#hafodmorfacopperworks — Public Fediverse posts

SWANSEA: Council electricians patent lightning-protection process experts said couldn’t be done

Two electricians who met working for Swansea Council have patented a new process for lightning protection systems — after some industry experts told them it couldn’t be done.

David James and Ross Miller, founders of James Miller Solutions, developed the technique over hundreds of hours of testing — much of it, by David’s own account, in a shed.

Lightning and high-voltage earthing conductors are fitted anywhere a strike could cause damage or danger — churches, stadiums, hospitals, airports, power stations and electrical substations among them.

Joining the copper or aluminium parts of those systems has traditionally involved blow torches or high-heat chemical reactions — methods the pair say carry safety risks, can fail, and produce high carbon emissions.

Their answer is an induction-based process — using electromagnetic heating rather than open flame — which they say makes the bonding safer, more consistent and less dependent on operator skill.

The idea came on a live job in Port Talbot during Covid. “It became clear there had to be a better way,” David said. “From there, we spent hundreds of hours developing and refining the system in a shed.”

“Coming from Swansea — with its strong copper and engineering history — we’ve always understood the importance of working safely and precisely with metals,” he added.

Ross said the work “involved constant testing and refining, even when we were told it wouldn’t work”, adding: “In many ways, it reflects Swansea’s long engineering tradition — solving real problems through practical innovation.”

According to the company, independent testing at Cardiff University’s high-voltage laboratory showed the system could handle electrical loads around three times stronger than a typical lightning strike — while tests at Swansea University’s Swansea Materials Research and Testing (SMaRT) facility found it withstood up to 9,700lbs of physical force without failing.

The pair met as electricians at Swansea Council. David now teaches renewable energy at Gower College Swansea, while Ross still works for the authority — and a council secondment has allowed him to work on the technology full-time after James Miller Solutions was selected for the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Regional Talent Engines programme.

“We never set out to become entrepreneurs — we were just trying to solve a problem we faced at work,” Ross said. “Along the way we’ve become inventors and business owners, which has been an incredible experience.”

The project was supported by a Swansea Council business innovation grant, funded through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.

Council leader Rob Stewart said: “It’s inspiring to see two people who started their careers with the council develop an idea that has the potential to improve safety and sustainability across the electrical industry.”

David said the approach “could significantly reduce carbon emissions compared to traditional methods” on large projects such as substations.

The company says the technology is attracting interest from electricity network operators, major contractors, universities and industry bodies, with talks under way about trials — and the pair plan to expand into infrastructure and construction projects across south Wales and beyond.

Fittingly, the pair marked the news at the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks — the cradle of the copper industry David cites — where restoration of the historic engine houses is gathering pace.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Scaffolding tops the copperworks chimneys — as engine house restoration gathers pace
The restoration under way at the site where the pair were photographed.

Two ex-Swans staff turn one billboard into a seven-screen empire in a year
Another pair of Swansea colleagues who turned an idea into a business.

“Internationally significant” discoveries shed new light on Swansea’s industrial past
The copper-processing history unearthed at Hafod-Morfa.

#CllrRobStewart #GowerCollegeSwansea #HafodMorfaCopperworks #JamesMillerSolutions #Morriston #SwanseaCouncil

SWANSEA: Scaffolding tops the copperworks chimneys — as engine house restoration gathers pace

The landmark chimneys of Swansea’s historic copperworks have been scaffolded to their summits — the most visible sign yet that restoration of the site’s engine houses is under way.

Contractors Andrew Scott have been on site at the former Hafod-Morfa Copperworks since mid-April, working on plans to restore the Vivian and Musgrave Engine Houses and the neighbouring V&S No.1 locomotive shed.

Looking into the mouth of the copperworks chimney from the scaffolding (Image: Swansea Council)

Swansea Council said activity so far has included site set-up, vegetation clearance and preparations for detailed condition surveys of the key structures.

A sustainable drainage pond has been excavated, and work has started on new access routes into the site.

The council said further visible progress is expected over the coming weeks as site preparation and infrastructure works continue.

The scheme aims to bring the listed buildings back into use — with the council saying the restored engine houses could in future support food, retail and exhibition space, drawing more visitors to the Lower Swansea Valley.

Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart (left) and Steve Rees of contractors Andrew Scott at the top of the scaffolded copperworks chimney (Image: Swansea Council)

The two engine houses are among the most important survivors of Swansea’s copper industry, which powered the town’s growth over some 300 years.

The Vivian Engine House dates from 1860, and is set to gain a mezzanine floor, with a new building linking the two structures and an outdoor terrace.

The Musgrave Engine House, built around 1910, contains the Musgrave Engine — a scheduled ancient monument, and the only one of its kind in the UK still in its original location. Its external elements are due to get a covered shelter to allow future restoration.

Both chimneys in scaffolding at the copperworks site, with the engine house in the foreground (Image: Swansea Council)

Andrew Scott, the Swansea-based contractor whose history stretches back more than 150 years, was chosen for the project last summer following a competitive tender.

Plans for the restoration were approved in early 2025, and restoration work is also under way on the site’s Grade II listed powerhouse building, which could become a restaurant for more than 100 diners.

The site has also produced “internationally significant” archaeological discoveries in recent months, with rare evidence of historic copper-processing techniques unearthed.

The engine houses sit close to the route of the Skyline development, the £49m cable car and luge attraction now under construction on Kilvey Hill — part of a wave of investment along the River Tawe corridor.

The restoration project is supported by UK Government funding through the Local Regeneration Fund, the council said.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Welsh business chosen to bring new life to Swansea heritage buildings
How Andrew Scott was selected for the engine houses project.

Work progresses on historic copperworks building that could become new restaurant
The Grade II listed powerhouse that could seat more than 100 diners.

“Internationally significant” discoveries shed new light on Swansea’s world-famous industrial past
The archaeological finds unearthed at the copperworks site.

#AndrewScottLtd #HafodMorfaCopperworks #heritage #MusgraveEngine #regeneration #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #VivianEngineHouse

SWANSEA: Landore Park and Ride set to move across the road — as funding approved for design study of new Alamein Road site

The Landore Park and Ride is set to move — but not far. Funding has been approved through the Regional Transport Fund for a WelTAG stage 2 study to look at design proposals for a new facility on Alamein Road, just across from the existing site.

Alamein Road is an industrial estate immediately opposite the Swansea.com Stadium — placing the proposed new Park and Ride right at the heart of what is rapidly becoming one of the most intensively developed parts of Swansea.

Alamein Road – a small industrial park opposite the Swansea.com Stadium
(Image: Google Maps)

A WelTAG stage 2 study is the Welsh Government’s standard process for developing detailed design proposals for transport schemes. The funding covers that design work only — no planning application has yet been submitted, no decision has been made, and no opening date has been set.

The Landore Park and Ride has been serving Swansea since at least 2002 and has become an established part of the city’s transport network. Parking costs just £1 a day for a car and up to four passengers. The site is served by the number 52 bus, operated by First Cymru and subsidised by Swansea Council, which runs every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday linking the site to Swansea railway station, Kingsway and the bus station.

Park and Ride bus entering Swansea Bus Station

However, the service has been struggling. A report before the council’s scrutiny programme committee earlier this year revealed the combined operating budget for Swansea’s two park and ride sites — Landore and Fabian Way — was £693,300 in 2024-25, but income was only £89,637 — a drop from £100,734 the previous year. Cheap city centre car parking was identified as one of the reasons for the low take-up.

The report also noted that capacity at the Landore site had already been reduced due to development work nearby — and that alternative locations were being explored. That process has now resulted in the Alamein Road design study.

Landore’s existing Park and Ride site next to Penderyn’s Distillery
(Image: Google Maps)Alamein Road – just opposite the existing park and ride site in Landore
(Image: Google Maps)

The reason for the potential move is significant. The existing Landore site has been identified as the preferred location for the basecamp for the Skyline cable car project — the proposal to take visitors up Kilvey Hill — meaning the current Park and Ride would need to relocate to make way for it.

Construction at the Landore site has now formally begun — as Skyline Swansea confirmed today that earthworks are under way on Kilvey Hill and at the Park and Ride.

