Swansea and Brecon, diocese of
Swansea and Brecon, diocese of. In 1923, three years after the disestablishment of the Church in Wales, those parts of the ancient diocese of St Davids within the counties of Breconshire, Radnorshire, and western Glamorgan were formed into a new see of Swansea and Brecon, with the cathedral at the medieval priory church of St John in Brecon itself. The name of the see reflects the two focal points. The northern part of the diocese, the old archdeaconry of Brecon, is almost entirely rural, sparsely populated, and overwhelmingly dependent upon agriculture. By contrast the southern part, centred upon the city of Swansea, is almost entirely urban and industrial. Throughout the diocese's short history there has been pressure for the see to be in Swansea, rather than in a small town 40 miles away, but it remains a diocese with two centres. In recent years the elevation of the large parish church of St Mary in Swansea, rebuilt after bombing in 1941, to collegiate status has gone some way to giving the two ends of the diocese a degree of parity. There have been seven bishops of Swansea and Brecon since the formation of the see, but none have become archbishops of Wales whilst holding it, though two did subsequently on translation to Llandaff.
Revd Dr John R. Guy
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Swansea and Brecon, diocese of
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Swansea and Brecon, diocese of