Linux 2005

Programme

Tutorials

About Swansea

Timetable

Registration

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Accommodation

CACert Assurance

Thursday Evening

Conference Dinner

Exhibition

Call For Papers

Other UKUUG events

About Swansea

Swansea is both a popular centre for tourism and a busy commercial city. Once described by the poet Dylan Thomas as "an ugly, lovely town", Swansea has developed into a lively modern city in a dramatic maritime setting. The former docklands have been transformed by the creation of the Maritime Quarter, which links the centre of the city to the spectacular curve of Swansea Bay.

Echoes of Dylan Thomas's Swansea survive in the traditional covered market located at the heart of the city, where fresh seafoods include cockles and laverbread. Swansea is also a modern shopping centre, with a good range of shops and stores.

The city has a range of pubs, restaurants and clubs. At the far end of Swansea Bay, the former fishing village of Mumbles is particularly popular with students in search of a lively nightlife.

Getting to and from Swansea is easy these days. The M4 motorway brings you to the doorstep, and there is a good coach and rail network with many other major towns and cities in Britain. Good bus services link the campus with the heart of Swansea.

Location

The University of Wales Swansea is situated in the centre of the South Wales coastline. The main campus lies within Singleton Park on the broad sweep of Swansea Bay, between the City of Swansea and the old fishing village of Mumbles. The beautiful Gower Peninsula, with its famous beaches and tranquil countryside, lies immediately to the west. The Singleton Campus is well known for its marvellous coastal location. Maps.

Access to Swansea by road, rail and sea is well served and the growing Cardiff International Airport is just one hour away. The M4 motorway, the main east-west arterial route from London, passes through the northern outskirts of Swansea. Swansea railway station is on the main west coast line from London Paddington, less than 3 hours away. There are frequent ferry crossings from Swansea to Cork, in the Republic of Ireland.

The campus has the beach on its doorstep and rolling parkland to mark its boundaries. You would easily mistake the location as a country estate rather than an integral part of the second city of Wales. Within ten minutes walk are the City's Botanical Gardens, the University's top class Sports Centre and over three miles of sandy beach.

You can drive to the beautiful Gower Peninsula, the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK, in 15 minutes.

There is good access to the city centre by public transport. and the M4 is also 15 minutes away.

University from:

• Blackpill: 20 mins
• Hendrefoilan Student Village: 40 mins
• Sketty/Uplands area: 5 to 10 mins
• Quadrant Bus Station/Shopping Centre: 25 mins (west side of town centre)
• Swansea rail station: 40 mins (east side of town centre)
• Nearest beach: 2 mins :-)
• Singleton Park Botanic Gardens (2 mins)

For more specific information on South Wales:

In Swansea:

Outside of Swansea:

• http://www.explore-gower.co.uk/ (15/30 mins by car from Swansea depending on which part you go to)
• http://www.gardenofwales.org.uk/ (approx 1 hour by car from Swansea)
• http://www.aberglasney.org/ (very close to botanic gardens)
• http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ - The Dolaucothi Gold Mine
• http://www.breconbeacons.org/ Breacon Beacons national park
• http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/wales/dryslwyn/dryslwyn.php Dryslwyn Castle (near Botanic Gardens)
• http://www.follies.btinternet.co.uk/paxtons.html Paxton's Tower. Although the web site doesn't say, you can go up it to get a view of the surrounding countryside. (near Botanic Gardens)

Rail Services

Great Western Trains provide the service between South Wales and London Paddington. Travel Information for London to Swansea is available from Network Rail National Rail Enquiries, Tel: 08457 48 49 50, Telephone Sales: 08705 808080 or Online www.nationalrail.co.uk

Coach Services

Though not always as fast as trains, coaches provide direct and cheap links. National Express provides a timetable and booking service. National Express Coach Enquiries: Tel: 08705 808080. Disabled Persons Travel Helpline: 0121 4238479. A textphone is provided for customers who are deaf or hard of hearing: 0121 4550086. www.nationalexpress.com

Local Transport

Local transport facilities include frequent buses, with direct services (Unibus) from the Singleton Campus to the Student Village at Hendrefoilan, readily available taxis and a growing network of cycle paths.