Morris Castle (also known as Castle Graig) is the name given to a ruined building that is situated off Trewyddfa Road above the Landore area of Swansea, South Wales. It was built between 1768 and 1774 on behalf of Sir John Morris to house the families of workers at his industrial enterprises (mainly the copper works of Landore).
The building originally consisted of four interconnected towers, each four storeys tall. The towers were connected by blocks which were three stories tall, surrounding a central courtyard. Today, the structure is derelict, with only partial remains of two towers still standing, although several features of the building can still be seen, including the fireplaces, chimneys, and some of the windows.
In 1815, Walter Davies, in collaboration with Edward Williams, wrote a survey of the economy of South Wales, and said of Sir John Morris that, "he seems to have been the most extensive individual builder of comfortable habitations for the labouring class. He first erected a kind of castellated lofty mansion, of a collegiate appearance, with an interior quadrangle, containing the dwellings for forty families, all colliers, excepting one tailor, and one shoemaker, who are considered as useful appendages to the fraternity."
The building was occupied until around 1850, when nearby open cast mining made the structure unsafe.
Read more about Morris Castle: Recent History
Famous quotes containing the words morris and/or castle:
“If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
—William Morris (18341896)
“The splendor falls on castle walls
And snowy summits old in story;
The long light shakes across the lakes,
And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.”
—Alfred Tennyson (18091892)