The changing Mumbles shoreline
By John Powell
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Also known through the years as: The Promenade, Sea Wall, Foreshore, Footpath, Cycle Path, Rail Track, The Concrete and Burrows or Dunes.
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Southend beach and boats - Knab Rock, Southend
Part ONE
Part ONE
With All Saints' Church on the left, this arial of the shoreline is altered by the extension of the railway. The Methodist Church is now a little distant from the seashore and the New Cinema, as well as shops, houses, Tennis Courts and Bowling Green, built on the reclaimed land. Photo: pre 1939, Aerofilms.
With All Saints' Church on the left, this arial of the shoreline is altered by the extension of the railway. The Methodist Church is now a little distant from the seashore and the New Cinema, as well as shops, houses, Tennis Courts and Bowling Green, built on the reclaimed land. Photo: pre 1939, Aerofilms.
The Bowling Green and 'New' Cinema, as well as All Saints' Church
The Bowling Green and 'New' Cinema, as well as All Saints' Church
This aerial view includes: All Saints' Church, bowling green, tennis courts, The New Cinema, The Royal British Legion Hut, The rear of 'Kemps' The Draper and opposite, Claremont Villas, Fern Cottages. Dated by The Mumbles Steam Railway, shown between 1922 & 1928.
The shoreline, altered by the extension of the railway to Southend and with buildings on the reclaimed land, post 1910.
The shoreline, altered by the extension of the railway to Southend and with buildings on the reclaimed land, post 1910.
Beginning at the lower right are: Tom Evans New Pavilion, Devon Place and Cornwall Place, Bowling Green, Figure Eight and Fairground, The Kursaal Entertainments Hall and Cinema.
The extension to Mumbles Head is complete and the ballast bank is filled in, c.1900
The breakwater, or quay seen from The Dunns, Oystermouth., 10 August 1909, The breakwater at was built to shelter the Oyster Skiffs, a close up of which are is seen in the photo below.
A closer view of the breakwater, or quay, constructed next to the site of the later Village Lane slipway, so as to shelter the Oyster Skiffs. Later, the breakwater was damaged in a storm and rotted away.
Building the extension of the railway across the Horsepool 'Harbour'
Building the extension of the railway across the Horsepool 'Harbour'
The Mumbles Railway
The Mumbles Railway
Sale of Freehold Building Land
at Mumbles - Oystermouth 1898
Sale of Freehold Building Land
at Mumbles - Oystermouth 1898
Photo: R F Roberts, posted on Swansea Past and Present
REFERENCE
LOT 1 includes: all of:-
Lot A -Today this includes the site of Boots The Chemist (Oystermouth Square) along to the boundary between the site of the Bowling Green and the lane at the rear of Cornwall Place.
[Part of Lot A - the site of the Tennis Courts and Bowling Green, were reserved for public use and maintained by the City and County of Swansea.]
Lot B -Today this includes the site of Cornwall Place and Devon Place.
Lot C -Today is the site of the Catholic Church and Promenade Terrace.
LOT 2 -Today is the site of the Bristol Channel Yacht Club
Note: Correct as edited in December 2023.
AFTER
The railway extension across The Horsepool Harbour, OS . WG Archive.
BEFORE
Oystermouth Tithe Map, with The Horsepool Harbour.
On the left of this photo taken from Mumbles Hill is All Saints Church and In the centre is a fine view Clements Quarry. The old sea wall bordered the Castle Hill Terminus of the Mumbles Railway, now the Dairy Car Park. Bishop. At this time the tide reached the Methodist Church, before 1890. From Stuart Bishop.
A fine view of Oystermouth Castle and Clements Quarry and includes the seaward side of The Dunns taken from Mumbles Hill, between 1877 & 1890. Photo: Stuart Bishop.
On the left is All Saints Church and the third Methodist Church, when it sat on the foreshore. Shops, flats and Oddfellows Hall occupying the seaward side of The Dunns, which were demolished. around 1970. The Elms is the house on the right.
