, the Swansea Bay area stretching to Aberavon Beach as well as the famous Gower Peninsula. Swansea is the second largest city in Wales and the twenty-fifth largest city in the UK. The city, metropolitan and urban areas combined give a total population of 450,000 making it the second largest local authority in Wales. HistorySwansea has a long and fascinating history and during the 19th-century industrial heyday became the key centre of the copper-smelting industry, earning the nickname Copperopolis. The Normans conquered the area in the 12th century and established a marcher lordship under the title of Gower. It included land around Swansea Bay as far as the River Tawe. Swansea was designated chief town of the lordship and received a borough charter at some point between 1158 and 1184. From the early 1700s to a major decline in the late 1800s, Swansea was the world’s leading copper smelting area. Numerous smelters along the River Tawe received copper and other metal ores shipped from as far away as South America, Africa, and Australia.Whilst most of the copperworks are long gone, there are currently exciting plans underway to transform the derelict Hafod Works (pictured) situated near the Liberty Stadium. The plans will see the ruins transformed into a new whisky distillery, visitor centre, tasting bar and offices.The Mumbles railway was first built as a horse-drawn tramway in 1804-5 and soon became the first railway in the world to regularly carry passengers in 1807. The use of steam locos soon replaced the horse-drawn method of transport later on in 1877. Now long gone, a land train still covers part of the route in the summer months. Throughout the 20th century, heavy industries in the town declined and of the many original docks, only those outside the city continue to work as docks; North Dock is now a retail park and the South Dock became a Marina. During World War 2 the town centre was largely destroyed by the Three Nights Blitz and subsequent bombing.In 1969 Swansea was granted city status to mark Prince Charles’ investiture as the Prince of Wales. The Prince made the announcement on 3 July 1969 during a tour of Wales Swansea obtained the further right to have a Lord Mayor in 1982. Five Famous Faces Dylan Thomas – One of the most famous people to have come from this great city is Dylan Thomas, renowned poet and writer. There is a permanent Dylan Thomas exhibition at the namesake centre built to celebrate his life, where visitors can go to learn about his life and also enjoy art all-year round. Catherine Zeta-Jones – Welsh actress born and raised in Swansea before catapulting to Hollywood stardom, she is the recipient of many awards including an Oscar, a BAFTA and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Emire (CBE) for her film and humanitarian endeavours. Sir Harry Secome – an actor, comedian and singer well-known for starring in the radio comedy ‘The Goon Show in 1951-1960. He went on to star in several musicals and had his own TV shfIVE ow on the BBC. John Charles – a Welsh international footballer who played for Leeds United and Juventus during his 25-year playing career. Rated by many as the greatest all-round footballer ever to come from Britain, he was equally adept as a forward or defender due to his strength, pace, technique, vision, ability in the air and eye for goal. Rob Brydon – is a Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist. He played Bryn West in Gavin & Stacy and Keith Barret in the BBC comedy series Marion and Geoff. Rob was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours. Living in SwanseaThe average price for a house in the area is £174,095, making it an affordable place to purchase a house in Wales. As a city by the sea with excellent schools, it is a popular choice with families, and those moving to Wales. The city offers a range of good quality attractions including the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea Museum and Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. Those who enjoy the outdoors are spoilt for choice with the beautiful Gower to explore, the seaside fun of the Mumbles and incredible parks including Clyne and Singleton. Sports fans head to the Liberty Stadium to Watch Swansea City play football in the Championship or the Ospreys in the PRO14 Rugby. The city centre itself has a decent selection of shops, bars, restaurants and venues including the Swansea Grand Theatre. Working in SwanseaSwansea has very good employment prospects with 70.3% of the population at working age (16-64) (2018) and a total of 111,000 people working in Swansea. This means that Swansea has reasonably low unemployment levels. The city also has a large student community with over 24,000 students spread out over Swansea University, University of Wales Trinity St. David and Gower College, making it a prime place for quality graduates.Major private sector employers in Swansea include 3M, BT Group, Admiral, Amazon Tesco, and Conduit. Large public sector employers include the City and County of Swansea council, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, HM Land Registry, Welsh Assembly Government, Swansea University and Swansea Metropolitan University. Swansea FactThe Meridian Quay Tower on Swansea Marina is 29 stories high and is Wales tallest residential building with panoramic views of Swansea Bay.