Where are they now? by Carol Powell
More: Many Mumbles street names have changed > But where were they?
A trawl through the Victorian censuses of Mumbles reveals a number of addresses not in use today. At that time, people could erect a row of several houses and give it a name of its own. But where were they?
Some names such as Pond's Steps which was demolished many years ago and Givelin Row were off Village Lane. Exchange Buildings (since replaced by more modern buildings), Commercial Place and The Parade now form part of Mumbles Road at Southend. Hall Bank was wrongly described as 'Old Bank' in the 1881 census and Rosehill Terrace is now the lower end of Western Lane. Fountain Row is next to The Marine Hotel. Sometimes names such as Rock Hill Row (behind the Antelope) which was known colloquially as 'Donkey Row' did not appear as such in the censuses.
Other disparate groups, which stretch from the All Saints' Church Rooms to West Cross, were once known as Sheffield Terrace (opposite the Bowling Green), Church Terrace, stately Claremont Villas (now replaced by shops such as Joe's), The Dunns, (from the Co-op as far as the White Rose), Clements Row, near the Quarry car park entrance, Somerset Place with its three-storey houses, the smaller Roseland Terrace and Portland Place (next to Castle Acre), Alexandra Terrace at Norton, Spring Gardens at West Cross ( includes today's Launderette) and Beaufort Place on the seaward side (next to the West Cross Hotel, but now demolished) are now part of the Mumbles Road.
Rainbow Terrace became Stanley Street, Bay Street became Victoria Avenue, Rock Terrace (now part of Overland Road) and Castleton Terrace (from the Chinese takeaway to Castle Street) is now known as a section of Newton Road. Grenfell Terrace (next to the school wall) now forms part of Castle Street.
At Norton, Boarspit Lane became Glen Road, Forgefield Terrace and Limekiln Road are now Castle Road,
At Blackpill, Woodland Terrace (includes the Post Office) is now Mumbles Road, but Brooklands Terrace has been replaced by the Petrol Station and Beaufort Place, a terrace of four cottages opposite the junction with Mayals Road has been demolished.
These are just some of the places of Old Mumbles, which have been incorporated into modern roads and whose names have been lost down the years.
In the twentieth century Rivers Lane became Woodland Avenue, Prospect Terrace, off Glen Road was demolished and Mons Terrace became part of Glen Road..
