The Hafod Copper Works, Swansea, founded in 1810, was the largest copperworks in Swansea and remained rolling copper until its closure in 1980. The city council has retained certain buildings on site. The two enginehouses and their chimneys, built successively to drive the rolling mills in 1860-62 and in 1910, remain with adjacent rolling machinery even though the adjacent rolling-shed has been removed. A Musgrove uniflow engine of 1910 remains in situ. At the entrance to the works is a very large battered wall that once formed the abutment to bridges giving access to the works over the Swansea Canal. This is significant for being the largest survival of a widespread use of cast copper-slag blocks for architectural purposes - though not in polite architecture as was the case in the Bristol area. Other remains include the locomotive shed by the river, with 'Vivians' spelt out in polychrome brickwork and the late 19 century white-rendered office block at the entrance.

Gasworks was built for site by Neath Abbey Iron Works. Gasometers are marked on the 1879 and 1899 OS maps at the southern end of the copper works, indicating a private gasworks to light the copper works.

(Site entry by Stephen Hughes for Buildings of Glamorgan, John Newman, 1995)
J Hill 28.10.2003

The site is adjacent to Morfa Copperworks (nprn 34104) with which the works amalgamated in 1924 (nprn 300184). Both works closed in 1980 and were mostly demolished.
Site visited B.A.Malaws, 18 February 2000.

Associated with:
Engine house of 1860-62 (with dated plaque) which formerly housed an engine to drive the copper rolling mills (NPRN 33743)
Engine house of 1910, built to house a surviving Musgrove uniflow engine which drove the copper-rolling mills in succession to the earlier engine (NPRN33710)
Locomotive shed on a terrace by the river, built for the first standard-gauge Garrett locomotive in Britain (NPRN 300188)
Copper slag abutment and masonry pier which supported the tramway carrying waste away from the works (NPRN 34891)
Late l9th century offices, now rendered in white and used as a social club (NPRN 300190)