The area around the proposed new site is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Penderyn Distillery was handed the keys to the former Morfa Copperworks site — one of the most historically significant industrial landmarks in Wales — where they are developing a visitor centre that will draw tourists to this part of the city.

The copperworks restoration has yielded internationally significant archaeological discoveries and a Welsh business has been chosen to bring new life to its heritage buildings.

Artist’s impression of what the Kilvey Hill Skyline development will look like
(Image: Skyline)

Nearby, the historic 70-tonne Bascule Bridge has been restored and a new £8m riverside cycle and walking path is being constructed linking the city centre to the stadium along the riverbank.

At the stadium itself, Swansea City have plans for a major fan zone for more than 1,700 supporters — complete with self-pour beer taps, a big screen and a bierkeller vibe — which would significantly increase the number of people visiting the area on matchdays.

A well-placed Park and Ride at Alamein Road could serve not just everyday commuters but the growing number of visitors drawn to the stadium, Penderyn’s visitor centre, the copperworks heritage site and whatever else emerges from this part of Swansea in the years ahead.

A new Park and Ride in this location would also need to be designed with that emerging visitor economy in mind — not just as a commuter car park, but as a gateway to a corner of the city being rapidly reimagined.

The WelTAG design study will inform what the new facility might look like and whether it is viable before any further steps are taken. There is no guarantee that a planning application will follow, and any eventual scheme would need to go through the full planning process.

#AlameinRoad #featured #HafodMorfaCopperworks #LandoreParkAndRide #Skyline #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #SwanseaComStadium #whereIsLandoreParkAndRideMovingTo

SWANSEA: Barges needed to build new £8m riverside cycle and walking path linking city centre to Swansea.com Stadium

A new walking and cycling route along the River Tawe has been given the green light by Swansea Council — with the project set to become one of the most ambitious pieces of active travel infrastructure the city has seen.

The path will run for a mile along the west bank of the Tawe, from a point north of the Tawe bridges through to the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks area — linking the city centre with the copperworks, Swansea.com Stadium and Morfa Retail Park for cyclists and pedestrians. It will be built in three phases and is expected to take three years to complete.

The total cost of the scheme, including design and project management, is £8.25 million. That will be funded through a combination of £6.6 million from the Welsh Government’s regional transport fund, £1.4 million from the UK Government, and a £250,000 developer contribution linked to a separate planning permission.

The council has confirmed the project will be a complex engineering undertaking. A new revetment — a reinforced structure to support the walkway along the riverbank — will need to be constructed, and sections of the work will have to be carried out from barges because of access restrictions along parts of the river corridor.

View of the Hafod Morfa Copperworks and the River Tawe

Once complete, the new path will connect with an existing stretch of shared-use path near the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks — an area undergoing a major heritage restoration that has attracted significant investment in recent years, including the arrival of Penderyn Distillery at the site. The new route will add to the 85 miles of shared-use paths already available across Swansea.

For cyclists and pedestrians, the route will offer a traffic-free connection between the city centre and a cluster of major destinations to the north — including Swansea.com Stadium, home of Swansea City AFC, and the growing Morfa Retail Park. The Hafod-Morfa Copperworks, one of Wales’ most significant industrial heritage sites, sits at the northern end of the route.

The three-phase approach to construction reflects both the engineering complexity of the project and the need to keep disruption manageable along a stretch of riverside that already attracts walkers and recreational users.

The Tawe path forms the headline project in a wider programme of cycling and walking investment confirmed for Swansea in 2026/27. Also included in the settlement is a £700,000 shared-use path linking Ffordd Beck in Gowerton to Pont Y Cob Road — a route that would finally deliver a safe connection between the two communities that has been in planning since 2022. At the moment there is no footpath between the two locations and the only provision for cyclists is a painted advisory route on a narrow main road.

Cycle and walking link at Gowerton train station
(Image: Swansea Council)

A £500,000 upgrade of the existing shared-use path between Dunvant and Gowerton is also confirmed, widening the route to improve safety and capacity. Gowerton has been the focus of active travel investment in recent years — a new cycling and walking link to Gowerton station opened after significant delays, and the latest round of funding continues to build on that network.

