SwanseaCAM - 160301 Blackpill to Civic Centre

ARCHIVE PHOTOGRAPHS.
Friday 16th March 2001.
Swansea ...Blackpill to Civic Centre seaside walk.

Weather: Cloudy. Temp: 8C

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind
permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland

It's a short walk today. We are going to walk from Blackpill to the Swansea Civic Centre, a distance of just a couple of miles.

The River Clyne meets the sea at Blackpill and at one time this old bridge was the only way across. Known locally as the 'Roman bridge', it was built, probably, in the eighteenth century.

Opposite the bridge, across the main Swansea/Mumbles road, is a picnic area and childrens' paddling pool.

Quiet and almost deserted today, but in the summer months, on a nice sunny day, this pool is alive with noisy and happy children.

The beach is just yards from the pool, an added attraction for young families. The cycle track follows the curve of the bay from Mumbles to Swansea

From the cycle track bridge we look back towards Blackpill..

The public golf course occupies the area between the cycle track and the road to Swansea. There are a few golfers just out of the picture but it is not very busy today. The large building in the background is Singleton Hospital.

We have left the cycle path and are now on the beach standing at the side of the River Clyne where it spills and spreads out over the sands. In the background the distinctive shape of Kilvey Hill.

Further up the beach a bulldozer is levelling sand heaped up by recent high winds. It left these tracks in the wet sand.

Over the water, Mumbles Head stands out against the sky. .

Roadside daffodils add a spash of colour, a promise of Spring, and hopefully, sunny days to come.

The circus has come to town. Cottle's big top brightens up the scene. After a brief diversion to the roadside we have resumed our walk along the 'prom'/cycle track.

Further along we come to an unusual memorial. A memorial to a dog. The inscription reads:
SWANSEA JACK
The brave retriever who saved 27 human and two canine lives from drowning.
Died 1937 Aged 7years.

You may think this footbridge a bit over the top but at the time it was built and up until the 1960's it crossed a roadway, the LMS railway and the Mumbles Railway. Both railways operated up until the 1960's when the services were discontinued and the tracks removed.

The top of the bridge is an excellent place for us to get a good view of the beach. Before and for a while after the war, this part of the beach was very popular. On the beach there was a cafe, built on stilts to keep it above water at high tide. There were several small timber kiosks from which icecream and buckets and spades could be bought. There were swings for the kiddies and immediately across the road a pub for the adults. In those days, on fine summer weekends, thousands would crowd the beach enjoying the sunshine and perhaps a dip in the sea. ..although still busy now in the summertime it is nothing compared to then. We can see where the bulldozer has been busy shifting the sand.

The Civic Centre. Before the local government reorganisation, this was the Swansea Council administrative building. Since Swansea became a county, it took over the responsibilities of the old West Glamorgan County Council and also their newly built offices on the foreshore.In the previous picture you can see the offices in the background on the right hand side. .