There are some interesting fossils in Clement's Quarry (Quarry car-park) which are unique to the area, notably Spirifer oystermouthensis, a brachiopod and Zaphenta oystermouthensis, a cornet-shaped coral.
The third Methodist Church on the shoreline, in the centre, before 1890
The Marine Hotel, formerly Horsepool House, pre 1890
As to the origin of the name HORSEPOOL, no one knows for sure. One suggestion was 'Hawse Pole' i.e. a river marker or 'Hoecepol' the point of entry from where taxes could be levied. Another was a 'pool for horses'- very unlikely in this case, as for 100s of years it was a salt-water harbour.
xxxxxxxx before 1890. From Stuart Bishop.
Mumbles and The Dunns, From Clement's Quarry, post 1915
View from Clement's Quarry, November 2006
A view of The Dunns, from near Oystermouth Castle when the tide reached up as far as the Methodist Church, between 1877 & 1890. Photo: Stuart Bishop.
XXXXXXXXXXX A closer view . . .
Mumbles Horsepool Harbour from Clements Quarry, c.1870.
Horsepool Harbour, Skiffs and The Antelope Public House, with the tide out, before 1883
The Horsepool, in the centre of the above left photograph, was a naturally formed 'harbour' in Mumbles' which by the mid 1800s, had been in use for at least 200 years.
Since 17C, many Mumbles fishermen would lay up their craft all along the shore as far out as Southend (called Outalong by locals) and in stormy weather, at the Horsepool, a natural haven.
The Dunns, with Fern Cottages and the second Methodist Church, built in 1860 and replaced by 1877 by the Third Methodist Church. The ruins of Dunns Mansion, demolished in 1855 is centre right and the, The Elms residence is further on the right
Prior to the 1890's a high tide would have reached the edge of the road opposite the Marine Hotel and the Methodist Church, but following the extension of the railway, the Horsepool 'Harbour' was gone forever and the tide only reaches the edge of today's promenade.
Horsepool Harbour, Skiffs and The Antelope Public House, with the tide in.
On the reclaimed land are The Kursaal Entertainment Hall, Fairground including Figure of Eight, Cornwall Place, part of Devon Terrace, Tom Owen's Promenade Pavilion and part of Promenade Terrace.
New houses and shops have appeared in the foreground of today's view. The Shops on the seaward side of The Dunns were demolished in 1971. In 1960 the Mumbles Train ceased running after 156 years and the promenade which follows the track is now for walkers and cyclists. The Quarry is now a carpark and recycling centre.
Part Two
Part Two
The remains of the wooden Breakwater or Groyne > is clearly seen in this 1926 photo at site of the Village Lane slipway, is now gone.
The fishermen complained about the loss of their natural harbour, so the railway company offered to build them a wooden breakwater or groyne as protection for their boats. It soon fell into disrepair because the local council refused to maintain it and a large part was swept away in a gale in September 1904.
Regatta day at Southend in the 1920s. The photo was taken from the bridge opposite The George Hotel.
Many of photos in our archive were taken from this bridge over the railway opposite the George at Southend, which was demolished when the railway was closed
Verdi's Restaurant and the Knab Rock car park and slipway
Verdi's Restaurant and the Knab Rock car park and slipway
Verdi's Restaurant was opened in July 1993 at Knab Rock, photo: July 2006. Photo: AHOM.
Knab Rock slipway during yachting event, pre 1993
Knab Rock slipway, between 1984 and 1993
The new Knab Rock development, photo: 20 July 1984
Construction work underway on the Knab Rock slipway, photo: 1983
The open-top bus on route to Limeslade Bay, 1982
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On 2 March 1929, a gleaming new fleet of brown & cream (later changing to red) electric trains superseded the steam locomotives.
The Mumbles Train passing the Bristol Chanel Yacht Club (BCYC) at Southend, from Ronald Studden, 1933.
Behind the Knab Rock car park, is, the cut can be glimpsed, the remains of an the Iron Mine, which travelled through the hill to Limeslade Bay. Photo: AHOM
The Iron Quarry cut, taken during the Mumbles Regatta c1892. Photo: Stuart Bishop.
