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Garden Village, Swansea

{{Short description|Half-built Garden Village in Wales}}

{{coord|51|39|36.00|N|4|01|47.00|W|type:city_region:GB_scale:10000|format=dms|name=Gorsenion Garden Village|display=title}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2025}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

The Gorseinon Garden Village (sometimes known as the Fforestfach Garden Village{{sfn|Hilling|2018|p=287}}) is a half-built Garden Village that is located between Gorseinon and Fforestfach in Wales.{{sfn|Williams|1990|p=210}}

Part of the Garden City movement in Wales at the beginning of the 20th century, like many others it is half complete,{{sfn|Hilling|2018|pp=225–226}} its development having been interrupted by the outbreak of World War 1.{{sfn|Williams|1990|p=210}}

It was designed by George Pepler and Ernest Allen, a pair of architects based in Swansea, in 1909.{{efn|In the same year, Pepler and Allen had taken over the design of the Alkrington Garden Village from Thomas Adams who had taken up a position on the Local Government Board.{{sfn|Culpin|1913|p=23|loc=Alkrington}}{{sfn|Freestone|1989|p=27}} They took over seven Garden Village projects in total, including Newton Moor, Fallings Park, and Childwall.{{sfn|Simpson|1981|p=22}}}}{{sfn|Williams|1990|p=210}}{{sfn|Hilling|2018|p=287}}

They displayed their architectural model at the Town Planning Exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1910.{{sfn|TheBuilder|1910|p=415}}

The original design was for an {{convert|8|acre|ha}} site, with a possibility for future enlargement, containing 100 houses and served by a {{convert|60|ft|m}} road.{{sfn|RIBA|1910|p=32}}

The cottages, each with a garden in front, were in varied blocks of between 2 and 6 houses per block, arranged around an open court planted with trees.{{sfn|TheMunicipalJournal|1910|p=282}}

They were designed with all of the main rooms under one roof, rather than having the usual back projection of the era that would have cut off light to neighbouring houses.{{sfn|TheMunicipalJournal|1910|p=282}}

The Fforestfach Garden Village{{efn|as it was known at the time{{sfn|Culpin|1913|p=30|loc=Fforestfach}}{{sfn|RIBA|1910|p=32}}{{sfn|TheBuilder|1910|p=415}}}} was originally intended to be a model village for mine workers,{{sfn|Cherry|1981|p=132}} Fforestfach being a centre for mining at the time.{{sfn|TheMunicipalJournal|1910|p=282}}

It was inaugurated in 1910 by H. R. Aldridge, Secretary of the National Housing and Town Planning Council.{{sfn|TheMunicipalJournal|1910|p=282}}{{sfn|Cherry|1981|p=132}}

The land was owned by the Swansea Corporation and the wardens of the Swansea Parish Church.{{sfn|TheMunicipalJournal|1910|p=282}}

By 1913, progress had been made on building, with a co-partnership Housing Society in charge of operations.{{sfn|Culpin|1913|pp=29–30|loc=Fforestfach}}

The planned road down the centre of the Garden Village, curved and designed so that it could be continued onwards when the Village expanded, had been built and lined with planted trees.{{sfn|Culpin|1913|p=30|loc=Fforestfach}}

Work on the 100 cottages, made with {{convert|18|in|cm|adj=on}} walls out of local stone, had begun.{{sfn|Culpin|1913|pp=29–30|loc=Fforestfach}}

There were spaces earmarked for allotments, a bowling-green, and a playground.{{sfn|Culpin|1913|p=30|loc=Fforestfach}}

In the 21st century, a proposal was made by Persimmon Homes to build 750 homes to the north of the original Garden Village, with access off Hospital Road ({{coord|51.665058|-4.022665|name=Hospital Road roundabout, Gorseinon|format=dms|display=inline|type:landmark_region:GB_scale:10000}}) rather than the Swansea Road access to the Garden Village.{{sfn|Youle|2017}}