Taken together, the three cycling and walking schemes represent a significant step forward for active travel connectivity across the western side of Swansea — connecting the city centre to the river corridor, and linking Gowerton more effectively to both Dunvant and Loughor.

Stuart Davies, Head of Service for Transport and Highways at Swansea Council, said the funding would enable the council to deliver “a wide range of transport related projects that will benefit motorists, public transport users as well as pedestrians and cyclists.”

The broader transport package for 2026/27 also includes a £750,000 e-bike hire scheme with up to 500 bikes to be made available for short trips across Swansea, further strengthening the active travel offer alongside the new infrastructure. Locations for the e-bike hire points have yet to be confirmed.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

New walking and cycling route proposed between Gowerton and Loughor
The long-planned Pont Y Cob Road route between Gowerton and Loughor — now funded for construction.

Gowerton’s long-awaited cycle and walking link to station finally opens after delays
The most recent active travel milestone in Gowerton, which the new investment builds on.

Penderyn Distillery handed keys to new Morfa Copperworks site in Swansea
One of the major regeneration projects at the northern end of the new Tawe riverside path.

New images show how heritage sites at Swansea’s Strand, Hafod Copperworks and museum could be transformed
The wider regeneration vision for the area at the northern end of the new Tawe path.

#ActiveTravel #Gowerton #HafodMorfaCopperworks #Loughor #PontYCobRoad #RiverTawe #StuartDavies #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #SwanseaComStadium

Work progresses on historic copperworks building that could become new restaurant

The Laboratory Building — which Swansea Council says dates from the second half of the 19th century — is being reconstructed by Swansea-based John Weaver Contractors as part of the council’s ongoing programme to regenerate the Lower Swansea Valley. The project is being supported by funding from the UK Government’s Local Regeneration Fund.

The council says that once complete, the building — which sits next to the Penderyn Distillery visitor centre — could become a restaurant or be used for a range of other purposes, and that it will begin searching for a tenant shortly.

How the Laboratory Building could look once restoration is complete. Image: GWP Architecture

Council leader Rob Stewart said: “We’re saving the Laboratory Building and bringing it back into use.”

Joint deputy leader David Hopkins said the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site was “a key part of Swansea’s heritage” and that the council saw it “becoming a major leisure destination.”

A contractor surveys the roofless interior of the Laboratory Building during restoration work. Image: Swansea Council

John Weaver Contractors moved in around 16 months ago to stabilise the structure, which had become derelict and unsafe in recent decades, losing much of its roof.

Initial work saw hundreds of red bricks and other masonry items carefully removed from an unsafe 12-metre-high chimney stack, which the council says will be cleaned and reused in the reconstruction.

Expert stonemasons from South Wales-based VaultStone Limited have been carrying out stonework repairs, stabilising old archways and repairing wall cornices.

The project is now moving towards making the building watertight, with a new Welsh slate roof to be installed. New external doors and windows will also be fitted, along with a terrace and level access.

Newly crafted Bath stone blocks ready to be installed at the Laboratory Building. Image: Swansea CouncilLarge stone blocks await installation during restoration work on the Laboratory Building. Image: Swansea CouncilOld and new stone cornice work at the Laboratory Building, showing the contrast between weathered original stone and newly crafted replacement blocks. Image: Swansea CouncilA stonemason from VaultStone Limited shapes a new stone block for the Laboratory Building restoration. Image: Swansea Council

According to the council, the Laboratory Building was historically used to test the quality of copper ore being smelted at the works, and is considered the most architecturally ornate of all the surviving buildings on the site.

Separate archaeological work at the site has recently unearthed what researchers have described as “internationally significant” discoveries, shedding new light on Swansea’s industrial past.

Simon Williams of main contractor John Weaver Conservation at the Laboratory Building. Image: Swansea CouncilA newly carved Bath stone piece is matched against the original stonework during restoration of the Laboratory Building. Image: Swansea CouncilA newly installed stone cornice course above repaired rubble stonework at the Laboratory Building. Image: Swansea Council

Cabinet member Elliott King said: “Penderyn are there, we’ve saved two historic engine houses and we’ve installed a boating pontoon on the river. Further progress on our Lower Swansea Valley Project will be made this year and next.”

