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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

“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