Birchgrove
Statistics
Population:	{{{{TBA}}}}
Ordnance Survey
OS grid reference:	Maps for SS704981
Administration
Principal area:	Swansea
Constituent country:	Wales
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom
Other
Police force:	South Wales Police
Ceremonial county:	West Glamorgan
Historic county:	Glamorganshire
Post office and telephone
Post town:	SWANSEA
Postal district:	SA7
Dialling code:	01792
Politics
UK Parliament:	Swansea East
European Parliament:	Wales

Birchgrove (Welsh: Y Gellifedw) is the name of a community and a large village in the city and county of Swansea, south Wales. The village is situated roughly 6 miles from the centre of Swansea. It is situated roughly between the flood plain of the River Tawe and Drummau Mountain. The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... For local government purposes, Wales is divided into 22 unitary authorities. ... City & County of Swansea council http://www. ... Constituent country is an official term used to describe three of the four principal component parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK): England; Scotland; Wales. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) Welsh, English Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... There are a number of policing agencies in the United Kingdom. ... South Wales Police (Welsh: Heddlu De Cymru) is one of the four Home Office police forces in Wales. ... The Preserved counties of Wales are the current areas used in Wales for ceremonial purposes such as Lieutenancy. ... West Glamorgan as a preserved county since 2003. ... Wales has thirteen traditional counties (or vice counties). ... Glamorgan or Morgannwg is a maritime traditional county of Wales, UK, and was previously a medieval kingdom or principality. ... A post town is a required part of all UK postal addresses. ... UK postal codes are known as postcodes. ... The UK telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Numbering Plan, is regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which replaced the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) in 2003. ... To see the list in alphabetical order see the categories UK Parliamentary constituencies and UK Parliamentary constituencies (historic). ... Swansea East is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Sign in the entrance of the European Parliament building in Brussels, written in all the official languages used in the European Union as of July 2006 The European Parliament building in Strasbourg The debating chamber, or hemicycle, in Strasbourg The European Parliament building in Brussels The European Parliament (formerly European... Wales is a constituency of the European Parliament. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Wales. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... A Community (welsh Cymuned) is the lowest level of Local Government structure in Wales, corresponding to a civil parish in England. ... A village is a human residential settlement commonly found in rural areas. ... Swansea (Welsh: , mouth of the Tawe) is a city in Wales and a Welsh County. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) Welsh, English Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779... Swansea (Welsh: , mouth of the Tawe) is a city in Wales and a Welsh County. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Floodplain. ... the River Tawe is a river in south Wales which meets the sea at Swansea (Abertawe in Welsh). ...

Early history

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 know as the 'Old Pit'. It was situated just below the present (as of 2005) 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. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ... This article is about mineral extraction. ... The History of Swansea generally refers to the history of the town, not the considerably larger local government area. ... Electric phosphate smelting furnace in a TVA chemical plant (1942) Chemical reduction, or smelting, is a form of extractive metallurgy. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Atomic mass 63. ... 1979 ECUSABCP The Book of Common Prayer[1] is foundational prayer book of the Church of England and also the name for similar books used in other churches in the Anglican Communion. ... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[1] in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... Flag of the Church in Wales The Church in Wales (Welsh: Yr Eglwys Yng Nghymru) is a member Church of the Anglican Communion, consisting of six dioceses in Wales. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ...

Prehistory

The countryside surrounding Birchgrove is littered with prehistoric sites. There are numerous barrow mounds and evidence of prehistoric dwellings. Burial of Oleg of Novgorod in a tumulus in 912. ...

Carreg Bica is a large standing stone on Drummau Mountain. The stone is local sandstone and is around 13ft high and is believed to be a bica monument. The word "carreg" means "stone" in the Welsh language. The stone is also known by other names: Maen Bredwan or Maen Bradwen. It is also mentioned in a charter to King John to William de Breos in 1203 as "meynhirion", as a boundary stone marking the Gower. Standing stones, orthostats, liths or more commonly, megaliths because of their large and cumbersome size, are solitary stones set vertically in the ground. ... The Old Red Sandstone is a rock formation of considerable importance to early paleontology. ... John (French: Jean) (24 December c. ... William de Braose, Lord of Abergavenny (ca. ... Events April 16 - Philip II of France enters Rouen, leading to the eventual unification of Normandy and France. ... A slate boundary stone on Maesglase A boundary marker or boundary stone is a robust physical marker that identifies the start of a land boundary or the change in a boundary, especially a change in a direction of a boundary. ... Rhossili Beach on the Gower peninsula of South Wales The Gower peninsula (Welsh: Gŵyr) is one of the UKs major tourist attractions and is the best-known district in Wales after Snowdonia. ...

Cistercian monks built the nearby Neath Abbey in the early 12th century. Wintering their flocks and herds in the few open spaces down in the valley, during the other seasons keeping them in their specially constructed stone walled fields on Drummau mountain top, using the standing stone as a landmark. Many sections of the stone walls are still standing from Cistercian times. The Order of Cistercians (OCist) (Latin Cistercenses), otherwise Gimey or White Monks (from the colour of the habit, over which is worn a black scapular or apron) are a Catholic order of monks. ... Neath Abbey was a Cistercian monastery, located near the present-day town of Neath. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Species See text. ... Originally, a landmark literally meant a geographic feature used by explorers and others to find their way back or through an area. ...

Legends surrounding the stone

There is a legend of the stone moving and going to a local stream to drink or bathe. In this case the stone is said to bathe in the river Neath once a year on Easter morning. Children from Skewen were said to race to the stone on Easter morning. River Neath (Afon Nedd in Welsh) is a river in south Wales running south west from its source to its confluence with Swansea Bay below Briton Ferry. ... Skewen (Welsh: ) is a village in South Wales, part of Neath Port Talbot county borough. ...

Birchgrove today

Some of the finest vistas in south Wales 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. Approximate extent of South Wales South Wales (Welsh: ) is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. ... the River Tawe is a river in south Wales which meets the sea at Swansea (Abertawe in Welsh). ... River Neath (Afon Nedd in Welsh) is a river in south Wales running south west from its source to its confluence with Swansea Bay below Briton Ferry. ... Blaengwynfi is a village in the Neath Port Talbot area of Wales. ... Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... The location of the Bristol Channel The Severn Bridge and Bristol Channel, looking northwestward from England towards Wales The Bristol Channel coast at Ilfracombe, North Devon, looking west towards Lee Bay The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from South West...

Thomas Ley, the hotly tipped Manchester United youth team winger was born in the village, and still resides there.

Education

Birchgrove has a Comprehensive and Primary school. Both of which are state run, mixed and of no denominational religion. However, under British law schools must perform a daily act of worship, but due the number of pupils (Approx 850) and lack of space this is not done.

The primary school has only recently been merged, despite being adjoined and sharing the same kitchen, car park and grounds since opening.

Birchgrove Comprehensive School was opened in 1991 on the grounds of the old school. It serves the areas of Birchgrove, Glais and Clydach. However, many pupils from Glais and Clydach attend another comprehensive, Cwm Tawe, while pupils from Llansamlet and Trallwyn attend Birchgrove instead of Cefn Hengoed.