Swansea City Centre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swansea city centre |
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 Swansea city centre
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| OS grid reference | SS752904 |
| Principal area | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SWANSEA |
| Postcode district | SA1 |
| Dialling code | 01792 |
| Police | South Wales |
| Fire | Mid and West Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament |
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| Welsh Assembly |
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Swansea city centre is the busy heart of Swansea, Wales. It's where you'll find most of the shops, fun places, and evening activities. This area includes famous spots like Oxford Street, Castle Square, and the Quadrant Shopping Centre. It also covers areas like Wind Street, the historic Castle, Parc Tawe, and the Maritime Quarter right down to the seafront.
Contents
History of Swansea City Centre
Swansea's city centre changed a lot because of its industrial past in the 1700s. But a huge event that shaped it was the "Three Nights Blitz" in 1941. During World War II, the city centre was heavily bombed.
A large part of the city centre, about 41 acres, was completely destroyed. Many businesses had to move. Only a few old buildings survived, like those around the Old Town Hall (now the Dylan Thomas Centre) and the former Head Post Office on Wind Street.
Because of the bombing, the city centre needed to be completely rebuilt. This big job started in 1947 and took over 30 years to finish. The new centre was planned with a grid of roads like Kingsway and Princess Way. The main shopping area moved to the new Kingsway after High Street was flattened.
More changes happened in the 1980s. New places like the Quadrant Shopping Centre and St. David's Shopping Centre were built. The County Hall and Parc Tawe also appeared. These changes made the city centre mostly about shopping. Recently, more homes and fun places have been added. This includes the National Waterfront Museum and the improved Swansea Leisure Centre.
Economy: How Swansea City Centre Works
Swansea city centre provides about 24,000 jobs. This is about 18% of all jobs in the wider Swansea area. Many jobs here are in shops, hotels, and restaurants. There's also a growing number of jobs in finance and business. Some jobs that would normally be in a city centre are found in other parts of Swansea instead.
Shopping in Swansea City Centre
The city centre has a lot of space for shops. It's considered the eighteenth largest retail centre in the UK for its size. However, the quality and variety of shops could be better. Swansea often ranks outside the top 50 retail centres in other lists. This might be because of the way the city is designed or competition from big "out-of-town" shops. These larger stores are located in areas like Fforestfach and Morfa.
Offices and Workplaces
Swansea city centre isn't a huge place for offices. But there are office buildings like the BT Tower and Oldway House. In 2002, there was a good amount of office space available. Rents for offices are quite low, which shows the office market isn't super strong. However, new office spaces are planned at SA1 Swansea Waterfront, which is close to the city centre. These new offices are getting higher rents, showing that the city centre can become a better place for businesses.
Areas to Explore
Swansea Market and Quadrant Centre
The Swansea Market, Quadrant Shopping Centre, and St. David's Shopping Centre are right in the middle of the city. The Quadrant Centre opened in the late 1970s. It has many well-known chain stores. It also has a large car park that connects directly to a department store. The Swansea bus station is next to the Quadrant. The Swansea Grand Theatre is also nearby on Singleton Street.
High Street: Old and New
High Street used to be Swansea's main shopping street. It was almost completely destroyed in World War II. Only a few buildings were left standing. Today, High Street has a large indoor arcade with many small local businesses.
At the southern end of the street, you'll find Swansea Castle. Across from the castle is Castle Square. Further north are Swansea railway station and the Swansea Grand Hotel. The part of the street between the castle and the station has many local shops, discount stores, and places to eat and drink. North of the station, the street becomes mostly residential. Here, you can see the Palace Theatre. This is the oldest theatre in Wales and where actor Anthony Hopkins first performed professionally. It was also the first place in Wales to show a moving picture!
The Kingsway: Nightlife and More
The Kingsway used to be the main area for nightlife in Swansea. While many bars have moved, the biggest nightclubs are still here. Besides clubs, The Kingsway has banks, shops, and fast-food places. There's also a YMCA branch. Swansea's old main Post Office was on this road, but it moved inside the Quadrant Shopping Centre.
In 2006, The Kingsway was changed to be a one-way street for cars. The southern lanes are now special two-way bus lanes. These were made for the First Cymru's Swansea Metro bus route. A large roundabout at the eastern end was replaced with traffic lights and wider walkways for people.
Oxford Street: Main Shopping Hub
Oxford Street is Swansea's main shopping street. It has big stores like Marks and Spencer and Next. The eastern part of the street, near Castle Square, is for pedestrians only. It has many chain stores. The western end has more general stores and two arcades with small independent shops. Further west, the street becomes mostly residential. During Christmas, street markets are held on Oxford Street, Princess Way, and Castle Square.
