Lindsay Bater opened the practice at 129 Woodfield Street in 1986. Tony Stout took it on in 2014 and added his name to the door. In August 2023 Charles and Sian Richards took on the care of Mr Bater and Mr Stout's patients, and kept the name out of respect for the work that came before. Two sites today, Morriston and Gorseinon, and the same independent Welsh optometry the practice has done for forty years.
The day-to-day of an independent optometry practice in 2026, plus the two specialist services that distinguish a referral-grade independent from a chain. Open Monday to Friday at both sites; Saturday morning at Morriston for the weekend patients who travel in from the Swansea Valley.
WECS-accredited. NHS Wales funds tests for under-16s, over-60s, those with diabetes or glaucoma, those at risk, and those on certain benefits. Optomap ultra-wide-field retinal imaging is included as standard. Most appointments run thirty to forty minutes.
MiSight daily disposable contact lenses, Essilor Stellest spectacle lenses and low-dose atropine drops where clinically indicated. A specific pathway for parents from Pontardawe, the Gower and the Swansea Valley whose children need more than the standard schools sight check.
Ted Baker, Nike, Wolf, Stepper and Jensen on the shop floor, plus an Essentials tier for first-pair budgets. HOYA precision lenses fitted for varifocal, single-vision and high-index prescriptions. Frames fitted at the bench, not over the counter.
NHS and private hearing assessments at Morriston, in partnership with the Viney Hearing audiology team. Wax removal, hearing aid fitting and a consultation room set aside in the back of the shop. Booked separately from the optometry diary.
In 1986, Lindsay Bater opened Bater Opticians at 129 Woodfield Street in Morriston. The practice ran for twenty-eight years on the same shopfront before Tony Stout, with thirty years of optometry behind him, bought the practice from Lindsay in May 2014 and added his name to the fascia. Lindsay stayed on for the handover, and Tony carried the work forward for another nine years.
In August 2023, Charles Richards (Dispensing Optician, FBDO) and his wife Sian Richards (Optometrist, MCOptom with Professional Certificates in Medical Retina and Glaucoma) took on the care of Mr Bater and Mr Stout's patients. They kept the name out of respect for the founders, opened a second site at 71 High Street in Gorseinon, and have held the line on the same standards Lindsay set in 1986.
“The opticians has a leading reputation in South Wales.” Sheraz Akram, Douglas-Jones Mercer Solicitors, on the 2014 handover
Tony Stout in 2014, on the day he took over from Lindsay Bater: “I am very pleased to have purchased the practice, which has provided comprehensive eye-care for patients for nearly thirty years.”
Open Bater Opticians at 129 Woodfield Street, Morriston. The shopfront has not moved since.
Buys the practice from Lindsay Bater. The fascia becomes Bater & Stout Opticians; Lindsay remains for the transition.
Take over from Tony Stout. The name stays. The Gorseinon site opens at 71 High Street to serve patients west of Morriston.
Morriston Monday to Saturday morning. Gorseinon Monday to Friday. Welsh-medium signage at both. Still independent.
Sian Richards holds the MCOptom Professional Certificates in both Medical Retina and Glaucoma. In plain English, that means she can manage glaucoma and macular conditions in the practice rather than refer every case to Singleton Hospital. Two qualifications, two clinical pathways most Swansea independents do not run.
Most patients coming to us for medical retina or glaucoma were referred by their GP or are returning from a Singleton outpatient pathway. Bring the letter and any prior imaging. We work alongside the hospital, not around it.
Two directors, three further optometrists, a practice manager and the senior clinical assistants. You meet the same faces at every appointment.
The clinical diary runs across both sites. Morriston handles Saturday mornings for valley and Gower patients; Gorseinon runs Monday to Friday for patients west of the city. Tell us what you need; we route you to the right diary.
We confirm within one working day, by SMS and email. NHS-eligible? Bring photo ID. The full WECS eligibility list is in our FAQ below.
Morriston, Swansea
SA6 8AL
Saturday morning is the slot for valley and Gower patients who travel in for the weekend. Book early in the week if you need it.
Gorseinon, Swansea
SA4 4BP
Gorseinon is the second site, opened by Charles and Sian after they took over in 2023. Same diary, same clinicians, closer if you live west of Fforestfach.
The Welsh Eye Care Service is wider than NHS England. You qualify for a fully funded sight test if you are under 16, over 60, a student aged 16 to 19 in full-time education, on certain benefits, registered as blind or partially sighted, have diabetes, have glaucoma or a family history of glaucoma over 40, or are otherwise considered at risk. Tell us when you book; we'll check before you arrive.
Yes. Children from school age can be assessed for short-sight and its rate of progression. Where the prescription is changing quickly we can offer MiSight daily disposable contact lenses, Essilor Stellest spectacle lenses or low-dose atropine drops, depending on age, lifestyle and clinical picture. The conversation usually involves both the child and one parent.
Yes. We fit Eyedream Ortho-K at Morriston. Gas-permeable lenses worn while you sleep that reshape the cornea, so you see clearly the next day with no lenses or glasses. Used for refractive error in adults, and also as a peer-reviewed myopia-control option for children. The trial fitting is ninety minutes; we lend the first set of lenses for the first night.
OPTEGYDD is the Welsh word for optician. The fascia at 129 Woodfield Street is bilingual in line with how Welsh-medium businesses sign across Swansea and the valleys. Welsh-speaking patients are welcome to be seen in Welsh, and we are working on a Welsh-language version of this site for late 2026.
Short on-street bays directly outside the shop are usually free, but turn over quickly. The Morriston Cross car park, two minutes' walk along Woodfield Street, is the safer bet for a full appointment. Blue badge holders are welcome to ring ahead and we'll keep the nearest bay clear where we can.