The History of Swansea University

The University's foundation stone was laid by King George V on 19 July 1920 and 89 students (including eight female students) enrolled that same year. By September 1939, there were 65 staff and 485 students.
In 1947 there were just two permanent buildings on campus: Singleton Abbey and the library. The Principal, J S Fulton, recognised the need to expand the estate and had a vision of a self-contained community, with residential, social and academic facilities on a single site. His vision was to become the first university campus in the UK.
By 1960 a large-scale development programme was underway that would see the construction of new halls of residence, the Maths and Science Tower, and College House (later renamed Fulton House). The 1960s also saw the development of the "finite element method" by Professor Olek Zienkiewicz. His technique revolutionised the design and engineering of manufactured products, and Swansea was starting to stake its claim as an institution that demanded to be taken seriously.
Work began on the student village at Hendrefoelan in 1971, the South Wales Miners' Library was established in 1973 and the Taliesin Arts Centre opened on campus in 1984. The Regional Schools of Nursing transferred to Swansea in 1992, and the College of Medicine opened in 2001. Technium Digital was completed in 2005 and, barely two years later, the University opened its Institute of Life Science , which commercialises the results of research undertaken in the Swansea University Medical School . Work commenced on a second Institute of Life Science in 2009.
In 2012, Swansea began an ambitious campus expansion and development project, including the opening Bay Campus in 2015; which is home to the College of Engineering and the School of Management . In 2018 two further projects developed - The College ; Swansea University's joint venture with Navitas (The International College Wales Swansea, ICWS) and the Computational Foundry ; the home of the College of Science's departments of Computer Science and Mathematics.
Today, there are more than 20,000 students enrolled and the university is ranked in the top 30 in the UK!

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The Halloween Quiz!

By Oliver Wright • October 31, 2026

How well do you know Halloween in Wales? Wales has its own Halloween traditions, and some of them are actually pretty strange. So we thought we would put together a quick quiz and see how much you know about Calan Gaeaf and some of the old Welsh Halloween traditions. 1. What is the Welsh name for Halloween? A) Calan Gaeaf B) Calan Mai C) Gŵyl Dewi D) Noson Nadolig 2. What is the Hwch Ddu Gwta? A) A headless horse B) A tailless black sow C) A Welsh witch D) A giant black dog 3. What does Ladi Wen mean? A) The Black Lady B) The Old Lady C) The White Lady D) The Witch Lady 4. What was traditionally lit as part of Halloween celebrations in Wales? A) Lanterns B) Bonfires C) Candles D) Torches 5. According to old Welsh folklore, what could happen if you were the last person to leave the Halloween fire? A) The White Lady would appear B) The Hwch Ddu Gwta could get you C) You would have bad luck for a year D) You would have to relight the fire 6. Which of these is actually part of Welsh Halloween folklore? A) The Tailless Black Sow B) The Pumpkin King C) The Red Dragon Witch D) The Swansea Skeleton 7. Calan Gaeaf traditionally marked the start of what? A) Spring B) Summer C) Autumn D) Winter 8. According to old Welsh beliefs, when were ghosts said to appear at the stiles? A) Sunrise B) Midday C) Midnight D) Lunchtime 9. You are walking home after a Halloween night out in Swansea and hear something behind you. What are you doing? A) Turning around B) Running C) Pretending you heard nothing D) Texting the group chat We are not saying there is a right answer to this one. 10. Last one. Which would you least want to see on your walk home? A) The Ladi Wen B) The Hwch Ddu Gwta C) A massive spider D) A seagull that has spotted your chips So, how did you do? 8–10: You actually know your Welsh Halloween stuff 5–7: Not bad 2–4: You clearly need to do some reading 0–1: Probably best to stay inside this Halloween The answers A — Calan Gaeaf B — A tailless black sow C — The White Lady B — Bonfires B — The Hwch Ddu Gwta could get you A — The Tailless Black Sow D — Winter C — Midnight Questions 9 and 10 are just for fun.

Which Swansea Student Area Suits You? - Personality Test!

October 17, 2026

Are you a Brynmill, Uplands, Sketty or City Centre person?