Wind Street and Salubrious Place: From History to Fun
Wind Street (Welsh: Stryd y Gwynt) has a long history. The poet Dylan Thomas used to visit its pubs. It also had a covered alleyway called 'Salubrious Passage'. After World War II, the street became quieter as the city's main commercial area moved. It has the most historic buildings in Swansea.
After being redeveloped in the early 2000s, Wind Street is now famous for its many pubs, bars, clubs, and restaurants. In 2007, the lower part of the street was finished as 'Salubrious Place'. This area includes a cinema, a hotel, and more places to eat and drink.
Princess Way: Connecting the City
Princess Way (Welsh: Ffordd y Dywysoges) connects Kingsway Circle in the north to Oystermouth Road in the south. The northern part of the street is just for pedestrians and has shops. The southern part has pubs, restaurants, offices, a hotel, and a cinema. The middle of Princess Way opens onto two town squares.
Castle Square connects Princess Way with Castle Street. It's a concrete square that slopes up towards Swansea Castle. It has grassy areas, trees, and two fountains. A permanent BBC TV big screen was put in Castle Square in 2008. It shows BBC events and local content.
St. Mary's Square connects Princess Way with Whitewalls. St. Mary's Church stands in the middle of this square.
Parc Tawe: Entertainment and Shopping
Parc Tawe is an area on the west bank of the River Tawe. It has several large "out-of-town" style stores and entertainment places. There are many car parking spaces here. A very noticeable building is Plantasia, a large triangular building filled with tropical plants. For fun, you can find a 10-screen cinema and a ten pin bowling alley in this area.
Alexandra Road: Learning and Art
Alexandra Road is just north of the city centre. It's home to a campus of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD). The main building for Swansea College of Art is here. You can also find the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery and Swansea Central police station. The old library building, now part of Swansea College of Art, used to be the central library. The BBC also has radio studios and offices on Alexandra Road. The Swansea Magistrates Court is opposite the police station.
Getting Around: Roads In and Out
St Helen's Road and Oystermouth Road
St Helen's Road is the main way to get to the city centre from the southwest. It has many fast-food places, restaurants, and ethnic grocery stores. Bryn-y-mor Road connects to St. Helen's, where you can find student bars and more restaurants. The road continues past the Guildhall and links up with Oystermouth Road. Oystermouth Road starts near the Leisure Centre. It separates the city centre's shopping area from the Maritime Quarter. This road follows the coast of Swansea Bay towards Mumbles.
Walter Road: Professional and Residential
Walter Road is the main route from the city centre to the west. It goes towards the Uplands area. Most of the road has large three-storey houses. Many of these have been turned into offices for businesses like accountants and lawyers. Some are still homes, often divided into flats. The streets around Walter Road are mostly residential, with houses often used by families or students.
Fabian Way: The Eastern Gateway
Fabian Way is a part of the A483 road that leaves the city centre to the east. It goes past St. Thomas and Port Tennant to the north. It also passes Swansea Docks and the SA1 Swansea Waterfront development to the south. Fabian Way continues through Crymlyn Burrows and connects to the M4 Motorway. This road is seen as the main way to enter the city centre from the east.
Future Plans for Swansea City Centre
In 2007, developers were chosen for a huge £1 billion plan to rebuild the city centre. This plan includes adding more than 60,000 square metres of new shops. It also aims to build 1,000 new homes, and add new places for fun, offices, hotels, and conferences. There's also a plan for a "European Boulevard" that would include Oystermouth Road.
The old David Evans department store has been replaced with a new building. This new development has five stores over two floors. Shops like Zara and Slater's Menswear have opened here. A gym also opened on the first floor in late 2011.
In 2008, the Council started looking for companies to redevelop the Quadrant bus station. The new bus station opened on December 6, 2010.
Transport in Swansea City Centre
The city centre is served by buses at the Swansea bus station. Trains arrive at Swansea railway station at the northern end of High Street. You can also find more bus stops on Kingsway and St. Mary's Square. A special bus route called Swansea Metro runs through the centre.
There are three Park and Ride sites that have special buses going to the city centre. All of these are run by First Cymru:
| Park and Ride site | Car Spaces | Bus Number | Livery |
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| Fabian Way, Port Tennant | 550 | 502 | Blue |
| Fforestfach | 449 | 503 | Orange |
| Landore | 550 | 501 | Aquamarine |
A fourth Park and Ride site is planned for the south of Swansea in Blackpill. This site would serve both the city centre and Mumbles.
Nearest Places
- Maritime Quarter
- Sandfields
- Mount Pleasant
- Greenhill
- Hafod
- St Thomas
Images for kids
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The New York Pub on Princess Way, parallel to Wind Street
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St. Mary's Church
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Castle Square
