From theatres to pubs, some of Swansea's forgotten buildings were once the focal point of the community.
Some of the city's most prominent buildings have been left to deteriorate and now appear run-down and shabby to those who pass them.
Here are some of Swansea's old buildings and what once filled them.
Albert Hall
The former Albert Hall has been in the city centre's Craddock Street for more than 150 years.
The Grade II privately-owned listed building opened in 1864 as a music hall, and once hosted performances and speeches from the likes of Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Adelina Patti and David Lloyd George.
In the eighties it became a cinema and years later it went on to reopen as a Mecca bingo hall.
But as the smoking ban came into force resulting in dwindling custom, it had no choice but to close its doors in 2007.
The building, on one of the main city centre routes, has stayed empty ever since despite Swansea Council spending nearly £10,000 on clearing the site and making it safe almost 10 years ago.
It was thought that the building could become student flats and there were even plans to turn it into a £7 million live music and comedy venue.
Cape Horner
The Cape Horner was once at the heart of the St Thomas community, with a bar downstairs and function room upstairs that proved popular for weddings and birthdays.
Since its closure a decade ago, plans put forward to bring the former pub back into use as student accommodation were rejected meaning it is still empty to this day.
Close to the city's docks, the Cape Horner would attract dockers as well as the Irish arriving in the city on the ferries.
At one stage there was even an off-licence to the side of the main bar which was accessed through Fabian Way.
The pub, which opened in the sixties, sits on one of the main roads in and out of Swansea with thousands of people passing it every day.
204 High Street
The sign above the door provides an insight into its previous use as the Labour Hall on High Street.
Originally it was home to WH Smith & Son, known as WH Smith today.
However it has remained empty for a number of years and in recent years the shop front has been masked with a fake hat shop called Heads Up.
There's still little sign of a new business moving into the premises.
Hendrefoilan House
The Victorian mansion, near Sketty, has been one of the city's forgotten buildings for many years.
Originally built in 1853 by Welsh industrialist and MP Lewis Llewllyn Dillwyn for £14,000, it has since become one of Swansea's most prestigious - and at risk - buildings.
The historic Grade II listed went up for sale at the beginning of 2019 for the first time in 50 years but its price tag was never revealed.
Back in 2010 it was listed by the Victorian Society as being one of the 10 most endangered buildings in England and Wales.
It listed that there were "water floods down the outside walls, leading to damp on the inside" and that lead had been stolen.
Palace Theatre
It's hard to miss this incredible building as you head up the High Street but for years it has been left to deteriorate.
The entertainment venue opened its doors in the 18h century as a traditional music hall and through the years it went on to welcome some massive names including Charlie Chaplin, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Morecambe and Wise to the stage.
An elephant even performed on the stage after it was lifted in using a piano-hoist.
A fire was deliberately started at the Grade II listed building in September 2019, with smoke seen coming out of the ground floor and fourth floor windows.
Now, potential business partners are being encouraged to submit ideas on how they, as lead tenant, would run or manage the site.
Swansea Council wants to transform the wedge-shaped building into a modern office space, with the help of independent grant funding.
The Shoulder of Mutton
The Shoulder of Mutton was once one of many watering holes on Swansea's High Street.
But since closing its doors years ago, the building has remained untouched with no sign of life there at all.
The shabby-looking building has been taken over by street art, including a huge elephant and a colourful fish.
Swansea Boys' Club
After opening in 1922, Swansea Boys' Club was one of the most successful clubs on the Swansea and west Wales football scene.
At one point it boasted around 500 members but now all that remains are graffiti covered walls, smashed windows and overgrown grass.
The eerie building, in Mayhill, overlooks the city and has been abandoned for more than a decade.
There had been plans to turn the council-owned building into a community centre for sports and social events, and in 2018 it went on the market for £50,000.
The dilapidated building now attracts drugs users, many of whom leave behind needles and drug paraphernalia.
Rendezvous
The large red-bricked building on Princess Way has been empty since Rendezvous closed its doors for the final time.
Its bright blue signage still remains on the walls of the former restaurant but despite its prominent place in the city centre, there's been no sign of another business moving in.
Rendezvous was known for its infusion of Mediterranean and Oriental dishes.
The Lamb
Another building left to rot deteriorate on Swansea's High Street is The Lamb.
At one time the pub would have welcomed a number of regulars through its doors to enjoy a cold pint but for several years it has remained an empty shell.
With a rusty sign, shabby windows and shrubbery growing out from the walls, the former pub has shown no sign of life for some time.
College Street/Princess Way
A number of units where College Street bends into Princess Way have stood empty for a considerable time.
Fake shop fronts have appeared on the red-bricked building which has windows missing above.
In College Street a formal hire store closed its doors, with a sign stating that new apartments could be filling its place.
Just around the corner, the black double doors of Crossfire have stayed firmly shut since its closure in October 2014.
The unit was once home to a total of 58 computers, spread over two floors, but it has remained empty in the last six years.
Manselton School
The former primary school was said to be in poor condition before it closed but since then several people have ventured inside without permission.
Children have been spotted scaling the scaffolding surrounding its walls, while some have even gone inside with backpacks late at night and staying the night.
The Grade II listed building, in Cecil Street, has been labelled 'dangerous' by those living near it and 'in a very poor state of repair' by ward councillor Peter Black.
Back in 2016 Eton Property Management lodged a pre-planning application to transform the former school into 62 residential units, along with 12 flats in an outbuilding.
A number of objections were lodged and since then there's been little activity at the site.
Bloomburger
It may come as a surprise to some that this unit on the city's popular Wind Street has remained empty for so long.
After opening in 2012 Bloomburger closed its doors just two years later.
Its graphics are still displayed on the building and you can also see signs of its former life as the old Metropolitan Bank of England and Wales.
Top of High Street
At the top end of High Street lies a row of shops that have been lifeless for years, aside from a Chinese takeaway.
A charity shop, hairdressers, and supermarket are among those that have been left chained shut and boarded up.
Litter and weeds have taken over the walkway outside their doors, while paint has been peeling off the walls for some time.
Despite the row of empty units having plenty of potential for businesses to move in, they have remained empty in recent years.
Hundreds of drivers pass the abandoned block every day as it lies on one of the busiest routes out of the city centre.
Dunbar House
Dunbar House, also known as Danbert House, has been left empty for so long that vegetation has covered its walls.
The creepy site, in Morfydd Street in Morriston, looks as though it would be a better suited home for the Addams Family.
Windows have been left with no glass, large chunks of concrete are missing and the roof seems to have disappeared altogether.
The property was built for and probably designed by Daniel Edwards, who was a tinplate manufacturer in Morriston and lived between 1835 and 1915.
Back in 2014, Dunbar House was one of 20 sites listed as being 'at extreme risk' in the city.
JT Morgan
60 members of staff were made redundant when the family-owned department store went into administration in 2008.
In the 12 years since its closure, the well-known building on Belle Vue Way has stood empty.
The noticeable sign for the former business is still proudly displayed on the red-brick wall, despite being marketed as 'to let' by Dawsons.
Mamma Mia
The once popular Italian restaurant closed its doors in 2018 after 10 years on Princess Way.
It marketed itself as the only authentic Italian restaurant in the heart of Swansea and was known for serving pizza by the metre.
Since its sudden closure, the large unit has remained empty in the city centre with remnants of the restaurant still appearing on its windows.
