Swansea and Cardiff Swansea town centre, 1838 Cardiff town centre, 1844 Wales in 1750

In 1700, the majority of people in Wales worked in agriculture. The land provided both food and work for people.

By 1750 Wales had begun to transform into an industrial country with less people working in agriculture. People began mining for lead in Cardiganshire, iron works were built in Wrexham and Merthyr Tydfil as well as copper works in Swansea and Neath.

The the maps are useful sources to study how Wales developed during this excing new era. The story of how some towns developed at a faster rate and at different periods in me is shown on the the maps.

You can discover how the two largest cies in Wales grew and developed during this period by using the maps.

This is the beginning of a new age for Wales. Between 1780 and 1850 the populaon of Wales more than doubled from around 530,000 to 1,189,000.

By 1851 only ⅓ of the populaon sll worked in agriculture. The populaon of Welsh towns

According to the the 1801 Census (the first census), Swansea was one of the largest towns in Wales with a populaon of over 10,000 people, compared to 6,432 in Cardiff. A hundred years later, in 1901, Cardiff had become the largest town in Wales with a populaon that had increased to 160,000.

Discover how and why Cardiff and Swansea grew by exploring the the maps.

Swansea Cardiff

200000

160000 150000

94000

Populaon 100000

50000 26630 Swansea 17000 10000 6342 Cardiff 0 1801 1851 1901 Years Swansea copper

The three important factors that made Swansea a global centre for smelng copper: 1. There was a huge amount of coal in the hills by Swansea. 2. The river Tawe was perfect for transporng goods on ships down to the sea. 3. To make copper you needed three parts coal to one part copper ore, so it was easier to transport the copper to the coal.

Businessmen saw an opportunity to make a lot of money in the metal industry. The copper ore was imported from all over the world to be smelted in Swansea.

Why was there a need for copper?

In the 18th century the majority of metal items were created with copper, including household goods, trains and large ships.

Swansea, 1748 Imporng and exporng

13 copper works Swansea and the surrounding area was known as ‘Copperopolis’, and was had been famous for being the world centre for copper. The area developed a network established in of business contacts across the world. Swansea by 1850. Upper Bank Copper from Cornwall, North America and Cuba were imported to be smelted in the Swansea Valley and they were exported across the world to Africa, Europe, Japan and China. A map of some of the copper works With new copper works being established in the area more people came to on the banks of live nearby, and by the first decade of the 19th century villages and towns like Middle Bank the river Tawe in Tre Grenfell, Tre-Vivian, Hafod, Morfa, Landore and Morriston were built. 1838.

The importance of Swansea copper works globally.

White Rock

Imporng copper ore to be smelted Exporng copper that has been smelted The impact of copper on the town

The Swansea Valley was an important centre for industry at the By the middle of 19th century 50% of copper produced worldwide beginning of the Industrial Revoluon in Wales. Many people think of was made in the Swansea Valley and half of the populaon of the iron works in Merthyr when the Industrial Revoluon is menoned, Swansea worked in the copper industry. but Swansea was one of the first areas to aract heavy industry. Map of Swansea, 1838 Swansea town grew around the copper works. By 1838 Swansea had developed into an urban area. Docks

River Tawe

Town centre The copper works

Who ruled the large copper factories?

Sciensts and businessmen came to Swansea in the 18th century to capitalise on the natural resources in the area.

COPPER WORKS WHEN? \WHO?

WHITE ROCK 1737 Thomas Coster

HAFOD 1808-09 John H.Vivian

MORFA 1835 Williams, Foster & Co.

HENRY HUSSEY VIVIAN (1821 - 1894 ) The 1st Baron of Swansea, son of John H. Vivian, an industrialist and an expert in These are the plans for Landore copper works by William Jernigan working with metals and minerals. (Jernegan). The plans show two sides of the building and include the work floors, the furnaces and the refineries. From 1845 onwards he was in charge of the Hafod copper works in Swansea. The Landore copper works were the first copper works in the area, and were established in 1716 by Dr John Lane. In 1864 he began producing sulphuric acid from copper smoke. Cardiff

When and how did Cardiff grow?

At the beginning of the 18th century Merthyr Cardiff was a small town compared to Cardiff the larger towns of the period such as Merthyr Tydfil. Cardiff grew at a rapid rate during the second half of the 19th century.

Cardiff grew rapidly for two reasons - the opening of the railway, and its role as a centre for exporng coal

In 1841 The Taff Valley Railway which was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel was opened. The main objecve of the railway was to transport coal from Merthyr to the docks in Cardiff.

In the 1840s and 1850s the railway was extended to the Rhondda and the Cynon valleys. By 1860 the Taff Valley Railway transported 2.13 million tonnes of coal to the docks in Cardiff to be exported worldwide.

Cardiff’s role in the coal industry in Wales

Step 1 - Welsh coal mines produced high quality coal Step 2 - The railway transported the coal to Cardiff Step 3 - The coal was exported from Cardiff on ships across the world. Cardiff docks, 1849 Moving the river Taff

1844 The engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel wanted to change the course of the river Taff to finish building the south Wales railway.

In 1844 floods were a problem where Cardiff train staon is located today.

Cardiff train staon

River Taff

Isambard Kingdom Brunel changed the course of the river west to protect Cardiff town centre and the train staon from floods.

Moving the river made it easier to transport coal to Cardiff docks. Cardiff staon was opened in 1850.

1905 Isambard Kingdom Brunel Exporng

Tonnes of coal exported from Cardiff docks Cardiff port and town grew with the coal industry in south Wales during the 19th 9000000 century.

By 1913, Cardiff and Barry were the largest coal docks in the world. 6750000

4500000

2250000

0 Building and expanding Cardiff docks. 1840 1870 1907 Bute Docks, Cardiff

Cardiff docks’ growth received a huge boost when the second Marquess of Bute spent £350,000 An important individual in the expansion building the Bute West Dock, which opened in October 1839. The Bute East Dock opened in of Cardiff was John Crichton-Stuart, the 1859. second Marquess of Bute.

Poster adversing Bute Docks, Cardiff An expanding town

55% of the Welsh populaon lived within 25 miles of Cardiff by 1913.

Cardiff Roath Docks opened in 1887

Queen Street, Cardiff A street in Cardiff Docks Cardiff town centre, 1844 Cardiff town Centre, 1901 Cardiff docks, 1844 Cardiff docks, 1905 Cardiff city

1905 A Royal Charter gave Cardiff it’s status as a city and secured it’s importance Cardiff University as Wales’ trading and industrial centre.

By 1910 it also had: • A University • A City Hall • A Naonal Museum • A Naonal Stadium Cardiff Docks

Cardiff City Hall Roath Park, Cardiff