Morriston

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**Morriston Ward**

Ordnance Survey
OS grid reference:	Maps for SS6698
Geography
Principal locality	Morriston
Total population	16,781 (2001 census)
Land area (km²)	7.32 (2001 census)
Administration
Local council:	City and County of Swansea
Number of councillors:	5
Nation:	Wales
Post office and telephone
PostCode(s):	SA5, SA6
Dialling code:	+44-1792
Politics
Welsh Assembly:	Swansea East
UK Parliament:	Swansea East
European Parliament:	Wales

Morriston (Welsh: Treforys) is a town in the City and County of Swansea, South Wales. Morriston is now the most populous of all Swansea's suburbs.

The town is centred around the main Woodfield street, an extremely busy and congested shopping street during the day. Woodfield street runs in a north-south axis. The terrain slopes gently downwards to the east and steeply upwards to the west. To the south of the main shopping area of Woodfield street lies a curious roundabout formed by a church - a famous landmark of Morriston town.

Morriston Hospital, the largest in the Swansea area, is located at Cwmrhydyceirw, approximately one mile north of Morriston town centre. All British driver registration is handled by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency which also is located in Clase, a suburb west of Morriston Town and is a major employer of local people.

The Morriston Orpheus Choir has an international reputation as a male voice choir.

1 Industrial heritage
2 Administration
3 Famous Morristonians
4 External links

[edit] Industrial heritage

Morriston was constructed as a new town on a grid pattern and was named after its founder, Sir John Morris, Bt. The grid pattern remains in evidence today. Morris originally named the town "Morris Town", but this was shortened into the single word "Morriston". The Welsh language translation of the name, Treforys, will also often be seen.

Sir John Morris was also responsible for the construction between 1768 and 1774 known as Morris Castle, widely considered to have been the world's first accommodation built specifically for workers by their employer. Little of the structure remains today, although its ruins are visible on high ground above the nearby Landore district.

Morriston was initially constructed for the workers of the tin-plate and copper industries that built up along the banks of the River Tawe in the 18th Century, and by the 19th Century it was the tin-plate capital of the world. However, this industry went into decline with the invention of the strip mill, which required massive investment. Tin plating had almost vanished from the area by the end of the Second World War, with modern works being situated further east in Port Talbot.

Metalworking in Morriston came to an end in 1980 with the closure of the last tin-plate works.

[edit] Administration

The name Morriston is also used to describe the electoral ward and the community, both of which include the town. Morriston has its own town council.

The electoral ward consists of some or all of the following areas: Caemawr, Cwmrhydyceirw, Morriston, Parc Gwernfadog, Pant-lasau, Ynysforgan and Ynystawe, in the parliamentary constituency of Swansea East. The ward is bounded by Llansamlet and Clydach to the east; Bon-y-maen and Landore to the south; Mynydd-Bach and Llangyfelach to the west; and Mawr to the north.

Morriston is one of two five member wards in the Swansea local authority area.

Originally separate and distinct, Morriston is now regarded as a suburb of the city of Swansea, which lies three miles to the south-west.