Birchgrove, Swansea
Birchgrove
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 Glais Church |
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 Birchgrove
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| Birchgrove shown within Swansea | |
| Population | 7,392 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | SS704981 |
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| Principal area | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SWANSEA |
| Postcode district | SA7 |
| Dialling code | 01792 |
| Police | South Wales |
| Fire | Mid and West Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | |
| Welsh Assembly | |
Birchgrove (Welsh: Y Gellifedw) is a community and large village in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. It does not have a community council. The village is situated roughly 6 miles (9.7 km) from the centre of Swansea, between the flood plain of the River Tawe and Mynydd Drummau. Birchgrove also lies on the Neath Port Talbot border. The community of Birchgrove includes the village of Birchgrove, Lon-las and parts of Glais, and has a population of 5,807.
Vistas can be viewed from the top of Drummau mountain, where the Swansea, Neath and Blaengwynfi valleys can be seen along with clear views of Devon across the Bristol Channel.
Birchgrove has a Comprehensive and Primary school. Both of which are state run, mixed and of no denominational religion. The old primary school reception building was sold off in 2010 and is a brethren run school, called 'keystone'.
Birchgrove Comprehensive School was opened in 1991 on the grounds of the old junior school. It serves the areas of Birchgrove, Glais and Clydach. However, many pupils from Glais and Clydach attend another comprehensive, Cwmtawe, in Pontadawe, while pupils from Llansamlet and Trallwn attend Birchgrove instead of Cefn Hengoed.Also most of the pupils in Birchgrove Primary attend Birchgrove Comprehensive.
From an early date to the beginning of the 19th century, coal-mining played an important role in Birchgrove. It was mainly on coal-mining that the villages of the parish grew, and Birchgrove was no exception. Mining played a very important role in the industrial development of the lower Swansea Valley, which was becoming the metallurgical centre of the world. (See History of Swansea.) Coal was replacing wood in the smelting of ores; and it was because of the demand for coal that a pit was sunk in Birchgrove, known as Birchgrove Colliery Company, locally known as the 'Old Pit'. It was situated just below the Birchgrove Post Office. It was sunk in 1845, to a depth of approximately 100 feet. As a result of its prosperity, two further pits were sunk, namely Sisters Pit, and Brothers Pit near Glais. Approximately 200 worked at the Old Pit. This involved many new people coming into the area, to work in both mining and the copper industry. The only cultural recreation was a Reading Room, situated near the colliery. It was not used on Sundays, so the people of the village were given permission to use it for Sunday worship. Services were held there according to the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England (the Church in Wales not being founded until 1920). The services held there were well supported. The Birchgrove Colliery was closed in 1931. There are still relics of Birchgrove's industrial past in the area, The ruins of Scot's pit pump house dominate the lower end of Birchgrove and evidence of mine workings can still be found.
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