Mumbles () is a headland sited on the western edge of
Swansea Bay
Swansea Bay () is a bay on the southern coast of Wales. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan, River Kenfig and Clyne River flow into the bay. Swansea Bay and the upper reaches of the Bristol Channel experience a large tidal range. The sh ...
on the southern coast of
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
.
Toponym
Mumbles has been noted for its
unusual place name. The headland is thought by some to have been named by French sailors, after the shape of the two anthropomorphic islands which the headland comprises: the word "Mumbles" may be a corruption of the French ''les mamelles,'' meaning "the breasts". Another possible source of the name is the word
Mamucium
Mamucium, also known as Mancunium, is a former Roman fort in the Castlefield area of Manchester in North West England. The ''Castra, castrum'', which was founded c. AD 79 within the Roman province of Roman Britain, was garrisoned by a ...
, which is generally thought to represent a Latinisation of an original
Brythonic name, either from mamm- ("breast", in reference to a "breast-like hill") or from mamma ("mother", in reference to a local river goddess).
Mumbles Lighthouse was built during the 1790s, and was converted to solar powered operation in 1995.
Notable features
Mumbles Pier was opened in 1898 at the terminus of the
Swansea and Mumbles Railway
The Swansea and Mumbles Railway was the venue for the world's first passenger horsecar railway service, located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom.
Originally built under an act of Parliament, the Oystermouth Railway or Tramroad Act 1804, to m ...
, which was the world's first horse-drawn public passenger train service. It opened 2 Mar 1807 and used horse power to 1877, then steam power to 1929, when it switched to double deck overhead electric tram power, lasting till the line closed in Jan 1960.
has operated since 1866. In 1947, the entire lifeboat crew was lost at sea, attempting to rescue the crew of the ''
SS Samtampa
SS ''Samtampa'' was a 7,219 ton steamship wrecked on Sker Point, off Porthcawl and Kenfig, Wales, in the Bristol Channel on 23 April 1947. At the time of the shipwreck, the ''Samtampa'' was operated by the Houlder Line. The ''Samtampa'' ha ...
'', in what has become known as the
Mumbles lifeboat disaster. The nearest church,
All Saints' Church, Oystermouth, contains memorials to the crew.
Climate
See also
*
Mumbles (district)
Mumbles () is a district of Swansea, Wales, located on the south-east corner of the unitary authority area. It is also a community (Wales), local government community using Mumbles (community), the same name. At the 2001 census the population w ...
, a district of Swansea
*
Mumbles RFC
*
Breast-shaped hill
Some breast-shaped hills are named "wikt:pap#Etymology 2, pap", an archaic word for the breast or nipple of a woman, particularly those with a small hilltop protuberance. Such anthropomorphic geographic features are found in different parts of t ...
References
External links
Mumbleswww.geograph.co.uk Photos of The Mumbles and surrounding area
{{coord, 51.568, -3.985, type:landmark_region:GB_dim:3000, display=title
Seaside resorts in Wales
Populated places on the Gower Peninsula
Swansea Bay