Photo  Transport
  Home of bus, tram, ferry and lorry photographs
   
    Home  |  Buses  |  Ferries  |  Lorries  |  Trams  |  Coaches  |  Trains  |  Transport  |                                 |  Covers  |  Search  |
    

 

  April 2010
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
 Rural South Wales
 
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    
 
 
  Gower Peninsula
 
  Gower Peninsula

 The Gower Peninsula lies directly south west of Swansea in South Wales.   As its name suggests it is surrounded on three sides by water - still technically the Bristol Channel at this point.   It is a major tourist destination with stunning views and windswept beaches.   There are only a handful of communities beyond Mumbles but yet it is incredibly well served by public transport.   The bus routes are run by Veolia under the branding of Gower Explorer.   They provide at least an hourly service from Swansea and then criss-cross over the peninsula until they reach their destination.   There is a complex series of vehicle inter-workings that see connections in remote villages and desolate cross roads.   The buses used are a mixture of mid-sized vehicles in the shape of Wright bodied DAFs (top, left and below right) and Optare Solos (left and below left).
 
   
   
   
 
Gower Bus Map Brecon Bus Map
                                                                             click to enlarge                                                                              click to enlarge
 
   
   
 
  Brecon Interchange
 
Brecon Interchange

 The Brecon Beacons, a mountain range in South Wales, can be found just north of Swansea and Cardiff.   The only major town is that of Brecon with 8,000 inhabitants and despite having a cathedral it is not recognised as an official city somewhat strangely.    However its position makes it a perfect location for transport connections to all four points of the compass.  Stagecoach provide a service to Newtown in the North (below right) and also operate to Hereford in the East (left).   Veolia provide a service to Swansea (below left) in the West via the Swansea Valley and lastly Sixty Six Coaches operate the circuitous route from Abergavenny via Brecon to Merthyr Tydfil and south to Cardiff (left).   Curiously these services are not advertised as part of an official interchange even though the timetable suggests this possibility, and in fact only some of them appear at the same time in the bus station (top).
    
  Come to Cymru
 
   
 
   
 Langland Bay on the Gower Peninsula
 
   
 
   
 Rhossili Bay on the Gower Peninsula
 
   
 
   
 Porthcawl on the South Wales coast
 
   
 
   
 Barry Island, home of Gavin and Stacey
 
   
 
   
 Brecon Beacons
 
   
 
   
 Brecon Beacons
 
   
 
   
 Patricks restaurant, Mumbles
 
   
   
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx All photos taken in February 2010.   Click to enlarge.   Maps from Google Maps.
    

  Photo Facts (Top to Bottom)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxii
  • Veolia YJ04BVA, a Wright bodied DAF, approaching the crossroads at Cilibion.
  • Veolia YJ04BVB, a Wright bodied DAF, leaving Llanrhidian and heading back to Swansea along the north coast of the Gower peninsula.
  • Veolia YJ54ZXT, an Optare Solo, leaving Llangennith having already served Llanmadoc.
  • Veolia YJ54ZXT, an Optare Solo, on the road to Rhossili near Reynoldston [CLIP]
  • Veolia YJ04BVA, a Wright bodied DAF, passing through Penmaen.
  • Stagecoach 20826 (P826FVU), a standard Alexander PS-Type Volvo, arriving in Brecon from Hereford.
  • Sixty Sixty GX54AOU, a Paxton bodied Dart, arriving in Brecon from Cardiff on its way to Abergavenny.   Stagecoach provide the direct service from Cardiff to Abergavenny.
  • Veolia 50233 (CN07HVK), a Plaxton bodied Volvo of Veolia Wales (formerly Bebb), at Brecon bus station.   This does not follow the direct route to Swansea but instead serves all the communities in the Swansea Valley.
  • Stagecoach 25102 (YJ55YFZ), a smart Optare Tempo, leaving Brecon for Newtown.   All other Traws Cambria services connect with each other apart from this one.

  Links
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxii

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxixxxx FAQ  |  Contact  |  References
   
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                                                                  Copyright 2001-2009, Ray Ward