What did the city of Swansea look like before the twentieth century? How has the past shaped the present outlines of the city streets and buildings? What traces are left of Swansea’s medieval and industrial history?
A team of historians and academics are aiming to answer these questions by producing a map of early Swansea and the Mumbles which will be available to the public as a hard-copy map, similar to the Ordnance Survey series of maps.
The map will be produced in association with the Historic Towns Trust, a charity whose mission is to produce atlases and maps of historic towns and cities in Britain. Previous maps include Bristol, Canterbury, Coventry, Hull, Tudor London, Oxford and York.
The map of Swansea and the Mumbles will show the streetscape of the medieval and industrial city, along with its notable buildings, works, quays, and churches, recreating the city as it would have looked before the destruction caused by bombing during World War II. A gazetteer on the reverse side of the map will provide information about the major streets, buildings, and points of interest.
The Swansea Map team is led by Dr Matthew Stevens of Swansea University, and includes well-known local historians Gerald Gabb, Rob Anthony, and John Law.
The team is fund-raising to support the research, cartography, and printing of the map, with the aim of raising £15,000. Major donors may include their name or logo on the back cover of the map.
HOW TO DONATE: for further information about the project and how to contribute, download the flyer
Further information about the Historic Towns Trust: http://www.historictownsatlas.org.uk/maps