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History of Swansea
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History of Swansea
The history of Swansea covers a period of continuous occupation stretching back a thousand years, while there is archaeological evidence of prehistoric human occupation of the surrounding area for thousands of years before that.
Swansea (Welsh: Abertawe) occupies a position at the mouth of the River Tawe adjacent to an extensive bay at the western end of the Bristol Channel. It was founded as a town in the early 12th century, centred around its Norman castle. Part of the Lordship of Gower, established after the Norman invasion of Wales, it suffered episodes of destructive attack by forces of the displaced Welsh princes before developing into a prosperous market town and as a port with trading links across the Bristol Channel, as well as to France and Ireland. By the 18th century it was well established as a civic and cultural entity and as a fashionable tourist resort.
With the expansion of the coal mining and copper smelting industries in the Swansea Valley in the 18th and early 19th century, Swansea became the centre of a new industrial and commercial area. The combination of a distinctively diverse, cosmopolitan, rapidly expanding population, a flourishing provincial science movement and a strong commercial and industrial base secured its pre-eminent and unique status in the urban history of early 19th century Wales.
Industry grew throughout the 19th century, changing the geography of the town as its surrounding areas became incorporated into its municipal boundaries. In 1889 Swansea attained county borough status. Throughout the 20th century industry declined but the town continued to grow in population. Swansea officially gained city status in 1969.
The oldest known remains on the Gower Peninsula are the Red Lady of Paviland: human bones dating from 22,000 BC. Later inhabitants also left their mark on the land. Examples include the Bronze Age burial mound at Cillibion and the Iron Age hill fort, Cil Ifor. Isolated prehistoric artifacts have been found in the area the city proper occupies, but there are far more on Gower. The remains of a Roman villa were also excavated on Gower.
The Welsh name, Abertawe, translates to mouth of the Tawe. It first appears c.1150 as Aper Tyui.
By the late 10th century, the region, including the land around the bay and the Gower, was part of the Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth under Maredudd ap Owain. The Vikings arrived sometime between the 9th and 11th centuries, leaving behind their name for a settlement in the area. The precise nature and location of this settlement are still disputed. Spellings such as Swensi, Sweni and Svenshi are found on coins minted around 1140,
In the wake of the Norman Conquest and Norman invasion of Wales, Gower became a marcher lordship which included not only the peninsula itself but also the land to the east as far north as the River Amman and east to the River Tawe. This included the site of Swansea town, which was designated the capital of the area. Although Kilvey Hill is to the east of the Tawe, the manor of Kilvey was also associated with Gower. The new Norman lords encouraged English immigration into the area. This immigration was largely from the West Country.
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History of Swansea
The history of Swansea covers a period of continuous occupation stretching back a thousand years, while there is archaeological evidence of prehistoric human occupation of the surrounding area for thousands of years before that.
Swansea (Welsh: Abertawe) occupies a position at the mouth of the River Tawe adjacent to an extensive bay at the western end of the Bristol Channel. It was founded as a town in the early 12th century, centred around its Norman castle. Part of the Lordship of Gower, established after the Norman invasion of Wales, it suffered episodes of destructive attack by forces of the displaced Welsh princes before developing into a prosperous market town and as a port with trading links across the Bristol Channel, as well as to France and Ireland. By the 18th century it was well established as a civic and cultural entity and as a fashionable tourist resort.
With the expansion of the coal mining and copper smelting industries in the Swansea Valley in the 18th and early 19th century, Swansea became the centre of a new industrial and commercial area. The combination of a distinctively diverse, cosmopolitan, rapidly expanding population, a flourishing provincial science movement and a strong commercial and industrial base secured its pre-eminent and unique status in the urban history of early 19th century Wales.
Industry grew throughout the 19th century, changing the geography of the town as its surrounding areas became incorporated into its municipal boundaries. In 1889 Swansea attained county borough status. Throughout the 20th century industry declined but the town continued to grow in population. Swansea officially gained city status in 1969.
The oldest known remains on the Gower Peninsula are the Red Lady of Paviland: human bones dating from 22,000 BC. Later inhabitants also left their mark on the land. Examples include the Bronze Age burial mound at Cillibion and the Iron Age hill fort, Cil Ifor. Isolated prehistoric artifacts have been found in the area the city proper occupies, but there are far more on Gower. The remains of a Roman villa were also excavated on Gower.
The Welsh name, Abertawe, translates to mouth of the Tawe. It first appears c.1150 as Aper Tyui.
By the late 10th century, the region, including the land around the bay and the Gower, was part of the Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth under Maredudd ap Owain. The Vikings arrived sometime between the 9th and 11th centuries, leaving behind their name for a settlement in the area. The precise nature and location of this settlement are still disputed. Spellings such as Swensi, Sweni and Svenshi are found on coins minted around 1140,
In the wake of the Norman Conquest and Norman invasion of Wales, Gower became a marcher lordship which included not only the peninsula itself but also the land to the east as far north as the River Amman and east to the River Tawe. This included the site of Swansea town, which was designated the capital of the area. Although Kilvey Hill is to the east of the Tawe, the manor of Kilvey was also associated with Gower. The new Norman lords encouraged English immigration into the area. This immigration was largely from the West Country.