The Mumbles Train beyond Southend,, today this is in the area between the Knab rock car park, 1950s.
Quarried cliffs beyond Southend, with the remains of an earlier tramway, today this is in the area between the Knab rock car park and the inshore Lifeboat Station.
Loading Limestone and repairing boats on the seaward side of The George Hotel, Southend, pre 1893.
before 1883
before 1883
In the 1880s, Oystermouth Local Board began ideas to extend the road from outside the Beaufort at Southend onwards towards Mumbles Head, thence to Bracelet and Limeslade and eventually around the cliffs to Langland. The proposed route caused much objection and argument and, as we know, there was not to be a 'road over the hill', 'a road around the cliff to Bracelet Bay' or 'a road around the cliffs to Langland.'
Eventually The Mumbles Road, as recorded in this pre 1883 photo, had already reached the site of the Old Lifeboat Station (opened in 1883) and was completed through to Bracelet Bay during 1888, opening, in the October of that year. It was built in celebration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.
The road travels behind the Limekiln (much reduced in size) shown in the photo above. The road through the cutting was welcomed, as it made travel to Bracelet and beyond much easier. Comparing the photos shows that the quarrying has taken the coastline back a hundred yards or so over the years between time when the earlier photo were taken, shown bellow.
Quarried cliffs beyond Southend,, today this is in the area between the Knab rock car park.
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Quarried cliffs beyond Southend. The construction of the Mumbles Road which later ran behind this much reduced Old Limekiln, at Knab Rock car park contributed to its destruction. Photo: AHOM
Around 1860
Around 1860
A rare photo of quarrying and tramway showing this area in 1860, today this is on the roadside of The Knab Rock car park.
Quarried cliffs beyond Southend, with the remains of an earlier tramway, today this is in the area between the Knab rock car park and the inshore Lifeboat Station.
This photo shows the Quarried cliffs beyond Southend. Today this is in the area of the Knab rock car park, which was another construction which also changed the coastline of Mumbles.
This photograph of Mumbles was taken by Bristol photographer William Harvey Barton.
It is the 'perfect' landscape picture: focussing on the rocky coastline below Mumbles Hill; moored oyster skiffs and the bustling village are in the distance. In order to take this photograph Barton had carry his cumbersome photographic equipment from Southend along the narrow path at the foot of Mumbles Hill, careful to avoid getting not only his feet, but also his expensive apparatus, wet.
The cutting at Mumbles Head, Few people realise what lies behind the doors protecting the Tunnels at Mumbles Head. Photo: May 2022, AHOM.
The cutting at Mumbles Head, after 1887. Photo: From Stuart Bishop.
There have also been many changes at Mumbles Pier since it opened in May 1898.
The remains of Oyster skiffs (boats)
The wrecked remains of several oyster skiffs (boats), which lie near the sea wall and are a small, but constant reminder of a proud and hard-working band of men, who once worked in this thriving centre of our past sea-going community.
A new Coastal Protection Scheme, was begun in 2023
A new Coastal Protection Scheme, was begun in 2023
The Swansea Council scheme will help protect homes, businesses and people from flooding and the risk of rising sea levels. Some of the existing defences are in a poor condition, with a risk of flooding. The flood risk level is expected to increase in the future due to predicted sea level rises. The project will see more than a kilometre of new sea defences built between Southend and Oystermouth Square, Mumbles.
Knights Brown was appointed as the contractor to undertake the work, which is commenced in January 2023 and is proposed to be completed over approximately 80 weeks. Project Overview, along with numerous photos and various plans concening the scheme, can be found on the Knights Brown website (this takes you away from this page).
The project will combine improved coastal defences with improvements to the Promenade right next to the main seawall.
Coastal Protection Scheme, 19 April 2023
Coastal Protection Scheme, 19 April 2023
Coastal Protection Scheme, 19 April 2023
Coastal Protection Scheme, 19 April 2023
A collection of photographs An Amble Along The Dunns
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