Swansea

Swansea stands at the mouth of the River Tawe on the south coast of Wales. Its harbour shipped coal from the surrounding district, and its position encouraged the growth of metalworking along the river. Ships could bring ore to the port while nearby coal supplied the furnaces. In 1717 a copper smelting works was established at Landore in the Swansea valley. Copper ore from Cornwall could be carried across the Bristol Channel to meet the local fuel, and further works followed. The industry transformed the valley and made Swansea an important centre of copper production, connecting its port to mining districts far beyond Wales.