Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Loughor
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
{{Short description|Town in Swansea, Wales}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox UK place |country = Wales |welsh_name = Casllwchwr |static_image_name = Loughor.jpg |constituency_welsh_assembly = [[Gower (Senedd constituency)|Gower]] |official_name = Loughor |unitary_wales = [[Swansea]] |lieutenancy_wales = [[West Glamorgan]] |constituency_westminster = [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]] |post_town = SWANSEA |postcode_district = SA4 |postcode_area = SA |dial_code = 01792 |os_grid_reference = SS573980 |coordinates = {{coord|51.66261|-4.06461|display=inline,title}} |population = 4824 |population_ref = (2011 Census) }} '''Loughor''' ({{IPAc-en|Λ|l|Κ|x|Ιr}};<ref>G. M. Miller, ''BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names'' (Oxford UP, 1971), p. 92.</ref> {{langx|cy|Casllwchwr}}) is a [[town]] in [[Swansea]], [[Wales]]. [[Historic counties of Wales|Historically]] in [[Glamorgan]], it lies on the [[estuary]] of the [[River Loughor]] ({{langx|cy|Afon Llwchwr|link=no}}). The town has a [[community (Wales)|community]] council under the name [[Llwchwr]]. The town is bordered by the communities of [[Bynea]] in [[Carmarthenshire]], [[Grovesend]], [[Gowerton]], and [[Gorseinon]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=UK's "most desirable" postcodes revealed |date=24 August 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28918709 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Loughor is part of the built-up area of Gorseinon.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/localarea?compare=W37000382. |title=Custom report - Nomis - Official Labour Market Statistics}}</ref> ==Etymology== The town's name has been called "possibly the oldest name in Gower", dating back to the Roman era. It derives from the name of the [[Roman Britain|Roman]] [[castra|fort]] of [[Leucarum]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/lost-welsh-place-names-gower-17549016 |title=The lost Welsh place names of Gower |last=Williams |first=Nino |date=2020-01-11 |website=walesonline|access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref> ==History== The town includes the site of the Roman fort of [[Leucarum]], occupied by Roman Auxiliary soldiers from AD73 to around 320.<ref>{{cite book| first1=Henry |last1=Owen-John| first2=A G |last2=Marvell|year=1997| title=Leucarum: Excavations at the Roman Auxiliary Fort at Loughor, West Glamorgan 1982-84 and 1987-88| series=Britannia Monograph Series| volume=12| page=206|publisher=Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies| url=https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/library/browse/issue.xhtml?recordId=1161478&recordType=MonographSeries| access-date=24 March 2024}}</ref> In 1106 much of South Wales was assigned to an Anglo-Norman lord, [[Henry de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick]], and as part of a castle-building programme he built [[Loughor Castle]], as an earthwork with timber defenses, built into the south-east corner of the Roman ramparts. Over a turbulent 250 years or so the castle was progressively upgraded with stone buildings and curtain walls. The castle later fell into ruin and is now a scheduled monument in the care of [[Cadw]].<ref>{{watprn|Cadw|142|title=Loughor Castle: Scheduled Monuments- Full Report}}</ref> Meanwhile, Loughor developed around the castle. A medieval Church was established, also within the Roman fort. Rebuilt on the medieval foundations in 1885,<ref>{{watprn|coflein|13509|title=St Michael's Church, Loughor}}</ref> St Michael's Church was deconsecrated in 2021. [[File:Loughor Castle - geograph.org.uk - 2353532.jpg|thumb|left|[[Loughor Castle]]]] {{OSM Location map |coord={{coord|51.66221|-4.071}} |zoom=13|float=left |width=400 |height=350 |caption=Map of Loughor and its locality |scalemark=50 |ldyD=0|ldxD=0 |shape-colorD=hard red |label-spacingD=0 |mark-coord1={{coord|51.6621|-4.0591}} |mark-size1=0| mark-title1=Upper Loughor| label-angle1=0 |label-pos1=center| label-spacing1=4 |label1=Upper ^Loughor|label-size1=14|label-color1=soft grey |mark-coord3={{coord|51.662307|-4.078420}} |mark-size3=7| mark-title3=[[Leucarum]] (Roman Fort) |ldy3=11|ldx3=-16|jdx3=5 |label-size3=10|label-color3=dark grey | label3=[[Leucarum]] ^(Roman Fort) | label-pos3=left,with-line |mark-coord2={{coord|51.649|-4.0600}} |mark-size2=0| mark-title2=[[The Gower]] |label-size2=13|label-spacing2=4 |label2=[[Gower Peninsula|Gower ^Peninsula]] |mark-coord5={{coord|51.6579|-4.0972}} |mark-size5=0 |label5=BURRY INLET |label-size5=12 |label-pos5=center |label-color5=soft blue|shape-color5=soft blue |mark-title5=[[Burry Inlet]] |mark-coord4={{coord|51.6719|-4.0746}} |mark-size4=0 |shape-color4=soft blue |mark-title4=River Loughor (Afon Llwchwr) |mark-coord6={{coord|51.662416|-4.07752}} | mark-title6=[[Loughor Castle]] |mark-size6=7 | label6=[[Loughor Castle|Castle]] | label-pos6=right| label-size6=10 |mark-coord7={{coord|51.6644630|-4.0499708}} | mark-title7=[[Gower College Swansea]] |mark-size7=7|jdx7=35 | label7=[[Gower College Swansea]] | label-pos7=top| label-size7=10 |mark-coord8={{coord|51.6653|-4.0825}} | mark-title8=Ysbytty Works |mark-size8=7|label-color8=dark grey | label8=Ysbytty Works | label-pos8=top| label-size8=10 | arc-coordA = {{coord|51.6793|-4.0791}} | arc-textA = RIVER LOUGHOR |arc-text-colorA = soft blue | arc-angleA = 68 | arc-gapA = 2 | arc-radiusA = 0.5 }} Loughor later grew as a [[port]], although