Classical Association Conference HERE IN SWANSEA, April 2022!!

February 12, 2022February 14, 2022 Ersin. Hussein Classical Association, Classics, Classics in Wales, Conference, Research, Teaching, Wales

We in the Department of History, Heritage, and Classics at Swansea University are proud to be hosting the CA conference as a hybrid event between 8 and 11 April 2022. Since we are aware that time is passing, and the official conference website is still a work in progress (in part owing to the need for Welsh translation, and also because of the recent restructuring of the University, which has caused a delay to the migration of webpages), we offer here the information about accommodation and travel which has been prepared for that website, for the use of delegates who are planning on attending in person. We hope that this information is still timely.

For details of the programme, see here. The registration website is now available here until 1 April. Please note that it has been designed by the company ‘native’, and so when reference is made to a ‘native account’ that purely means an account with us to allow you to register.

A panorama of Swansea beach at sunset, with the Meridian Tower, Wales’s only skyscraper, in Swansea Marina, at left, and the Mumbles at far right.

Accommodation Information

There is no on-campus accommodation available for this conference. However, there are plenty of nice places to stay in Swansea. The closest major hotel to the Singleton Campus is the Marriott (https://www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/travel/swsdt-swansea-marriott-hotel/); the Dragon (http://www.dragon-hotel.co.uk) is being refurbished but is slated to reopen by the time of the conference.

There are many cheap and cheerful B&Bs on Oystermouth Road, a short walk from the Bus Station and ‘big Tesco’, as well as several in Uplands.

As well as the two named above, here are the website addresses of other notable hotels in Swansea city centre:

Dolphin: http://www.dolphin-sa1.com

Grand (by the train station): https://www.thegrandhotelswansea.co.uk

Morgan’s: https://www.morganshotel.co.uk

Premier Inn, Waterfront: https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/wales/glamorgan/swansea/swansea-waterfront.html

Premier Inn, Wind Street: https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/wales/glamorgan/swansea/swansea-city-centre.html

Travelodge: https://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/333/Swansea-Central-hotel

AirBnB: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/s/Swansea–United-Kingdom.

The green outside Fulton House, with the bus stop (where the left-hand bus is positioned).

Travel Information

To Swansea

By Car:

Travelling west on the M4 leave the motorway at Junction 42 and follow signs for Swansea on the A483 (Fabian Way). To get to Singleton Campus, continue on the A483. On crossing the River Tawe the A483 becomes the A4067. Continue west along this road, passing Sainsbury’s Superstore on the left-hand side of the road. After approximately 1.5 miles there is a footbridge over the road, the second, smaller-scale one (the first is painted gold and is located near the ‘big Tesco’).

The main entrance to the University lies just before the footbridge and is controlled by traffic lights. As you approach the lights, keep to the right-hand lane and prepare to turn right into the University.

On Singleton Campus, there is a Visitors’ Car Park immediately right of the main entrance. We will also have spaces available for delegates during the conference. There is a large Park-and-Ride site at Port Tennant east of Swansea opposite McDonalds on Fabian Way, open from 06:45 until 19:30, Monday to Saturday, connected to Singleton Campus by the #9A bus.

For city centre car parks, see https://www.swansea.gov.uk/carparkingcharges#citycentre for details. All of these are currently free on a Sunday.

By Coach / Inter-city Bus:

Coach journeys (National Express/Megabus) terminate at the Quadrant Bus Station in Swansea city centre.

By Rail:

There is a train station in central Swansea which serves National Rail lines. You can travel direct from London Paddington in approximately 3 hours, and from Manchester Piccadilly in 4 and a half hours.

By Air:

If you fly into Heathrow, you can take the tube to central London via the Piccadilly Line or the Heathrow Express train to Paddington station, from where you can catch a direct Great Western Railway (GWR) service to Swansea. Alternatively, you can take the RailAir bus service from outside the terminal to Reading station, which is the first stop on that GWR mainline service, and proceed from there. From Cardiff Airport, one might take the shuttle bus to Rhoose, the train to Bridgend and then change to the GWR service, a journey of about 1 hour 40 minutes.

Students crossing Singleton Park to reach the University campus.

In Swansea

There is a taxi rank to the side of the train station. The taxi journey to Singleton Campus will take around 10–15 minutes (traffic depending) and cost up to £10.

You can get to Singleton Campus by bus. A bus stop is situated on the High Street next to the train station. The #4, #4A, and #10 go directly from Swansea Train Station to Singleton Campus.

Swansea Train Station is a 15-minute walk down the High Street, Oxford Street, and Plymouth Street (turning left at the Eli Jenkins Pub) from the City Centre Bus Station. One can also go through the Quadrant Shopping Centre and Swansea Market to reach the Bus Station. Other services, such as the #2A, #3A, and #8, link Singleton Campus with the Bus Station; note, however, that the #10 service does not stop at the Bus Station.

On Singleton Campus the buses mentioned stop outside the main University building, Fulton House. The #2 from the Bus Station stops at the main entrance to the Singleton Campus on Oystermouth Road.

First Cymru’s day pass is the most economical way to obtain a ticket. If you buy this on a bus it will cost £4.70. Individual journeys cost around £3. Contactless payments can be made on board.

PLEASE NOTE that most of the buses mentioned will NOT be running on the conference Sunday, 10 April. The #2A, #2B, #2C, and #3A will run hourly, and the #4A half-hourly. We will provide a coach from Singleton Campus to the City Centre, stopping at the Marriott and Morgan’s (opposite the Wind Street Premier Inn) at 16:15, 17:15, and 18:15 on the Sunday.

You can find out bus times and plan your journey by visiting www.firstgroup.com/south-west-wales. See also https://myunijourney.traveline.cymru/swansea-university.

Taxis for general travel around Swansea

Uber does not currently operate in Swansea.

Some taxi firms are:

Oyster Cabs: 01792 367777

Data Cabs: 01792 474747 or 01792 545454

Yellow Cabs: 01792 644446

For further information about transport see www.swansea.ac.uk/the-university/location/

A tourist guide with information about things to do in Swansea can be found here.

Bicycle

Santander Cycles operate hire bikes with pick-up and drop-off locations outside Fulton House and the Council Building in Swansea Marina. Rides of under 30 minutes cost £1. See https://www.santandercycles.co.uk/swansea for details.