Loughor

infobox UK place
country =Wales
welsh_name=Casllwchwr
constituency_welsh_assembly=
official_name= Loughor
unitary_wales=Swansea
lieutenancy_wales= West Glamorgan
constituency_westminster= Gower
post_town= SWANSEA
postcode_district = SA4
postcode_area= SA
dial_code= 01792
os_grid_reference= SS573980
latitude=51.66261
longitude=-4.06461
population= 4,991 (2001 Census) Loughor ( _cy. Casllwchwr) is a town in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Loughor. The town has a community council called Llwchwr.

The town was home to the Roman fort of Leucarum, over which the Norman Loughor Castle was built in 1099. There is said to be a hidden tunnel under the castle which contains many treasures. Loughor developed around the castle.

It later grew as a port, while in the early twentieth century large tin and steel works were the main industries. Loughor town can be divided into two areas defined by the present day electoral wards Lower Loughor and Upper Loughor which have separate histories. Lower Loughor lies nearer the sea and set on low ground whilst Upper Loughor lies on higher ground. Loughor initially developed around the Norman castle in what is now the Lower Loughor ward. Upper Loughor began as a distinct settlement, initially around what is now the Glebe Road area. Upper Loughor Town was well established as a separate town by the mid 19th Century. Loughor is now mostly a commuter town for Swansea and Llanelli via the Loughor bridge and has merged with the neighbouring town of Gorseinon.

Paul Jones famous for the ball room dance lives in the town. The town is also famous for being the birthplace of well-respected and all-knowing pundit and Lollipop man Leighton James.

Nearby is the Llygad Llwchwr, a 1.2 km river cave system.

Local schools in the town include Tre Uchaf Primary School and the Casllwchwr Primary School. Sited opposite the Tre Uchaf Primary is one of the sites of Gorseinon College.

The local rugby union team of the town is Loughor RFC.

James Henry Govier (1910- 1974) the British painter, etcher and engraver of the Swansea School, produced a number of images of Loughor, he lived at Gorseinon and has work in the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery at Swansea, The National Museum of Wales , The National Library of Wales and in several National collections. See Gorseinon and Oakley for more details.

References

*Swansea Art Gallery Catalogue 1936.
*The Gower Journal.
*Who's Who in Art.
*Dictionary of British Artists 1900-1950, by Grant M Waters 1975.

External links

* [http://www.page-net.com/swansea.localhistory/gorseinon/pages/histloughor.html History of Loughor]
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2733593 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Loughor and surrounding area]