Lower Loughor

Loughor Castle is a ruined, medieval fortification located in the town of Loughor, Wales. The castle was built around 1106 by the Anglo-Norman lord Henry de Beaumont, during the Norman invasion of Wales. The site overlooked the River Loughor and controlled a strategic road and ford running across the Gower Peninsula. The castle was designed as an oval ringwork, probably topped by wicker fence defences, and reused the remains of the former Roman fort of Leucarum. Over the next two centuries, the castle was involved in many conflicts. It was attacked and burnt, probably in the Welsh uprising of 1151, and was captured by the forces of Llywelyn the Great in 1215. John de Braose acquired the castle in 1220 and repaired it, constructing a stone curtain wall to replace the older defences. Attacked again in 1251, the castle was reinforced with a stone tower in the second half of the 13th century. It declined in importance during the late-medieval period, and by the 19th century, the castle was ruinous and overgrown with ivy. In the 21st century, Loughor Castle is controlled by the Welsh heritage agency Cadw and operated as a tourist attraction. The ruined tower and fragments of the curtain wall still survive on top of the ringwork's earthwork defences, which now resemble a motte, or mound, and are part of the Loughor Castle Park.

Leucarum was a coastal auxiliary fort in the Roman province of Britannia. Its remains are located beneath the town of Loughor in the Welsh city of Swansea. The Romans built a rectangular or trapezoidal fort at the mouth of the River Loughor in the late 1st century to house a regiment of Roman auxiliary troops. Stone defences were added to the earthen ditch and rampart by 110 and the fort was occupied until the middle or end of that century. However, it was later abandoned for a time and in the early 3rd century the ditch naturally silted up. It appears to have been brought back into use during the rule of Carausius who was worried about Irish raids, but was abandoned again before the 4th century. A Norman castle was later built on the site.

Loughor railway station was on the South Wales Railway, now the West Wales Line, from Swansea to Llanelli. The station was located on the west side of Swansea in the residential area of Loughor.

The Loughor bridge is a road bridge crossing over the River Loughor, providing a convenient link between much of western Swansea and Llanelli, west Wales. The bridge is part of the A484 road. The road bridge is adjacent to the Loughor railway viaduct. A permanent bridge linking Loughor and Llanelli was first constructed in 1923. Evidence of the old bridge can still be seen from the right side of the new bridge crossing from loughor, a parapet jutting out into the river which is now a seating area and support foundations can also be seen in the river bed at low tides. If travelling over the bridge east, you will enter the county of Swansea and South Wales when leaving the bridge. If travelling west, you will enter the county of Carmarthenshire and the West Wales area when leaving the bridge. When leaving the bridge if heading west, the road signs change from English/Welsh to Welsh/English (Welsh written before English). This is due to the much higher use of the Welsh language in West Wales.

The Loughor railway viaduct carries the West Wales Line across the River Loughor. It is adjacent, and runs parallel to, the Loughor road bridge. The 1880 viaduct was granted Grade II listed building status. Before it was demolished in early 2013, the viaduct was the last remaining timber viaduct designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.The Loughor viaduct was constructed to carry the broad gauge South Wales Railway (SWR) west of Swansea to Carmarthen. It was opened to traffic (broad gauge and standard gauge) in 1852. The viaduct was rebuilt several times; modifications made include the removal of its swing bridge and broad gauge tracks, replacement of the timber deck with an iron structure, and additional piles. In 1986, due to structural concerns, the track was singled and speed restrictions were imposed adding to journey times. In the early 2010s, Network Rail commissioned a new-build replacement. Work by contractor Carillion, took place during March and April 2013. The railway was closed for 16 days to allow for the removal of the old viaduct and the installation of the new bridge. On 8 April 2013, the new bridge with its doubled track line was opened to traffic. A section of the original viaduct was preserved alongside the new structure.

Loughor (; Welsh: Casllwchwr) is a town in Swansea, Wales. Historically in Glamorgan, it lies on the estuary of the River Loughor (Welsh: Afon Llwchwr). The town has a community council under the name Llwchwr. The town is bordered by the communities of Bynea in Carmarthenshire, Grovesend, Gowerton, and Gorseinon. Loughor is part of the built-up area of Gorseinon.

Llwchwr is a community and (from 2022) electoral ward in the central western part of the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. It lies 9 km (5.6 miles) west-north-west of Swansea city centre and is bounded by the communities of Gorseinon to the north, Penllergaer to the east, and Gowerton to the south, as well as by the estuary of the River Loughor to the west, on the far side of which lies Bynea in Carmarthenshire, connected to Llwchwr by road and rail bridges. The population of Llwchwr, as recorded at the 2011 census, was 9,134.The community is home to Garden Village FC of the Welsh Football League, Carmarthenshire League Division 2 outfit Loughor Rovers, and Loughor RFC who play in ASDA Nation League Division 1 West. The community of Llwchwr, together with that of Gorseinon, is twinned with Ploërmel in France.[1]

Upper Loughor (Welsh: Casllwchwr Uchaf) was an electoral ward in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. The ward covered the eastern part of the town of Loughor in the parliamentary constituency of Gower. It was bounded by Lower Loughor and the Loughor estuary to the west; Penyrheol to the north; Kingsbridge to the east and Gowerton to the south. In the 2008 local council elections, the turnout for Upper Loughor was 42.69%. The results were:

Bynea railway station (Welsh: Bynie) serves the village of Bynea near Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales. Bynea station is situated close to the Millennium Coastal Park and is a convenient stop for cyclists and hikers to the coastal area. It is also the last stop on the Heart of Wales route (on the double track section shared with the Swansea District Line) before it joins the West Wales Line at Llandeilo Junction, to the east of Llanelli. All trains serving the station are operated by Transport for Wales.

Penyrheol is the name of an electoral ward and a suburb in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The electoral ward consists of some or all of the following areas: Penyrheol, Grovesend and Waun Gron, in the parliamentary constituency of Gower. It is bordered by the Loughor estuary to the north west; and the wards of Pontarddulais to the north; Llangyfelach to the east; and Upper Loughor, Kingsbridge, Gorseinon and Penllergaer to the south. For the 2008 local council elections, the turnout was 34.16%. The results were: In 2012 the result was as follows:

Llangennech railway station is a railway station in the village of Llangennech. It lies on the Heart of Wales line with services operated by Transport for Wales running to and from Swansea and Shrewsbury. Llangennech station is located at street level about half a mile away from the centre of the village. It is one of two stations (neighbouring Bynea being the other) located on the double track portion of the route that is shared with the Swansea District Line.

Penclawdd (Welsh: Pen-clawdd) is a village in the north of the Gower Peninsula in the county of Swansea, Wales. Historically, it was part of Glamorgan. Penclawdd is most famous for its local cockle industry which goes back for many years to Roman times. It falls within the Penclawdd electoral ward. It is one of the larger villages on the Gower Peninsula. Part of the village is perched on a high location, enjoying panoramic views over the Loughor estuary and surrounding Gower countryside, while the main part of the village stretches along the edge of the estuary. Being so close to an estuary, Penclawdd is thriving with wildlife. It is plentiful in birdlife and with wild horses that roam the estuary. The built-up area had a population of 1,935.