Swansea Council has been given a grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund to develop the historic Hafod Morfa Copperworks site, and some of the old works buildings have been ear-marked for a second Penderyn Distillery. The area was the capital of the world’s copper industry in the 19th century, and as copper is central to the distilling process it makes for a perfect fit.
The ‘Copper Quarter’ project is led by Swansea Council and Swansea University, and Council Leader Rob Stewart said: ‘This plan, with the iconic Penderyn international brand at its heart, will regenerate the site and reinvigorate the riverfront, looking to the future while celebrating our rich heritage.’
The site, which dates back to 1810, is made up of 12.5 acres of land on the west bank of the River Tawe in the Lower Swansea Valley. In its heyday, copper ore from as far afield as North America, Cuba, Australia and South America was smelted at the site, putting Swansea at the heart of a global web of copper trading connections.
A new Distillery visitor centre is also planned which would see 50,000 visitors per year and Stephen Davies, Managing Director at Penderyn (pictured on ITV News), said: ‘This is an exciting opportunity to expand the business, and also to celebrate the copper heritage in Swansea with our premium Welsh brand.’