Time Team s19e06 Swansea, Wales A Copper Bottomed Dig
Two hundred years ago, Swansea was one of the wealthiest cities in the country, if not the world. The source of those riches was neither the coal nor the steel recently associated with the area, but copper.
No copyright infringement has been intended by the uploading of this video; I am simply trying to share this difficult to find episode of an amazingly interesting and educational series.
Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom, Europe
Swansea, officially the City and County of Swansea, is a coastal city and county in Wales. It is Wales's second largest city. Swansea lies within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands. The City and County of Swansea had a population of 239,000 in 2011, making it the second most populous local authority area in Wales after Cardiff. During its 19th-century industrial heyday, Swansea was a key centre of the copper industry, earning the nickname 'Copperopolis'. The port of Swansea initially traded in wine, hides, wool, cloth and later in coal. As the Industrial Revolution reached Wales,
the combination of port, local coal, and trading links with the West Country, Cornwall and Devon, meant that Swansea was the logical place to site copper smelting works. Smelters were operating by 1720 and proliferated. Following this, more coal mines (everywhere from north-east Gower to Clyne and Llangyfelach) were opened and smelters (mostly along the Tawe valley) were opened and flourished. Over the next century and a half, works were established to process arsenic, zinc and tin and to create tinplate and pottery. The city expanded rapidly in the 18th and 19th centuries, and was termed Copperopolis. From the late 17th century to 1801, Swansea's population grew by 500% the first official census (in 1841) indicated that, with 6,099 inhabitants, Swansea had become significantly larger than Glamorgan's county town, Cardiff, and was the second most populous town in Wales behind Merthyr Tydfil (which had a population of 7,705). However, the census understated Swansea's true size, as much of the built-up area lay outside the contemporary boundaries of the borough; the total population was actually 10,117. Swansea's population was later overtaken by Merthyr in 1821 and by Cardiff in 1881, although in the latter year Swansea once again surpassed Merthyr. Much of Swansea's growth was due to migration from within and beyond Wales in 1881, more than a third of the borough's population had been born outside Swansea and Glamorgan, and just under a quarter outside Wales. Through the 20th century, heavy industries in the town declined, leaving the Lower Swansea Valley filled with derelict works and mounds of waste products from them. The Lower Swansea Valley Scheme (which still continues) reclaimed much of the land. The present Enterprise Zone was the result and, of the many original docks, only those outside the city continue to work as docks; North Dock is now Parc Tawe and South Dock became the Marina. Little city-centre evidence, beyond parts of the road layout, remains from medieval Swansea; its industrial importance made it the target of bombing, known as the Blitz in World War II, and the centre was flattened completely. The city has three Grade One listed buildings, these being the Guildhall, Swansea Castle and the Morriston Tabernacle. Whilst the city itself has a long history, many of the city centre buildings are post-war as much of the original centre was destroyed by World War II bombing on the 19th, 20th and 21 February 1941 (the 'Three Nights Blitz'). Within the city centre are the ruins of the castle, the Marina, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea Museum, the Dylan Thomas Centre, the Environment Centre, and the Market, which is the largest covered market in Wales. It backs onto the Quadrant Shopping Centre which opened in 1978 and the adjoining St David's Centre opened in 1982. Other notable modern buildings are the BT Tower (formerly the GPO tower) built around 1970, Alexandra House opened in 1976, County Hall opened in July 1982. Swansea Leisure Centre opened in 1977; it has undergone extensive refurbishment which retained elements of the original structure and re-opened in March 2008. Swansea was granted city status in 1969, to mark Prince Charles's investiture as the Prince of Wales.
Copper Jack Boat Cruise Swansea, Wales bridge opening
River Tawe Wales Swansea bridge opening
Swansea Copper Works +
Short film n a bit of forgotten Abertawe/Swansea. New Elctrification up, but will now not be. Many new buildings underway in the area between Llandore and the West-Bank road. S-Wales, United Kingdom.
Places to visit in Swansea, United Kingdom. Bridge and Lock gate on river tawe at Swansea
Retractable Bridge and semi circular lock gate on river tawe at swansea, United kingdom
Copper Jack History Cruise Part 2
A trip into Swansea's Industrial History on Copper Jack
A Copper Bottomed Dig | Time Team (Archeology Documentary) | Timeline
wo hundred years ago, Swansea was one of the wealthiest cities in the country, if not the world. The source of those riches was neither the coal nor the steel recently associated with the area, but copper.
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A World of Welsh Copper
A picture show highlighting some of the key aspects of Wales's rich copper heritage, particularly that of the Swansea region which was once the centre of the world copper trade.
The show was compiled by Stephen Morgan (BBC) for Swansea's Big Screen in Castle Square. Content was provided by the ESRC-funded Global and Local Worlds of Welsh Copper Project (Swansea University) and other contributors.
Swansea Copper Stories: How did the war affect Swansea's copper works? - Bill Ball
Bill Ball started working at Swansea's Hafod Morfa Copperworks in 1942, he describes what effect the war had on his working experience.