This faced objections over its use of a parcel of common land, containing ancient woodland, and went to a public inquiry on 2017-09-05.{{sfn|Youle|2017}}

A revised plan of 705 homes on a {{convert|50|ha}} site with a {{convert|3.3|ha}} park was approved by Swansea City Council in 2021.{{sfn|ThePlanner|2021}}

In 2024, Coastal Housing proposed building 17 homes, comprising 2 bungalows and 15 houses, next to the original Garden Village and adjacent to the Persimmon development, accessible from Swansea Road via a private road adjacent to 2B Swansea Road ({{coord|51.657958|-4.023055|name=2B Swansea Road, Garden Village|format=dms|display=inline|type:landmark_region:GB_scale:10000}}).{{sfn|SwanseaBayNews|2024}}

Gallery

File:Garden Village AFC Sports ^ Social Club, Kingsbridge - geograph.org.uk - 3679806.jpg|The Garden Village AFC Sports & Social Club is across the road from the Garden Village itself. ({{coord|51|39.6024|N|4|2.2039|W|display=inline|format=dms|type:landmark_region:GB_scale:10000|name=Garden Village AFC Sports & Social Club}})

File:Kingsbridge Cemetery, Gorseinon Garden Village - geograph.org.uk - 5770220.jpg|So too is the Kingsbridge Cemetery. ({{coord|51|39.5638|N|4|1.9419|W|display=inline|format=dms|type:landmark_region:GB_scale:10000|name=Kingsbridge Cemetery, Garden Village}})

Footnotes

{{notelist}}

References

= Cross-reference =

{{reflist|20em}}

= Sources =

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite book|title=Swansea: An Illustrated History|editor1-first=Glanmor|editor1-last=Williams|publisher=Christopher Davies|year=1990|isbn=9780715407141}}
  • {{cite book|title=The Architecture of Wales: From the First to the Twenty-First Century|author1-first=John B.|author1-last=Hilling|publisher=University of Wales Press|year=2018|isbn=9781786832856}}
  • {{cite magazine|magazine=The Builder|volume=99|issue=3532|date=1910-10-15|pages=413–416|title=The Town Planning Exhibition|ref={{harvid|TheBuilder|1910}}}}
  • {{cite book|title=Town Planning Conference London, 10th to 15th October, 1910: Exhibition of Drawings & Models at the Royal Academy from the 10th to the 22nd October|author=Royal Institute of British Architects|ref={{harvid|RIBA|1910}}|chapter=Gallery I. Italian and English|publisher=W. Clowes & Sons}}
  • {{cite book|title=The Garden City Movement Up-To-Date|series=Studies in International Planning History|author1-first=Ewart Gladstone|author1-last=Culpin|author1-link=Ewart Gladstone Culpin|edition=Republished Routledge, 2015|isbn=9781317505914|editor1-first=Stephen V.|editor1-last=Ward|year=1913|publisher=Garden cities and town planning association}}
  • {{cite book|title=Model Communities: The Garden City Movement in Australia|author1-first=Robert|author1-last=Freestone|publisher=Nelson|year=1989|isbn=9780170072816|chapter=The Garden City movement}}
  • {{cite book|title=Pioneers in British Planning|editor1-first=Gordon Emanuel|editor1-last=Cherry|publisher=Architectural Press|year=1981|isbn=9780851395661|chapter=Thomas Adams (1871–1940)|author1-first=Michael|author1-last=Simpson|pages=19–45}}
  • {{cite book|title=Pioneers in British Planning|editor1-first=Gordon Emanuel|editor1-last=Cherry|publisher=Architectural Press|year=1981|isbn=9780851395661|chapter=George Pepler (1882–1959)|author1-first=Gordon Emanuel|author1-last=Cherry|pages=131–149}}
  • {{cite magazine|magazine=Municipal Journal and Public Works Engineer|volume=19|issue=898|date=1910-04-15|title=A New Garden Village|page=282|ref={{harvid|TheMunicipalJournal|1910}}}}
  • {{cite news|title=750 homes plan for Garden Village depends on inquiry into plan to 'exchange' common land|author1-first=Richard|author1-last=Youle|date=2017-05-10|newspaper=WalesOnline|publisher=Reach PLC|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/750-homes-plan-garden-village-13009966}}
  • {{cite news|title=Housing Association reveals plans for 17 home development in Garden Village|url=https://swanseabaynews.com/2024/02/16/housing-association-reveals-plans-for-17-home-development-in-garden-village|date=2024-02-16|newspaper=Swansea Bay News|ref={{harvid|SwanseaBayNews|2024}}}}
  • {{cite news|url=https://theplanner.co.uk/2021/07/09/wales-round-new-policies-second-homes-prospect-705-swansea-homes-approved|date=2021-07-09|title=Wales round-up: New policies on second homes in prospect; 705 Swansea homes approved|newspaper=The Planner|publisher=Redactive Publishing Ltd|ref={{harvid|ThePlanner|2021}}}}

