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Morriston

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Morriston
PopulationExpression error: "16,781 (2001 census)" must be numeric
OS grid referenceSS6698
Principal area
Preserved county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSWANSEA
Postcode districtSA5/SA6
Dialling code01792
PoliceSouth Wales
FireMid and West Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
List of places
UK
Wales
Swansea

Morriston (Welsh: Treforys) 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[1] (e.g. the local football club is named Morriston Town A.F.C.), however Morriston never had a town charter,[2] and is now part of the continuous urban area around Swansea, the centre of which lies three miles to the south-west. Morriston is the most populous of all Swansea's electoral divisions.[3].

Morriston is centred around Woodfield Street, a shopping area that runs in a north-south axis, and can be divided into three areas:

  • an area of early 19th century two-storey terraced houses around the main area of shops;
  • areas further north, close to the M4 motorway, largely comprised of semi-detached housing built from the 1940s to the 1960s;
  • a mix of 19th century and more recently-built houses along Clydach Road in Ynystawe.[1]

The terrain slopes gently downwards to the east and steeply upwards to the west.

To the south of Woodfield Street lies a roundabout formed by a church - the Church of St. John, a famous landmark of Morriston, although the town's most notable structure is Tabernacle, a Grade I listed building[4] designed by the architect John Humphrey and built between 1870 and 1872. The chapel has sometimes been called "the cathedral of Welsh non-conformity".[5]

Morriston Hospital, the largest in the Swansea area, is located at Cwmrhydyceirw, approximately one mile north of Morriston town centre. All British driver registration is handled by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) which is located in Clase, a suburb west of Morriston town. The DVLA is a major local employer.

The Morriston Orpheus Choir has an international reputation as a male voice choir.

Industrial heritage

Morriston was constructed as "Wales' earliest planned industrial village", laid out on a grid pattern designed by William Edwards [6] and named after its founder, Sir John Morris, Bt. The grid pattern remains in evidence today. Morris originally named the town "Morris Town", but this was shortened into the single word "Morriston". The Welsh language translation of the name is Treforys.

Sir John Morris was also responsible for the construction between 1768 and 1774 of Morris Castle, widely considered to have been the world's first accommodation built specifically for workers by their employer. Little of the structure remains today, although its ruins are visible on high ground above the nearby Landore district.[7]

Morriston was initially constructed for the workers of the tinplate and copper industries that built up along the banks of the River Tawe in the 18th century, and by the 19th century it was the tin-plate capital of the world. However, this industry went into decline with the invention of the strip mill, which required massive investment. Tin-plating had almost vanished from the area by the end of the Second World War, with modern works being situated north-west at Felindre and further east in Port Talbot. Metalworking in Morriston came to an end in 1980 with the closure of the last tin-plate works.

Listed Buildings

Grade II listed buildings:[8]

  • Former Annealing Building in George Cohen's Works, off Beaufort Road
  • Morydd Street Bridge & Boundary Wall to Davies Street
  • Seion Chapel on Clase Road
  • Philadelphia Chapel incl. Attached Chapel House & Sunday School on Globe Street
  • Former Police Station & House on Martin Street
  • 'Danbert Hall', (former Employment Exchange) on Morfydd Street
  • War Memorial in Morriston Park
  • Church of St. John on Woodfield Street

Grade I listed buildings:

  • Capel Tabernacle on Woodfield Street

Famous Morristonians

Sport

Morriston is home to the Morriston Golf Club. Morriston Golf Club was established in 1909 and was located at its present day site to the north west of Morriston town in 1916. The 18 hole golf course is set in parkland and is 5,708 yards in length

References

  1. ^ a b Morriston Ward Profile September 2008
  2. ^ Archives Network Wales
  3. ^ City and County of Swansea - 2001 Census: Electoral Divisions
  4. ^ City and County of Swansea - Listed Building Index
  5. ^ Chapels_cover
  6. ^ The Welsh Academy Encyclopedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press 2008
  7. ^ Data Wales: A note on a worker's castle in Swansea
  8. ^ City and County of Swansea - Listed Building Index
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