Bill Ball inteviewed by Ray Collier and Geoff Dendle 09/08/2016
The Hafod Morfa Copperworks was once the crucible of the global copper industry and vital to Swansea’s development. This video is part of project to document and share peoples' experiences with the site. Do you have stories to share about your experiences of Hafod-Morfa copper works? If so, please get in touch. Find out more about our projects and Swansea's rich copper history at hafodmorfacopperworks.com
Swans TV - 2015/16 Kit Launch Video - Copper Stripe
. . . check out our special video trailer as we reveal our Adidas home shirt for the 2015/16 Barclays Premier League season.
Swansea City Association Football Club is a Welsh professional football club based in the city of Swansea, South Wales that plays in the Premier League. Swansea City represent England when playing in European competitions, although they have represented Wales in the past. They play their home matches at the Liberty Stadium.
The club was founded in 1912 as Swansea Town and joined the Football League in 1921. The club changed their name in 1969, when it adopted the name Swansea City to reflect Swansea's new status as a city.
In 1981, the club were promoted to the original Football League First Division. It was during the following season they came close to winning the league title, but a decline then set near the season's end before finishing sixth, although a club record. It was from here the club suffered a relegation the season after, returning to the Football League Fourth Division a few seasons later, then narrowly avoided relegation to the Football Conference in 2003. Prior to playing home matches at the Liberty Stadium, the team had previously hosted at the Vetch Field. The Swansea City Supporters Society Ltd owns 20% of the club, with their involvement hailed by Supporters Direct as the most high profile example of the involvement of a supporters' trust in the direct running of a club.
In 2011, Swansea were promoted to the English Premier League, becoming the first Welsh team to play in the top division since its formation in 1992. On 24 February 2013, Swansea beat Bradford City 5-0 to win the 2012-13 Football League Cup (the competition's highest ever winning margin for the final), winning the first major English trophy in the club's history and qualifying for the 2013-14 UEFA Europa League.
For more information, as well as all the latest Swansea City AFC news, log onto the club's official website at
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Swansea Copper Story
Video project - copper in Swansea
Hafod Copper Works, Swansea - Royal Commission Animation
An animated reconstruction of the Hafod Copper Works site in the Lower Swansea Valley. Created by RCAHMW and ThinkPlay.tv as part of the ESRC project 'The Global and Local Worlds of Welsh Copper', led by Swansea University. © Crown Copyright: Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales: 2011.
If you would like to purchase a high-resolution copy of the animation or have any other enquiries regarding the work of the Royal Commission, or the collections held in the National Monuments Record of Wales, please contact:
Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru,
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales,
Ffordd Penglais,
Aberystwyth,
SY23 3BU
Ffôn/ Tel: +44(0)1970 621200
Gwefan: - Website:
E-bost: chc.cymru@cbhc.gov.uk - e-mail: nmr.wales@rcahmw.gov.uk
Three Night Blitz of Swansea
This video is the recollection of the three night blitz on Swansea told by Civil Defence Messenger Hubert Thomas.
HAFOD_ENGLISH-Desktop.m4v
An animation of the Hafod Copper Works, Swansea produced by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and ThinkPlay. This work was carried out as part of the ESRC funded project 'The Global and Local Worlds of Welsh Copper', led by Swansea University and was part funded by the Atlanterra Project, and reconstructs the buildings, furnaces and rolling mills of what was the largest copper smelting works in Britain. Crown Copyright:, RCAHMW 2011
Time Team - Season 19, Episode 8 - Secrets of the Dunes (Kenfig, Bridgend)
800 years ago the people of Kenfig on the south coast of Wales thought they had built the perfect town. The town appears to have been a thriving commercial success but then it vanished, leaving just a few castle walls to mark its existence.
No copyright infringement has been intended by the uploading of this video; I am simply trying to share this amazingly interesting series.
£3.5 million Swansea Historic Regeneration
An abandoned site in Swansea is set to be part of a major regeneration program after funding is granted.
Havod Morva Copperworks in Swansea will be the centre of a new site aiming to bring Swansea's history back to life. The Heritage Lottery Fund have given over £3.5 million for the site, one of the biggest current grants in the UK.
Globe Lie UK Tour My overreaction Swansea
Tapper 777 You tube channel -
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SA Property - Prince Apartments, Pheobe Road, Copper Quarter, Swansea, SA17FZ
I created this video with the YouTube Slideshow Creator (
Swansea Copper Stories: Did they have a canteen? - Ray Trotman
Ray Trotman describes the canteen as it was in the 1950s.
Ray Trotman, interviewed by Geoff Dendle 27/09/2016
The Hafod Morfa Copperworks was once the crucible of the global copper industry and vital to Swansea’s development. This video is part of project to document and share peoples' experiences with the site. Do you have stories to share about your experiences of Hafod-Morfa copper works? If so, please get in touch. Find out more about our projects and Swansea's rich copper history at hafodmorfacopperworks.com
HAFOD_CYMRAEG-Desktop.m4v
An animation of the Hafod Copper Works, Swansea produced by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and ThinkPlay. This work was carried out as part of the ESRC funded project 'The Global and Local Worlds of Welsh Copper', led by Swansea University and was part funded by the Atlanterra Project, and reconstructs the buildings, furnaces and rolling mills of what was the largest copper smelting works in Britain. Crown Copyright:, RCAHMW 2011