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LONGFIELDS

The house we know as Longfields is one of a pair built probably in the early 1850s. The other house was known as Cae Hir, which is Welsh for long field, which was the name of the long and narrow field on which they were built. These houses were towards the back of the field furthest from the road and were accessed by a lane along which Bethany chapel, built in 1851, and several smaller houses were constructed. In Victorian times, when postal addresses were less precise, all these dwellings could be referred to as Longfields.

The earliest mention of Cae Hir is in 1856 when it was to let. Lewis Thomas, the clerk to the harbour trust lived there for many years, until his death in 1876. The house was advertised to let at the end of that year. His son Philip Langdon Thomas married Kathleen, the daughter of George Young of Callencroft the next summer and lived there for a while. In the autumn of 1878 he again advertised the five bedroom house to let, and emigrated to Australia. In August 1880 the whole contents of the house were auctioned. It then became the home of William Islay Young, the Swansea Borough treasurer, who stayed until well into the 1890s. By 1901 the house was taken by David Meager, a barrister, and it stayed in private hands.

In 1861 Longfields was occupied by John Gaskoin, an attorney, and his family, who were there for well over twenty years. In May 1891 a Mr G. T. Mansfield of Longfields was trying to let a house at Harold’s Moor, possibly his own. Harold’s Moor had become a location for the group of houses around what is now Bethany Lane. Longfields was empty in 1901, but by 1907 it was the home of Sidney Burgess who was involved in shipping.

T. Griffiths, J.P., who died in February 1927, had been residing at Longfields. He had risen from his first job as an underground door boy to being a collier and finally manager of Cymmer Colliery. H. E. Thomas had moved into the house by 1929.

Longfields was a maternity home in the 1940s.

Longfields has been used as a day centre for disabled people since 1955. It was opened by the Swansea and District Spastic Association in July 1955. The society had been formed three years earlier by a group of parents with disabled children who had started meeting at The Grove, Uplands. At first, Longfields was a nursery and adolescent training centre. They soon outgrew the original accommodation and added a new work centre building in 1962. In 1967 the occupational therapy building was added and by 1970 there were 60 trainees aged from 3 to 50. In 1973 a 7 bed accommodation unit was formed to deal with emergencies.

In 1972 the council provided a teacher for the children but in January 1976 the children were transferred to Morfydd House Special School as conditions became too cramped at Longfields, which continued as an adult training centre offering light contract work, printing and handcrafts.

1979 saw a financial crisis with the possibility of the centre having to close but a publicity and fundraising campaign saved the day. Since then fundraising has remained an important part in Longfields success. In 1980 two new minibuses were needed and both were given in the following year, one by Swansea and Mumbles Round Table and the other by the Ladies Guild.

In 1995 another extension was built which included a kitchen where the centre users could cook and a snooze room for relaxation. Another new activity was a holiday in Tenby.

In 2000 the Swansea and District Spastics Association changed its name to The Longfields Association and Catherine Zeta Jones became its patron. In 2005 Catherine was able to officially open the new hydrotherapy pool.

LONGFIELDS DAY CENTRE

Longfields has been used as a day centre for disabled people since 1955. It was opened by the Swansea and District Spastic Association in July 1955. The society had been formed three years earlier by a group of parents with disabled children who had started meeting at The Grove, Uplands. At first, Longfields was a nursery and adolescent training centre.

In 1972 the council provided a teacher for the children but in January 1976 the children were transferred to Morfydd House Special School as conditions became too cramped at Longfields, which continued as an adult training centre offering light contract work, printing and handcrafts.

1979 saw a financial crisis with the possibility of the centre having to close but a publicity and fundraising campaign saved the day. Since then fundraising has remained an important part in Longfields success. In 1980 two new minibuses were needed and both were given in the following year, one by Swansea and Mumbles Round Table and the other by the Ladies Guild.

Acknowledgements

Photo: Longfields House in West Cross, Swansea, 1955,
West Glamorgan Archives, Ref: D/D LA 5/1

All other photos: Legacy of Longfields

For historical accuracy, the term ‘spastic’ is used throughout.

However, it is important to note that today this term can be regarded as offensive.

Community Announcement from Swansea University

Contact Longfields

Hi there,

Do you have a connection with Longfields? We are looking forward to hearing from you. Please share your memories of Longfields with us. If you have any photographs we would love to see them and maybe we can use them in our website.

Our postal address is:

College of Arts and Humanities

Swansea University

Singleton Park

Swansea SA2 8PP

Email: t.hillier@swansea.ac.uk