Category: Publications

The Historic Towns Trust published the Historic Maps of Swansea and the Mumbles / Mapiau Hanesyddol Abertawe a’r Mwmbwls in April 2023. The two maps, one in English and one in Welsh, were launched at Swansea Museum on 20 May 2023.

The maps show the whole of the central Swansea city area, together with maps of the industrial valley and of the village of Mumbles to the west of the city. The streetscape of medieval Swansea can be seen alongside later developments during Swansea’s heyday as a busy industrial centre from the eighteenth up to the beginning of the twentieth century.

The English map was edited by Helen Fulton and Giles Darkes (Historic Towns Trust) and the Welsh map was edited by Helen Fulton, Giles Darkes, and Geraint Evans (Swansea University). The maps were funded by grants from the University of Bristol and Swansea University, with additional donations from the Gower Society and a number of individuals. The research assistant on the project was Dr Ben Curtis.

The Welsh map is the first of its kind – a map in Welsh of a Welsh town – and the Historic Towns Trust hopes to publish more such bilingual maps. The maps can be purchased through any physical or online bookshop such as Waterstones.

These images show (left) a snapshot of central Swansea from the English map, and (right) a snapshot of the Mumbles from the Welsh map. For further enquiries, contact Helen.fulton@bristol.ac.uk

The Historic Towns Trust is planning to produce a historic map of Swansea and the Mumbles, showing the layout of the city in its medieval and industrial past. Swansea was a major medieval town, part of the lordship of Glamorgan, with a castle whose ruins still dominate the city centre. Much of the Norman castle of Oystermouth, in the Mumbles, survives and remains a big attraction to locals and tourists. In the modern era, Swansea’s economy was industrial, with a thriving port and a big copper works in the nineteenth century. By focusing on these two historical periods, the map will capture Swansea and the Mumbles at times of economic growth, showing the city’s ability to use its unique location and resources to renew itself with energy and vision.

There is a fundraising campaign associated with the map, to cover the costs of research, cartography, and printing. To support the campaign, download the attached flyer. For further details, email helen.fulton@bristol.ac.uk

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