11. VIEW OVER THE VALLEY | GOLYGFA DROS Y DYFFRYN

“Aerial View of Hafod Morfa Copperworks c.1920s”. © National Museum Wales | “Golygfa o’r awyr o waith copr Hafod Morfa o gwmpas yr 1920’au. © Amgueddfa Cymru

KEY
A Rolling Mill / Melin Rolio
B Clock Tower / Tŵr Cloc
C Laboratory Building / Adeilad y Labordai
D Chimney Stacks / Simneydd
E River Tawe / Afon Tawe
F Swansea Canal / Camlas Abertawe
G Landore Social Club / Clwb Cymdeithasol Glandwr

The lower Swansea valley was once the beating heart of the Industrial Revolution in Swansea. This area was at the centre of the world’s copper industry, and the valley floor and sides were covered with the buildings and the slag heaps created from the smelting and processing of copper, lead, silver and other non-ferrous metals.

Consequently, the valley experienced high levels of pollution including the smoke and gases released into the air by a “forest” of chimneys, there was also a low copper cloud of sulphur and poisonous gases hanging in the valley.

By 1850 there were 11 major copperworks in the valley. Although copper smelting ceased in 1924, the last works to close was Hafod Morfa Copperworks in 1980, all of the other copperworks had closed many years before.

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Ar un adeg, dyffryn Tawe isaf oedd calon y chwyldro diwydiannol yn Abertawe. Yr ardal yma oedd canolbwynt diwydiant copr y byd ac ‘roedd gwaelod ac ochrau’r dyffryn wedi’w orchuddio ag adeiladau a tomeni sbwriel a grewyd gan toddi copr, plwm, arian and metelau ddi-haearn eraill.

Fel canlyniad, ‘roedd llygredd ofnadwy yn y dyffryn, yn cynnwys mŵg a nwy yn dod allan o ‘goedwig’ o simneiau ac ‘roedd cwmwl o sylffwr a nwy gwenwynig yn hongian yn yr awyr.

Erbyn 1850, ‘roedd 11 gwaith copr mawr yn y dyffryn. Er bod toddi copr wedi gorffen yn 1924, y gwaith olaf i gau oedd gwaith copr Hafod Morfa yn 1980. Caeodd y gweithiau copr eraill llawer o flynyddoedd yn gynt.