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SAVE THE MUSGRAVE
The Musgrave Engine is a unique engine of historic importance (a scheduled Ancient Monument no less) in a very poor condition.
After 40 years of dereliction, it is time to stop the decay! In fact, we want to bring it back in to working condition. You may look at pictures of this engine and think this is impossible. We think it can be done with a little bit of help from volunteers, local businesses, and funders.
This is a local Swansea project inspired by the passion of local enthusiasts working through the Friends of the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks group, made possible by support and supervision from Swansea Council and Cadw and facilitated by Swansea University with an initial grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund of around £50,000.
This blog site aims to engage more people and local businesses in following this exciting and ambitious project. We will report regularly on progress and acknowledge the help and support received.
ACHUBWN Y MUSGRAVE
Mae’r Peiriant Musgrave yn injan stêm hanesyddol unigryw (ac yn Heneb Gofrestredig ar ben hynny), ond mae ei gyflwr presennol yn gywilyddus.
Ar ôl 36 blynedd o esgeulustod, mae’n hen bryd inni roi pen ar y dirywio! Y gwir amdani yw ein bod ni am ei adfer i’w gyflwr gweithredol. Efallai, wrth edrych ar luniau o’r peiriant yma,eich bod yn meddwl nad oes gobaith cyflawni hyn. Ond dyn ni’n hyderus y gellir ei wneud (!) gyda thamaid bach o gymorth gan wirfoddolwyr, busnesau lleol a chefnogwyr ariannol.
Prosiect lleol yw hwn yn Abertawe. Mae wedi cael ei ysbrydoli gan frwdfrydedd selogion lleol yn gweithio yng ngrŵp Cyfeillion Gwaith Copr Hafod-Morfa. Fe’i gwnaed yn bosibl trwy gefnogaeth a goruchwyliaeth Cyngor Abertawe a sefydlad Cadw, a chafodd ei hwyluso gan Brifysgol Abertawe trwy gyfrwng grant cychwynnol o ryw £50,000 oddi wrth Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri.
Nod y safle blog hwn yw denu mwy o bobl a busnesau lleol i gymryd rhan yn y prosiect uchelgeisiol cyffrous yma. Byddwn ni’n adrodd yn ôl yn rheolaidd ar sut mae pethau’n symud ymlaen, ac yn rhoi cydnabyddiaeth ddyledus i’r cymorth a chefnogaeth a dderbyniwn ni.
What’s been going on?
In 2018 funding was secured by Swansea Council to repair the Musgrave engine house, reinstate a new slate roof and secure the building for the future. The contract was awarded to a local firm, John Weavers.
As part of this process the decision was made to lift out the Musgrave travelling crane which was housed in the roof space of the building above the Musgrave engine and was in a dilapidated condition.
The crane (which along with the engine is a scheduled Ancient Monument) was built in 1910 by John Musgrave & Sons of Bolton and installed in the building at the same time as the engine. It would have been used in the past to undertake maintenance work on the engine.
In September 2018 the crane was removed from the building and taken initially to local business C.T. Lewis to be sandblasted and disassembled. Following this disassembly the crane was transported to the workshop of engineer Tom Henderson.
Tom, with the assistance of volunteers from The Friends of Hafod Morfa Copperworks, and with guidance from Swansea Council, Swansea University and CADW, set about restoring the crane to its former glory.
In March 2019, in its restored condition, the crane was lifted back into the Musgrave engine house prior to the building being re-roofed.
Following the re-installation of the Musgrave travelling crane, the building work on the Musgrave engine house and the adjacent Vivian engine house was completed by the contractors, John Weavers, and the site was handed back to Swansea Council (the owners) in March 2020. The building is now secure, safe and dry and equipped with a working crane to enable the restoration of the Musgrave Engine to be planned in the future.
Beth sy’n digwydd ar hyn o bryd?
Yn ystod y misoedd nesaf yma fe fydd y Craen Symudol yn cael ei dynnu allan o’r adeilad fel rhan o brosiect gwerth £280,000 a lansiwyd gan Gyngor Abertawe ac sy’n cael ei ariannu gan Gyngor Abertawe (£180,000) a Cadw (£100,000), i atgyweirio’r to a gwneud yr adeilad yn ddiogel.
Bydd hwn yn cael ei adfer wedyn a’i ail-osod gan Gyfeillion Gwaith Copr Hafod-Morfa, Prifysgol Abertawe a pheiriannydd lleol o gwmni Henderson.
Erbyn diwedd y ddau brosiect uchod, dylai’r adeilad fod yn ddiogel a sych drachefn, â chraen ynddo a fydd yn hyrwyddo’r tasg o adfer y Peiriant Musgrave ei hun. Mae hyn i gyd yn dibynnu ar lwyddiant y ddau brosiect, a’n gallu i fodloni rheoliadau iechyd a diogelwch llym ac amodau Cadw.
How have we got here?
The Friends group with the expertise and drive of one member in particular, Tom Henderson, a professional engineer, have been working out a plan for restoring the crane and engine. This has included site visits and trips to the archives in Bolton to see the original drawings of the engine. Tom has written a series of method statements which have satisfied Swansea Council and Cadw that this can be achieved. On the basis that this could be possible, Swansea Council and Cadw have put together a package of funding worth £280,000 to work on the Musgrave Engine House roof and secure the building.
Swansea Council will oversee the restoration of the roof and building while Swansea University has secured funds to remove restore and replace the travelling crane under licence from the council.
Sut dyn ni wedi cyrraedd y pwynt yma?
Mae grŵp y Cyfeillion, diolch i weledigaeth a gwybodaeth arbenigol un aelod penodol, sef y peiriannydd proffesiynol Tom Henderson, wedi bod wrthi’n creu cynllun ar gyfer adfer y craen a’r peiriant. Mae hyn wedi cynnwys trefnu ymweliadau â’r safle a theithiau i’r archifau yn Bolton i astudio’r darluniau gwreiddiol gan ddylunwyr yr injan. Mae Tom wedi llunio cyfres o ddatganiadau dull, gan argyhoeddi Cadw a Chyngor Abertawe bod y nod yn gyraeddadwy. Ar sail y dybiaeth hon mae Cyngor Abertawe a Cadw wedi cronni gwerth £280,000 o gyllid ar gyfer gweithio ar do adeilad y Peiriant Musgrave a diogelu’r adeilad.
Cyngor Abertawe fydd yn goruchwylio’r gwaith i adfer y to a’r adeilad, ac mae Prifysgol Abertawe wedi neilltuo cyllid ar gyfer tynnu allan y craen symudol, ei adfer a’i ail-osod, dan drwydded gan y Cyngor.
How do I get involved/support this project?
We are not shy about begging and borrowing. Join a growing list of local companies who are supporting this project. We invite you to follow this blog to keep track on the exciting developments.
Sut galla i gefnogi/ cymryd rhan yn y prosiect?
Dyn ni ddim yn swil o gardota a chael benthyg. Ymunwch â’r rhestr gynyddol o gwmnïau lleol sy’n cefnogi’r prosiect yma. Rydym yn eich gwahodd i ddilyn y blog yma i gadw golwg ar y datblygiadau cyffrous.
