Coordinates: 51°40′N 3°56′W / 51.67°N 3.93°W
| Morriston | |
| Welsh: Treforys | |
  Morriston
Morriston shown within Wales |
|
| Population | 16,781 (2001 census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Principal area | Swansea |
| Ceremonial county | West Glamorgan |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SWANSEA |
| Postcode district | SA5/SA6 |
| Dialling code | 01792 |
| Police | South Wales |
| Fire | Mid and West Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | Swansea East |
| Welsh Assembly | Swansea East |
| 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 Swansea's electoral divisions.[3] Morriston's Orpheus Choir has been described as one of the leading Welsh choirs.[4]
Contents |
Landscape
Morriston town is built on terrain sloping gently downwards to the east and steeply upwards to the west, and the district is centred around Woodfield Street, a shopping area that runs in a north-south axis. This street features two of Morriston's most notable structures, the Church of St. John, and Tabernacle, a Grade I listed building[5] designed by the architect John Humphrey and built between 1870 and 1872. Tabernacle has sometimes been called "the cathedral of Welsh non-conformity".[6]
The remainder of Morriston 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 composed 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]
Morriston Hospital, the largest in Swansea, is located in Cwmrhydyceirw, a small village in Morriston, 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.
Morriston town is near to the urban village of Plasmarl, the villages of Ynystawe, Ynysforgan, Clydach and the large housing estates, Penlan and Clase, both of which are districts of Swansea.
Industrial heritage
Morriston was constructed as "Wales' earliest planned industrial village", laid out on a grid pattern designed by William Edwards [7] 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.[8]
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. However, tin-plating had almost vanished from the area by the end of the Second World War, with production in South West Wales concentrated at new works in Felindre and Port Talbot.[9][10]
Listed Buildings
Grade II listed buildings:[5]
- Former Annealing Building in George Cohen's Works, off Beaufort Road
- Morfydd 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 Tabernacl on Woodfield Street
Famous Morristonians
- William Richard Arnold, Welsh rugby union international
- Cliff Bowen, Wales rugby union international and Carmarthenshire cricketer
- Anthony Clement, Welsh rugby union international
- Richard and Paul Moriarty Welsh rugby union internationals
- Dewi Morris (Dewi Pws) Welsh comedian,actor and television personality
- Ceri Phillips, actor and stand up
- D.Z. Phillips, philosopher of religion
- Jeremy Rees (Radio Presenter), Welsh broadcaster
- Chuka Eni Snell, former Great Britain and Welsh Junior International high jump athlete
- James Thomas, former Swansea City A.F.C. and Welsh U21 football international
- Hayley Tullett, international athlete
- Dan Thissein, Glamorgan County Cricket Club wicketkeeper in first County match 1889
- Shane Williams, Welsh rugby union international, 2008 IRB International Player of the Year, all-time leading try scorer for Wales
Sport
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Morriston is home to the Morriston Golf Club, established in 1909 and located at its present-day site since 1916. The 18-hole golf course is set in parkland and is 5,708 yards in length.
Morriston is home to Morriston Snooker Hall, a Snooker and Billiards club, and Morriston Pool League is a Billiards league run throughout Swansea.
Morriston hosts a rugby club[11] and several amateur Association Football clubs, most of which play in the Swansea Senior League: Morriston Town A.F.C. (former Welsh Football League team), Morriston Athletic, Morriston Hotspur, Morriston Olympia and C.R.C. Rangers F.C.
Morriston Town A.F.C. are famous for its huge demise in recent years, from being playing amongst the top teams in the higher division of the Welsh Football League to being relegated completely to the Swansea Senior League and was then relegated to the second tier of the Swansea Senior League.
Morriston cricket club was founded in 1865; it currently plays in division 3 of the South Wales Cricket Association.
References
- ^ a b Morriston Ward Profile September 2008
- ^ Archives Network Wales
- ^ City and County of Swansea - 2001 Census: Electoral Divisions
- ^ Welsh Assembly Government | First Minister joins Morriston Orpheus Choir for CERN visit
- ^ a b City and County of Swansea - Listed Building Index
- ^ Chapels_cover
- ^ The Welsh Academy Encyclopedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press 2008
- ^ Data Wales: A note on a worker's castle in Swansea
- ^ Introduction: Historical Background
- ^ Morriston - Treboeth History Group
- ^ Morriston R.F.C.
External links
- Morriston Orpheus Choir
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
- Morriston Camera Club, includes pictures, local history and a map.
- Morriston Cricket Club
- Morriston Hotspur FC
- Morriston Golf Club
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