competition from the larger and better-connected ports at [[Llanelli]] and [[Burry Port]], meant that Loughor was always a small-scale maritime town. Its position alongside the narrowing of the Loughor Estuary meant it was an important river crossing, originally as a ford at low tide and a ferry when the tide was in. A wooden swing-bridge was built in 1833, when river traffic still used the estuary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.llanellich.org.uk/files/300-llanelli-in-1820| title=Llanelli in 1820| author=Lyn John| website= Llanelli Community Heritage|date=26 July 2014}}</ref> The arrival of the Railway in 1852 required the building of [[Loughor Viaduct]], built from wooden trestles by [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel|Brunel]], also originally featuring a swing-section. The viaduct was replaced by a steel and concrete structure in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.railengineer.co.uk/loughor-viaduct-replacement/|website= Rail Engineer| title=Loughor Viaduct replacement|date=13 March 2013|access-date= 27 March 2024}}</ref> A new road bridge of 1923 acknowledged the river was now closed to shipping, and this itself was replaced by the new A484 [[Loughor bridge]] in 1988. Loughor Estuary and [[Burry Inlet]], with vast areas of sandbanks and some of the highest tidal ranges in the world, has always had its share of risks. The town has had its own lifeboat station since 1969, situated near the road bridge. The current lifeboat is a Ribcraft 5.85m RIB.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Loughor Lifeboat |url=http://www.loughorlifeboat.org.uk |access-date=16 May 2017}}</ref> In the early 20th century the main industries were large [[tin]] and [[steel]] works, situated on both banks of the estuary. About 1800, [[John Vivian (1750β1826)]] of [[Truro]], [[Cornwall]], joined the Cheadle Brasswire Company as managing partner in the copper works at Loughor and [[Penclawdd]]. His family would go on to be key industrialists across the Swansea area, running copper-mining, copper-smelting and trading businesses, as [[Vivian & Sons]], throughout the 19th century. At Ysbytty, on the other side of the river, the Spitty copper works of the early 19th century was succeeded by a major iron and tin-plate works which continued into the 1950s.<ref>{{watprn|DAT|30665|title=Spitty Copperworks}}</ref><ref>{{watprn|coflein|40511|title=Yspytty Tin Plate Works}}</ref> This employed large numbers of both men and women from Loughor, who would cross the estuary each day to get to work.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sheilafrancis/nostalgia/| author=Sheila Francis| title=I Remember Loughor|year=2005|website=rootsweb|access-date=28 March 2024}}</ref> ==Structure and amenities== [[File:Old Town Hall, Loughor - geograph.org.uk - 4924565.jpg|thumb|The [[Old Town Hall, Loughor|Old Town Hall]]]] Loughor town can be divided into two areas, defined by the present electoral wards of [[Lower Loughor]] and [[Upper Loughor]], which have separate histories. Lower Loughor lies nearer the sea on low ground, Upper Loughor on higher ground. Loughor initially developed around the Norman castle in what is now the Lower Loughor ward. Upper Loughor began as a distinct settlement, initially around what is now the Glebe Road area, and became established as a separate town by the mid-19th century. Loughor today is mostly a [[commuter town]] for [[Swansea]] and [[Llanelli]] via the [[Loughor bridge]], and has merged with the neighbouring town of [[Gorseinon]]. The [[West Wales line]] crosses the [[River Loughor]] over the [[Loughor Viaduct]] to the west of the town. [[Loughor railway station]] was closed in 1960. Local schools in the town include Tre Uchaf Primary School and Casllwchwr Primary School. Opposite the Tre Uchaf Primary is one of the sites of [[Gower College Swansea]]. The local [[rugby union]] team of the town is [[Loughor RFC]]. The [[Old Town Hall, Loughor|Old Town Hall]], built in 1868, is currently disused and boarded up.<ref>{{NHAW|desc=The Old Town Hall |num=11196|access-date=24 May 2024}}</ref> ==Notable people== In birth order: *[[Evan Roberts (minister)|Evan Roberts]] (1878β1951), minister, a major figure in the [[1904β1905 Welsh Revival]] in religious worship *[[James Henry Govier]] (1910β1974), painter, etcher and engraver of the Swansea School, produced several images of Loughor. *[[Irma Chilton]] (1930β1990), children's writer in English and Welsh *[[Leighton James]] (1953-2024), Welsh international footballer ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} ==Sources== *Swansea Art Gallery Catalogue, 1936 *The Gower Journal *Who's Who in Art *Dictionary of British Artists 1900β1950, by Grant M. Waters, 1975 ==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060620130050/http://www.page-net.com/swansea.localhistory/gorseinon/pages/histloughor.html History of Loughor] *[https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2733593 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Loughor and surrounding area] {{Swansea}} {{authority control}} [[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page
(
help
)
:
Template:Authority control
(
edit
)
Template:Cite book
(
edit
)
Template:Cite news
(
edit
)
Template:Cite web
(
edit
)
Template:IPAc-en
(
edit
)
Template:Infobox UK place
(
edit
)
Template:Langx
(
edit
)
Template:NHAW
(
edit
)
Template:OSM Location map
(
edit
)
Template:Reflist
(
edit
)
Template:Short description
(
edit
)
Template:Swansea
(
edit
)
Template:Use dmy dates
(
edit
)
Template:Watprn
(
edit
)