Killay, Swansea

Community in Swansea, Wales

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Community in Wales

Killay

Community
Principal area|

* Swansea

Country| Wales
Sovereign state| United Kingdom
Police| South Wales
Fire| Mid and West Wales
Ambulance| Welsh

List of places

Wales
Swansea

Map of the community

Killay (Welsh: Cilâ) is a suburb and community in Swansea, Wales. Killay has its own community council. The village is set high above sea level, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of Swansea city centre. It adjoins the town of Dunvant and the Tycoch area of Swansea. Gowerton lies to the north. The community had a population of 5,702 in 2011.[1]

The north of the area is mainly residential and is deemed a relatively affluent area of Swansea. The south of the area consists of an unpopulated common, which is used for grazing and forms part of Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There is also another community called Upper Killay.

## Geography

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Killay Marsh Local Nature Reserve covers 21.3 acres (8.62 hectares) and comprises a mosaic of wetland habitats. Wet woodland (alder and willow carr), swamp and marsh habitat straddle the upper River Clyne with open marsh, fen, wet heath, with drier grassland and woodland on the slightly drier marginal area. The local nature reserve is a remnant of a much larger wetland area destroyed by land reclamation animation for development including housing and landfill between 1930 and 1970. The land is owned by the City and County of Swansea and has been managed by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales since 1995.

## Education

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Hendrefoilan Primary School

Hendrefoilan Primary School is a primary school in Killay with 236 pupils enrolled as of 2023. The headteacher is Ms Aimee Field. In the 2022/23 school year, the school was doubly oversubscribed.[2]

## Mining history

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The village of Killay evolved as a direct result of the south Wales coal industry. There were a good number of mines in Killay, the Clyne valley and in the neighbouring village of Dunvant dating back as far as the 14th century. The largest company, but also one of the latest, to mine coal in the district was the Killan Colliery Company, which began operations in 1899. There were two drifts, one working the Penlan seam, the other the Penclawdd seam. In 1902 the colliery was taken over by W.W. Holmes and Co. By 1919 the mine had grown to be one of the largest in the area employing 755 men, mostly from the nearby village of Dunvant. In 1920 Henry Folland's Killan Collieries Ltd bought the colliery as a source of supply for his Grovesend Steel and Tinplate Company. In 1923 the Penclawdd drift was also producing house coal and had grown to over 1,500 yards (1,400 m) in length.

### The Killan Colliery Disaster

[edit]

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On 27 November 1924, an inrush of water flooded the mine with such force that it tore out the roof. As soon as the news reached the surface, rescuers rushed to the mine to assist several trapped miners. Two bodies were recovered almost immediately, and it soon became apparent that a further eleven men were trapped in the mine. Pumps were brought in from other mines, and rescuers made frantic attempts to reach the captive miners. After fifty hours, a call reached the surface to send down ladders because eight men had been located. The men had survived by breathing from an air pocket and were soon freed. Divers were then sent to search for the remaining three men who were still missing, without success. It was not until 1 January 1925 that their bodies were finally retrieved.

The men who lost their lives in the disaster were:

* Archie Davis (28)
* Charles Evans (30)
* Phil Godbeer (32)
* Willie Goulding (22)
* Wilfred John (17)

The mine would never recover from the disaster, and was to close later in 1925.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Killay Parish Local Area Report". Nomis Official Labour Market Statistics. 2011. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
2. ^ O'Neill, Ryan (11 January 2023). "The hardest primary schools to get a place at in Swansea". Wales Online.

## External links

[edit]

* Killay Community Council
* Killay village: grid reference SS602928

* v
* t
* e

City and County of Swansea

History|

* History of Swansea
* Gower

Politics|

* City and County of Swansea Council
* Swansea Guildhall
* Swansea Civic Centre
* List of electoral wards in Swansea

| Gower Constituency|

* Bishopston
* Clydach
* Cockett
* Dunvant and Killay
* Fairwood
* Gorseinon and Penyrheol
* Gower
* Gowerton
* Llangyfelach
* Llwchwr
* Mayals
* Mumbles
* Pen-clawdd
* Penllergaer
* Pennard
* Pontarddulais
* Pontlliw and Tircoed
* Waunarlwydd
* West Cross

|

Neath and Swansea East
Constituency|

* Bon-y-maen
* Clydach
* Llansamlet
* St. Thomas
* Waterfront (part)

Swansea West Constituency|

* Castle
* Cwmbwrla
* Landore
* Morriston
* Mynydd-bach
* Penderry
* Sketty
* Townhill
* Uplands
* Waterfront (part)

Communities|

* Birchgrove
* Bishopston
* Bonymaen
* Castle
* Clydach
* Cockett
* Cwmbwrla
* Dunvant
* Gorseinon
* Gowerton
* Grovesend and Waungron
* Ilston
* Killay
* Landore
* Llangennith, Llanmadoc and Cheriton
* Llangyfelach
* Llanrhidian Higher
* Llanrhidian Lower
* Llansamlet
* Llwchwr
* Mawr
* Morriston
* Mumbles
* Mynydd-Bach
* Penderry
* Penllergaer
* Pennard
* Penrice
* Pontarddulais
* Pontlliw and Tircoed
* Port Eynon
* Reynoldston
* Rhossili
* Sketty
* St Thomas
* Three Crosses
* Townhill
* Uplands
* Upper Killay
* Waterfront
* Waunarlwydd

Culture|

* Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
* Royal Institution of South Wales
* Swansea Arena
* Swansea Grand Theatre

Education|

* Swansea University
* University of Wales Trinity Saint David
* Swansea Metropolitan University
* Gower College Swansea

Sports|

* Swansea City A.F.C.
* Ospreys (rugby union)

Buildings|

* Listed buildings
* Grade I
* Grade II*
* List of places in Swansea
* Scheduled monuments
* Registered parks and gardens

Transport|

| Roads|

* M4 motorway
* European route E30
* A48 road
* A483 road
* A484 road
* A4067 road
* A4216 road
* A4217 road
* A4240 road
* A4118 road

|

Bus|

* First Cymru
* Gorseinon bus station
* Gower Explorer
* Metro (Route 4)
* National Express
* Swansea bus station

Cycling|

* Celtic Trail
* National Cycle Route 4
* National Cycle Route 43

Railway lines|

* South Wales Main Line
* West Wales line
* Heart of Wales line
* Swansea District line

Railway stations|

* Gowerton
* Llansamlet
* Pontarddulais
* Swansea

Air|

* Swansea Airport

Waterways|

* River Tawe
* Swansea Canal
* Tennant Canal

Sea|

* Swansea docks
* Swansea Marina
* Swansea Cork ferry (Fastnet Line)
* Severn Link

51°37′04″N 4°01′05″W﻿ / ﻿51.61791°N 4.01800°W﻿ / 51.61791; -4.01800
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