Blackpill (or Black Pill) is a suburban area of

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

, beside Swansea Bay, about southwest of the city centre.

Description

Blackpill falls into the Mayals ward. The area is centred on a seafront building on Mumbles Road, which once served as a station and power station for the

Swansea and Mumbles Railway The Swansea and Mumbles Railway was the venue for the world's first passenger horsecar railway service, located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. Originally built under an act of Parliament, the Oystermouth Railway or Tramroad Act 1804, to m ...

; today, it houses a cafe called "The Junction". The land between Mumbles Road and Blackpill beach is used as Blackpill Lido, a family and children's play area which is popular in summer. Also on Mumbles Road is 'The Woodman', a local pub, and Blackpill Post Office. Behind the Woodman, to the left of the main entrance to Clyne Gardens, is Clyne Chapel. The chapel was built in 1907 by Graham Vivian, who owned the nearby Clyne Castle and its estate, as the private chapel for his family. Although Vivian specified that it should have no stained glass windows to distract from the beauty of its surroundings, there are within it a range of notable artefacts that he collected on his tours to Italy. Clyne Chapel is a Grade II listed building and serves as the Anglican church for the local community. The southern entrance to the Clyne valley cycle track is just across the road from the boating lake area. This cycle track runs through the Clyne Valley Country Park to Killay,

Dunvant Dunvant (, and ) is a suburban district and Community (Wales), community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, and falls within the Dunvant (electoral ward), Dunvant ward. It is situated in a valley some 4.5 miles west of Swansea city ce ...

, and

Gowerton Gowerton ( ) is a large village and community, about northwest of Swansea city centre, Wales. Gowerton is often known as the gateway to the Gower Peninsula. Gowerton's original name was Ffosfelin. The village falls within the Gowerton electora ...

, following the route of a former railway line, which formed the start of the Heart of Wales Line prior to the

Beeching Axe The Beeching cuts, also colloquially referred to as the Beeching Axe, were a major series of route closures and service changes made as part of the restructuring of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain in the 1960s. They are named ...

of the 1960s. Sloping uphill to the west of Blackpill are Clyne Gardens (Gerddi Clun), the landscaped former park of Clyne Castle. Built in the late 18th century and much altered, the building was for half a century a university hall, but is now converted to flats. Replacing demolished 20th-century student accommodation blocks is an estate of luxury futuristic houses built by Holder Mathias Architects, which were nominated for a

RIBA ''Riba'' (, or , ) is an Arabic word used in Islamic law and roughly translated as " usury": unjust, exploitative gains made in trade or business. ''Riba'' is mentioned and condemned in several different verses in the Qur'an3:130

award. A Territorial Army barracks is just off the Mumbles Road leading up to West Cross.

Leisure

Blackpill has leisure facilities such as a former boating lake, which was here for about thirty years and has now been converted into a shallow paddling pool. North of the boating lake was a mini golf course sandwiched between a carriageway and cycle track. Blackpill Pitch-and-Putt, despite its name, is actually within the

Sketty Sketty () is a surburban district and community in Swansea, Wales, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the Swansea city centre on Gower Road. It falls within the Sketty council ward of Swansea. Description The area approximates to the Vivian ...

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...

; in 2016, it was converted to a

footgolf Footgolf is a hybrid sport in which players kick a football (soccer ball) into a cup in as few shots as possible. The name is a portmanteau of football and golf. Rules The game is played similarly to golf, with the exception that players use ...

course.

Blackpill Beach

Blackpill Beach is an area known for wildlife and wildlife watchers. Large numbers of wading birds and a variety of gulls, some rare, gather here at high tide. The beach and the stream that flows out of the area is a designated

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

References

External links

BBC South West Wales: Blackpill DunesBBC South West Wales: Blackpill Lido

“A Stroll Through The History of Blackpill”

Time-Lapse video of high tide at Blackpill Beach

“The Old Blackpill School” by A History of Mumbles

“How Old is the Roman Bridge at Blackpill?” by A History of Mumbles
Districts of Swansea Sites of Special Scientific Interest in West Glamorgan Mumbles Swansea Bay