The council says the project is due to be complete later this year, at which point it will be ready for an internal fit-out by whichever business is selected as the end tenant.

#HafodMorfaCopperworks #heritage #JohnWeaverContractors #LowerSwanseaValley #Penderyn #regeneration #restaurant #RobStewart #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil

“Internationally significant” discoveries shed new light on Swansea’s world-famous industrial past

Archaeologists working on the site, which is set to undergo a major transformation as part of Swansea Council’s regeneration plans, have uncovered machinery, masonry, and furnace networks dating back centuries.

The finds provide an unprecedented window into the evolution of copper manufacture in the Lower Swansea Valley, which once produced an extraordinary proportion of the world’s supply.

The chimneys of Swansea’s Musgrave Engine House (front) and Vivian Engine House, with an excavated flue. Pic: Swansea Council

Council leader Rob Stewart said:

“It’s fantastic that our finds at this historic site will be enjoyed and studied for decades to come. I thank the expert archaeologists for their ongoing work to catalogue the exciting discoveries in the area of the Musgrave and Vivian engine houses.

“Work on this location’s main transformation will start soon – the engine houses will be made available for a range of exciting public uses.”

Libby Langlands, assistant project manager at Black Mountains Archaeology, said an 18-month full-scale archaeological excavation had been undertaken to “discover and record complex industrial remains buried on the site of the engine houses and attached rolling mills.”

She added:

“Our work will help inform future building designs and heritage interpretation there.”

Archaeologists and sub-contractors undertake sensitive backfill work to excavated archaeology on the site of Swansea’s Musgrave and Vivian engine houses. Pic: Swansea CouncilLibby Langlands, assistant project manager of Black Mountains Archaeology, at the site of Swansea’s Musgrave and Vivian engine houses. Pic: Swansea Council

The Vivian Engine House was built in 1860, with the Musgrave Engine House following around 50 years later. Among the most important discoveries made at the site are:

• A buried machine pit beneath the Musgrave copper rolls, containing surviving machinery including original balancing gears. These remains provide rare, physical evidence of how large-scale copper rolling machinery operated on the site.
• Evidence for a previously unknown line of copper rolling machinery, likely associated with the earliest phase of the Vivian Engine House. This discovery has been supported by historic plans held in the Musgrave archives, revealing earlier stages of development not previously recognised.
• Substantial masonry walls and structural remains predating the existing engine houses, representing earlier 19th century beam engine and rolling mill buildings on the site. Together with historic maps and drawings, these remains are helping archaeologists reconstruct how the works evolved over time.
• A network of brick-built furnaces and flues used to heat, or “anneal”, copper before rolling, a vital process that softened the metal and prevented it from cracking. These features illustrate the advanced industrial techniques developed in Swansea during its peak period of copper production

Archaeologists say the discoveries are of “international significance”, adding fresh detail to Swansea’s industrial timeline while highlighting the importance of preserving and interpreting the site for future generations.

An aerial view of Swansea’s historic Musgrave and Vivian engine houses. Pic: Black Mountains Archaeology

The Musgrave Engine — the only example of its kind in the world still in its original location — is a nationally significant scheduled monument. Alongside the Grade II‑listed pair of engine houses, it forms a key part of the heritage now being better understood through this detailed archaeological work.

Swansea’s historic Musgrave Engine as it is today. Pic: Swansea CouncilLibby Langlands, of Black Mountains Archaeology, and Kiran Giri, of contractors Andrew Scott, inside Swansea’s historic Vivian Engine House. Pic: Swansea Council

Thousands of photographs have been captured as part of a high-tech 3D imaging programme, allowing archaeologists to create highly accurate digital models of the site’s features. This will help historians interpret the finds long after physical work on the site has finished.

All archaeological reports, surveys, plans, drawings and photographs will be archived in the National Monuments Record, curated by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and the Historic Environment Record curated on behalf of the Welsh unitary authorities for anyone to access.

Dr Kate Roberts, chief executive of Cadw, said:

“These extraordinary discoveries at Hafod Morfa remind us why Swansea’s copper industry holds such an important place in world history. Cadw has been proud to work alongside Swansea Council and our partners over several years to breathe new life into this remarkable site, taking buildings like the Powerhouse, Weigh Bridge and Rolling Mill off the Buildings at Risk Register and securing their future.

