It’s Swansea, it rains

It wasn’t exactly what Ruby at the Shed said to me as I stepped out after my dinner but it’s pretty close and during my three days in the city I certainly got my fair share of overcast skies and drizzle.

I’ve been to Swansea just once before and that would have been in the early 60s to attend an event sponsored by the Presbyterian Church of Wales. I remember little of it but do recall that we stayed at the home of Graham Hacche whom I later met at Churchill and who is now a frequent attendee of the Churchill Irregulars lunch group.

There’s little that’s grand about Swansea. It has little of the grandeur of the industrial cities of the North of England and Scotland and maybe what it did have was destroyed during the heavy bombing raids of the second world war.

The result is a rather ugly city, from the dilapidation up round the station to the marina which is the worst of British new estates with few of the amenities, shops, cafes and the like which you’d expect from such a development. There are some modern buildings but little coherence and what was the main commercial centre is now dominated by bars to support the cheap drinking demands of the students at the University.

But there is a heritage, thank you Dylan Thomas, Swansea Bay is stunning when the sun comes out and there’s a hinterland which is rich in nature and opportunities for outdoor pursuits. So there’s good stuff, you just have to look for it.

Here are the five highlights of my short trip

The walk along the seafront from Swansea to the Mumbles: I was fortunate that the morning of my first day was fine; the sun was shining and I could see across Swansea Bay to the Mumbles (see photo above). Google Maps told me it was just five miles. I fuelled up at the Secret Beach Bar with a later coffee at Ripples Cafe & Gelato and enjoyed the walk. I went as far as I could to Mumbles Pier but sadly that was closed for repairs so then I walked back to Mumbles Beach for lunch.

The Museum of Swansea: Dylan Thomas is reputed to have said that this museum should itself be in a museum! It’s got the seemingly random set of exhibits that typify local museums but it also tells stories including that of wartime Swansea.

Excellent food at the Shed (and the coffee and pastries at St Hugo’s): I’ve learnt that an invaluable source of information about what counts as a really good restaurant is the Michelin Guide. It features restaurants that have not earned its coveted stars but merely have ‘distinction’. It served us really well in Newcastle last year and for Swansea it offers the Shed down by the river in a redevelopment area. I enjoyed dinner there on my second night and it was superb with excellent service. A five star experience.

Otherwise Swansea does not seem to have much to offer by way of good restaurants but I did enjoy dinner on my first night at il Pescatore and, when I just needed a light snack, the Anchor was just right.

At the other end of the culinary day is the cafe for your early morning coffee and pastry and Saint Hugo’s is first class mainly because it doesn’t do anything else. It calls itself a cafe & bakery so you’d expect excellent pastries and they are. A great start to the day.

The view from Altitude 28: I would normally not be in favour of this high rise block of flats. It’s the only one and totally out of place at the corner of the marina. You can only wonder how on earth it got planning permission. There’s a restaurant/cocktail bar on the top floor so since it’s there you might as well take advantage of it; it gives you excellent views up and down the coast and across Swansea inland and beyond.

The amazingly delicate colours at the Mission Gallery: Outside it’s the former St Nicholas Seamen’s Church. Inside it’s breathtakingly light and softly colorful.

And a 6th just for good measure!

Dylan Thomas’ heritage: Swansea is Welsh, all the signs are bilingual and although you don’t hear much Welsh being spoken there’s a strong accent. And as a thread through the city you are reminded that Dylan Thomas was born there and is remembered through the Dylan Thomas Theatre and the Dylan Thomas Centre and the posting of quotes throughout the City. Given his life style you suspect he’d rather approve of the number of bars in Wind Street!

There’s an album of photos at https://jdavidjenkins.org.uk/2025-swansea