Victorian Voices 

The 1880 Official Guide to Swansea and District, described Mumbles as 'A higgledy-piggledy collection of poor cottages, respectable terraces, commodious villas, hotels, public houses and shops which occupy the inner side of the excellent roadway that follows the curves of the bay . . .  and behind these, a labyrinth of small streets.'

             Here, echoing down the years, are the impressions of some of its inhabitants told in their own words.

Lewis Rees   ‘I was a month old when I went to live on Mumbles Hill and that was in ’46 (1846). Very small place it was then . . . the horse buses drove in from Swansea . . . Chaps names of Williams, Barder, and Rees had them and they stopped at the Ship and Castle, the Mermaid and the George. There was a bugler on one — John Williams . . . whose father kept the White Rose. Mr. Dickson started the horse trams, which ran as far as Clement’s Lane and then he started to build on toward the Head. It was no good though and ‘fore long it all went. Aye, he abandoned it to the sea and the rails were lying along the beach for years. The Mumbles Road used to be narrow and pretty . . . I remember Studt used to bring his show down . . . we boys used to push his roundabout around and have rides for nothing . . . he had a horse to do it after, then a handle. Billy Samuels used to put his boxing booth near the Antelope.' 

Local Doctor, Dr Jumeaux, in his report to the Oystermouth Local Board in April 1880, wrote, 'Without doubt this must be one of the healthiest places in Great Britain.' This,despite sporadic outbreaks of measles, scarlet fever and whooping cough.

Echoes of Victorian Mumbles by Carol Powell 

Echoes of Victorian Mumbles by Carol Powell. 

In the 1870s, unnamed Mumbles people, a man, two women and some children gathered on a sandbank off Southend