Mumbles
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Mumbles is a village and adjacent headland stretching into Swansea Bay close to the city of Swansea in south Wales, UK.
The name Mumbles is probably derived from the French word mamelles, meaning 'breasts', which the two islets at the end of the Mumbles headland resemble. On the furthest islet stands Mumbles Lighthouse. The nearby bays of Langland and Caswell are major sites for surfing.
In 1806, the Oystermouth Railway was built between Oystermouth and Swansea with the intention of carrying coal to Swansea. The potential for carrying passengers was soon seen and a passenger service was started on March 25, 1807, making it the first passenger railway service in the world. It became enormously popular, and was commonly called the Mumbles Train.
Situated in the village are the ruins of Oystermouth Castle.
There is also a RNLI Lifeboat Station in Mumbles Mumbles Lifeboat (http://www.mumbleslifeboat.org.uk/index.htm)
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Mumbles Pier
The pier is a highly popular Summer evening destination, for both locals and tourists, located at the far end of Swansea Bay. It was originally built and opened in 1898 to extend the Mumbles Railway and serve as the new terminus. An RNLI lifeboat slipway was added to the pier in the summer of 1916 and a boathouse was finally built upon it in 1922; these are still used to this day. An amusement complex was developed at the land end of the pier in 1966. This proved to be an invaluable attraction to visitors, and in recent years, funding has seen a new building added, housing an amusement arcade, restaurant and bowling alley.
Mumbles Mile
The Mumbles Mile is a stretch of road in Mumbles, notable for its concentration of pubs. It is a popular destination for students from universities in Swansea and Cardiff for pub crawls and well-known as such in South Wales. Famous poet Dylan Thomas was said to have enjoyed many hours at the Antelope, a cosy pub popular with students.
Mumbles celebrities
- Catherine Zeta-Jones was born in Swansea but she was brought up in Mumbles.
- Ian Hislop was born in Mumbles.
See also
External links
- Locality website (http://www.mumbles.co.uk/)
- Mumbles webcam (http://www.gowerlive.co.uk/)cy:Y Mwmbwls