• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Swansea Museum

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Visit Swansea Museum
    • Boats and ships on display
    • Swansea Museum Collections Centre
    • Tramshed
    • Staff Contacts
    • Friends of Swansea Museum
    • Join our mailing list
  • Our collection
    • Art UK
    • Egyptian artefacts
    • Transport
    • Nautical objects
    • Finds from Swansea and Neath
    • War time Swansea
    • Donating an item to Swansea Museum
  • Swansea – a brief history
    • Archaeology
    • Industry
    • The Sea
    • Mumbles Train
    • World War Two
    • Old houses and places
  • What’s on
    • Exhibitions
    • Events
    • Past exhibitions
  • Museum shop
  • Learning
    • School Visits
    • Community Outreach
  • Blog
You are here: Home / Swansea – a brief history / Industry

Industry

Swansea has been described as one of the cradles of the Industrial Revolution. During the nineteenth century, it was a world centre for tinplate production, it smelted 90% of the world’s copper, and the town witnessed the creation of the now much sought after Swansea Porcelain.

Its status was achieved by development of its natural resources using both local knowledge and finance and by acting as a magnet to entrepreneurs from outside who recognised the town’s potential.
Swansea and its environs lay in a narrow valley rich in coal deposits; the river Tawe bisected the valley, which was navigable even to sea-going vessels.

With smelting taking three parts coal to one part ore, the proximity of this rich source of smelting fuel to the non-ferrous metal mines of Devon and Cornwall, guaranteed Swansea’s future.

Industrialisation brought improved transport systems and urban growth. It also brought large-scale pollution that Swansea has defeated with diligence and imagination.

 

Find out more…

Pre-Industry

Scientists and Entrepreneurs

Trade and Expansion

Diversification from Copper

People in Industry

Ceramics

The Lower Swansea Valley Project

Primary Sidebar

Search

Blog

  • `The Record’
  • YMCA Jubilee Campaign Poster 1919
  • Swansea YMCA newsletters early 20th Century`The Record’
  • Board Game, to raise awareness of issues facing Young Carers
  • Dyddiadur Carcharor Rhyfel
Tweets by swanseamuseum

Footer

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2022 · Swansea Museum, City and County of Swansea