Post by Dave on Oct 16, 2012 11:58:22 GMT
I have spoken before on here about how future generations may never know what was once a part of the environment they are growing up in. There maybe some tell tail clues, but unless they are really interested, may grow old rather ignorant.
I have made a few trips to Swansea this last year as it is the place where Lyn was born and grew up as a child and we go to visit her mum. One thing I noticed the very first time we drove along the Mumbles road was the remains of an old bridge.
It is situated between the old Vetch Field and the St Helens ground and between the two end parts that are still standing run four lanes of traffic.
Lyn told me she remembers walking across the bridge as a child and also told me the end of the bridge on the same side as the Vetch Field, had a beach gift shop and also a cafe in the two arches under the bridge.
She does not remember when the top of the bridge was removed and when I went on a discovery walk on my own on Sunday morning, one of the things I wanted to check out was this bridge.
It was built in 1915 and I knew as there was not much traffic on the roads back then, it was not built as a road bridge so I wondered if it might have been an old railway bridge.
Later on my walk I came across a building that is the Swansea Tramway museum and sadly it was closed but it got me wondering about any routes the trams used in and around Swansea.
Later that night while talking to Lyns mum I got my first clue why the bridge was built in the first place. she had an old photo of a stream train stopping at the Mumbles station
Using google this morning I was surprised to learn that the worlds first railway was built between Swansea and the Mumbles and I have found this wonderful website that tells the full history of this line. It is well worth a read.
www.welshwales.co.uk/mumbles_railway_swansea.htm
How the bridge looks today
How it once looked
Two old pictures I found
The Swansea Tramway museum
I have made a few trips to Swansea this last year as it is the place where Lyn was born and grew up as a child and we go to visit her mum. One thing I noticed the very first time we drove along the Mumbles road was the remains of an old bridge.
It is situated between the old Vetch Field and the St Helens ground and between the two end parts that are still standing run four lanes of traffic.
Lyn told me she remembers walking across the bridge as a child and also told me the end of the bridge on the same side as the Vetch Field, had a beach gift shop and also a cafe in the two arches under the bridge.
She does not remember when the top of the bridge was removed and when I went on a discovery walk on my own on Sunday morning, one of the things I wanted to check out was this bridge.
It was built in 1915 and I knew as there was not much traffic on the roads back then, it was not built as a road bridge so I wondered if it might have been an old railway bridge.
Later on my walk I came across a building that is the Swansea Tramway museum and sadly it was closed but it got me wondering about any routes the trams used in and around Swansea.
Later that night while talking to Lyns mum I got my first clue why the bridge was built in the first place. she had an old photo of a stream train stopping at the Mumbles station
Using google this morning I was surprised to learn that the worlds first railway was built between Swansea and the Mumbles and I have found this wonderful website that tells the full history of this line. It is well worth a read.
www.welshwales.co.uk/mumbles_railway_swansea.htm
How the bridge looks today
How it once looked
Two old pictures I found
The Swansea Tramway museum
