Saturday, June 20, 2026
A medieval street at the heart of Swansea's social life
Wind Street (Wyne Street in 1567) follows virtually the same line as it did in medieval times. It is likely that several of its buildings, in all or in part date from these times. Its curve follows that of the Tawe. Along with Butter Street (now St Mary Street), Castle Street and Castle Bailey Street (Bayliff Castella Street in 1626) and High Street.
Wind Street was an important centre of commerce and small industries, hotels and public houses. It was the site of two of Swansea's important hotels, The George and The Mackworth, which was the scene of many of the towns chief functions, and the centre of much of its social life. "The Cambrian" newspaper offices once occupied offices at the north end of Wind Street, close to where "Island House" used to stand. The offices of "The Cambrian" were adorned at ground floor level, by the first curved glass window in Swansea which became an important draw for tourists.
Dating back to the 11th Century, the Castle is in location and visually one of Swansea's most important buildings. It has been occupied through the ages as a debtors prison, fruit and vegetable market, Town Hall, market house, Roman Catholic Chapel, glass works, post office, drawing school and printing works. The old clock tower of the castle still dominates Castle Gardens; an exercise is in hand to include the old post office tower and Evening Post façade into a new Information Centre.
Situated at the northern end of the proposed conservation area and beside the Debtors Prison, the Castle cinema, it is believed was the first picture house in Swansea to have a "talking picture" around 1926. The cinema has an imposing façade to The Strand.
The Inn was formerly part of the Hospital of the Blessed David of Sweynes, founded in 1332 by Henry De Gower, Bishop of St Davids. It dates from 1547 as an Inn. Badly damaged in the 1941 air raids, it was remodelled in the 1950s and subsequently won a Civic Trust Award.
The best remaining example of a pedestrian lane, Salubrious Passage is largely flanked on Wind Street by buildings which are shown on the 1852 survey - the old Shades Tavern is now a shop.
Wind Street itself is the finest remaining street in Swansea, appearing today with only two significant exceptions, as it did at the turn of the century. With so many other streets lost in the war, its retention is all the more important. Its gracious curve is in the best tradition of good townscape.
The eastern (river) side of the street dates mainly from the mid to late 19th Century and contains many very fine examples of Victorian commercial architecture, the Mackwork buildings (No's. 9-10) being the finest.
The western side of the street is older. The frontage is mainly late 18th and early 19th Century built in soft red brick, typical of the Georgian period. However, with much of the medieval street and court pattern remaining, it is likely that many of the building structures also date back to this period. This area is unique to Swansea and as important as any in Wales.
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