“The archaeological work now being revealed at the Musgrave and Vivian Engine Sheds demonstrates what can be achieved through genuine collaboration. By working together, we are ensuring that these historically significant remains are properly recorded and protected, while creating spaces that future generations can enjoy and learn from.”

Progress is continuing across the wider former copperworks site, with new additions set to complement the Penderyn whisky base, including the revamp of an historic laboratory building, the installation of two additional River Tawe pontoons, and the reinstatement of the historic Bascule Bridge.

How the engine houses will look when transformed. Pic: Swansea Council

The council secured £20m in Local Regeneration Fund from the UK Government to support work on parts of its Lower Swansea Valley work.

#archaeology #BlackMountainsArchaeology #CADW #copper #HafodMorfaCopperworks #industrialHeritage #LowerSwanseaValley #MusgraveEngine #regeneration #rollingMill #Swansea #VivianEngineHouse

New artist’s impression reveals dramatic transformation planned for Swansea’s Civic Centre site

The image forms part of a wider update from the developer, which is working with the council on seven major regeneration sites across Swansea, including the Civic Centre, Porth Copr (formerly the St David’s car park site) and the Hafod Morfa Copperworks.

Urban Splash says it will showcase the Civic Centre proposals at a public consultation event at Y Storfa on 28–29 January, inviting residents to view the plans and give feedback.

A new waterfront district where ‘the city meets the beach’

On its website, the developer describes the Civic Centre site as the future “City Waterfront” — a new district centred around a reinvented and repurposed Civic Centre building.

The vision includes up to 600 homes, 150,000 sq ft of commercial space, and a mix of cafes, bars, shops and leisure uses spilling out towards the sweeping curve of Swansea Bay. Apartments, workspace, an aquarium, hotel and events space also feature in the early concept.

The site sits at the end of Ffordd I’r Môr (“Route to the Sea”), the new pedestrian link connecting the city centre and Swansea Arena directly to the beach.

Hafod Morfa Copperworks: heritage meets leisure

Artist’s impression of future plans for the Hafod Morfa Copperworks site, blending restored heritage buildings with new commercial and leisure uses.
(Image: Urban Splash)

Urban Splash has also published updated material for the Hafod Morfa Copperworks, where Swansea Council and the developer are preparing a new spatial framework for the historic riverside site.

The plan outlines opportunities for a mix of commercial and residential uses alongside the major public and private investment already underway. Levelling Up funding has supported the restoration of heritage buildings and the opening of the Penderyn Distillery and Visitor Centre, with the wider vision blending “old and new, action and relaxation”.

Porth Copr: new offices, learning space and green public realm

Artist’s impression of the proposed Porth Copr development, featuring new office, learning and commercial space around landscaped public realm.
(Image: Urban Splash)

The St David’s car park site — now branded Porth Copr — is being promoted as a modern office and learning campus in the heart of the city centre.

Designed by leading UK architects, the scheme proposes 300,000 sq ft of Grade A office and mixed‑use commercial space, arranged around new green public realm overlooking a historic church. Space for education providers, creative industries, cafes and restaurants forms part of the mix, all within a short walk of the beach and Swansea Arena.

Urban Splash says the seven sites it is working on represent a long‑term opportunity to reshape key parts of Swansea, with early‑stage cabinet approval already secured for more than 150 homes and commercial space in St Thomas.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Swansea Council provide update on several major schemes
The latest progress on key regeneration projects including new offices, a public sector hub and a city‑centre hotel.

Plans unveiled for 150‑home riverside neighbourhood in St Thomas
Early proposals for a major new residential community on the east side of the River Tawe.

Site investigation works to start on new city office development
Preparatory work begins on one of Swansea’s next big commercial schemes.

Business leader says city’s regeneration shows Swansea is “serious about growth”
A leading voice in the business community reacts to the scale of ongoing investment.

#apartments #Aquarium #CityWaterfront #CivicCentre #FforddIRMôr #HafodMorfaCopperworks #hotel #PorthCopr #regeneration #StDavidSCarPark #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #UrbanSplash