From Norman settlement to a civic square

If you were to go into Swansea City Centre today, you would find that a large part of it is fenced off while building work carries on there. This is Castle Square, an open space in front of the city's historic castle that is undergoing its second transformation after a major revamp in the 1990s saw it mostly concreted over.

The square itself has evolved from a medieval Norman settlement to a bustling Victorian commercial hub, and finally into a central civic space. After being flattened during the 1941 Blitz, the site was transformed into public gardens as illustrated above, and then redesigned into a hard-scaped urban amphitheater in the 1990s as pictured below.

The area's history is closely tied to the adjacent medieval fortifications and the changing face of the city centre set out in this AI summary:

1. Medieval Origins and Commerce

• Norman Stronghold: In the early 12th century, Norman lord Henry de Beaumont built a timber castle on a strategic bluff overlooking the River Tawe. The area that is now Castle Square sat just outside the main castle, hosting a settlement of Anglo-Norman craftsmen.

• Stone Fortifications: The timber castle was attacked multiple times by Welsh forces and eventually rebuilt in stone. By the 13th and 14th centuries, the castle was enlarged, bringing the Castle Square site within the extended outer defensive walls.

• Early Trade: Long before it became a square, the plot featured burgage plots where medieval merchants traded.

2. The Victorian Era

• Thriving Retail: By the 1800s, Castle Square and the surrounding streets were the commercial heart of Swansea. It was home to grand Victorian and Edwardian buildings, including the famous Ben Evans department store.

3. The Blitz and Post-War Gardens (1941–1990s)

• The Swansea Blitz: During the tragic "Three Nights Blitz" of February 1941, German bombers devastated much of central Swansea. The buildings in Castle Square, including the Ben Evans store, were completely destroyed.

• Castle Gardens: In the post-war reconstruction, the Swansea Council decided against rebuilding on the site and instead designated it as a memorial to the victims of the bombings. In 1953, Castle Gardens opened with ornamental flowerbeds, pathways, and a fountain, serving as a picturesque public green space right in the city center.

4. Modern Transformations (1993–Present)

• Urban Amphitheater: Over the decades, Castle Gardens became a bit scruffy and fell into disrepair. In October 1993, the council decided to replace the greenery with a harder, treeless urban space. This redesigned "Castle Square" was completed in 1995 and featured a focal glass-and-steel leaf sculpture.

Prior to the latest reconstruction work, the square contained six historical plaques based on drawings by local schoolchildren. They commemorate key moments in the city's past, including Welsh attacks on the castle, Dylan Thomas at the nearby Three Lamps, and the devastating "Three Nights Blitz. 

Hopefully, once the new square is opened, with its enhanced greenery and retail units, those plaques will be replaced.