{{refend}}

Further reading

= General =

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite magazine|magazine=Garden Cities and Town Planning Magazine|editor1-first=George J. H.|editor1-last=Northcroft|editor2-first=Ewart G.|editor2-last=Culpin|editor3-first=William Loftus|editor3-last=Hare|editor4-first=Charles Benjamin|editor4-last=Purdom|publisher=P. S. King & son, Limited|year=1908|page=304|title=A Swansea Garden Village|oclc=12030568}}
  • {{cite news|title=Swansea council to buy 141 homes at major new development|author1-first=Richard|author1-last=Youle|date=2025-02-20|newspaper=WalesOnline|publisher=Reach PLC|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/swansea-council-buy-141-homes-31048315}}

{{refend}}

= Planning documents =

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite web|title=Garden Village, Swansea|url=https://cwarchitects.co.uk/garden-village-swansea|author=CW Architects}} — the architectural design commissioned by Persimmon Homes
  • {{cite web|language=cy|trans-title=Land to the rear of 2B Swansea Road|title=Tir y tu cefn i 2B Swansea Road, Abertawe|url=https://asbriplanning.co.uk/statutory-pre-application-consultation/land-to-the-rear-of-2b-swansea-road-swansea|publisher=Asbri Planning}} — the proposal commissioned by Coastal Housing Group
  • {{cite web|title=Agenda, decisions and minutes|url=https://democracy.swansea.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=493&MId=9499&LLL=1|author=Presenoldeb yn y cyfarfod|date=2021-07-02|publisher=Cyngor Abertawe|language=cy}} — planning approval for the Persimmon development
  • {{cite web|title=Notice - temporary road closure, Hospital Road, Gorseinon|date=2024-09-09|url=https://swansea.gov.uk/media/18667/2-Notice-and-plan--Hospital-Road-Gorseinon/pdf/ck2nd_Notice_Hospital_Road__Gorseinon_00278431.pdf?m=1725028087497|publisher=Cyngor Abertawe|language=cy}} — road closure notice for Hospital Road

{{refend}}

= Maps =

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite map|title=Glamorgan XIV.10|year=1913|url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/135195937|author=Ordnance Survey|author-link=Ordnance Survey|publisher=National Library of Scotland|series=OS 25 inch England and Wales, 1841–1952}}
    – 1913 O.S. map showing the Gorseinon Garden Village partially constructed south of Bryngwyn farm and Bryngwyn Hall
  • {{cite map|title=Glamorgan XIV.10|year=1935|url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/135195940|author=Ordnance Survey|author-link=Ordnance Survey|publisher=National Library of Scotland|series=OS 25 inch England and Wales, 1841–1952}}
    – 1935 O.S. map showing the Gorseinon Garden Village during the inter-war period

{{refend}}

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Category:Villages in Swansea

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