England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Loughor St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Loughor lies in western Glamorgan, indeed it forms part of the border with neighbouring Carmarthenshire. Loughor is located about 7 miles northwest of the city of Swansea on the estuarine banks of the River Loughor (Afon Llwchwr). The village sits on the point where the A484 road crosses the estuary on its way from Swansea to the industrial town of Llanelli. Whilst Loughor was once just a small village growing up at a river crossing it now incorporates the industrial centre of Gorseinon and the associated population growth that the industry attracted. The parish, consisting of the village of Loughor and the wider Borough had extensive coal deposits and this was the major employer. There was a mixed agricultural regime with roughly half arable and half pasture. Loughor itself is compact as it is hemmed in to the northwest by the estuary and to the south the the course of the Afon Lliw which discharges into the estuary immediately south of the crossing. Loughor's origins are possibly in Roman times, coins have been found and there is evidence that the former ford was part of a major Roman road through South Wales. Loughor, as a coastal settlement, is at barely 10 metres above sea level rising to 30 metres or so in the Gorseinon area. The parish was extensive, as is typical of this area, at just over 3,000 acres and supported over 800 parishioners. In common with most of the industrial centres of South Wales population would have expanded rapidly towards the end of the transcript period. As is typical of most of Wales there is no mention of Loughor in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Michael's church sits at the junction of Station Road and Castle Street (the station is closed nowadays) and is overlooking the former ford and the modern bridge, created as a turnpike. The church is a recent replacement for what was probably a mediaeval original. Built in 1885 the building clearly didn't excite Pevsner as only the rather oversize bellcote caught his attention. The church sits in an elevated position with a wall to protect its banked graveyard. Access is through gates in Station Road and the site is virtually devoid of trees other than two facing Castle Street so a straightforward photographic exercise.