Lost Treasures Of Swansea.

Swansea lost a huge number of its stunning old buildings during the three days of the blitz that almost wiped out the entire town centre.

In the long years after World War II the city was rebuild but most of the old buildings were damaged way beyond saving. In their place grew some pretty awful examples of bland modern arhitecture that are still all too evident around the city today. 

In the gallery below are some lovely, thought provoking, photos of some of Swansea's lost treasures.

Ben Evans Department Store Ben Evans was the first department store in Wales and its quality of service soon earned it its nickname of 'The Harrods Of Wales'. Lost in just one night of the blitz it was replaced by Castle Gardens.	The Mackworth Hotel The Mackworth Hotel was a truly grand Victorian hotel that opened in 1880 and closed in 1971. Laurel and Hardy entertained a crowd of thousands from their hotel balcony during their stay in town as they performed a week at the Empire Theatre. Alexandra House now stands in its place.
Swansea Market The old market was opened in 1897 and was yet another instant casualty of the blitz. The new market was built on the same block on Oxford Street.	Empire Theatre The Empire Theatre on Oxford St stood next door to the Carlton Cinema. It opened on 10th Dec 1899 and was the first public building in Swansea to be lit by electricity. Closed in 1956 and demolished in 1960.
Lewis Lewis Department Store Opened just 2 years after the Albert Hall in 1866, it served Swansea up until the early 1970's.	Weaver And Company Building When opened it was the world's first building made from 100% concrete! It was a Swansea eyesore for many years until it was demolished in the early 1990's. I've said before that this building would, today, make the most spectacular penthouse flats or 5 star hotel.
College And Gower Streets This photo looks down College St and onto the blitz destroyed Gower St which was developed into The Kingsway in the 1960's, taken from about where Argos on High St stands today. The triangular building to the left is the roof of the huge Plaza Cinema.	Swansea To Mumbles Railway The first passenger train line in the world! The first train made its first journey in 1807 to the oyster fishing village of Oystermouth and 153 years later it made its last, in 1960. The outrage at its closure saw 15000 signatures from the people of Swansea. No one listened.