Historic Swansea site could be new home to Welsh whisky

World famous Welsh whisky could soon be made in Swansea as plans to breathe new life into an historic site get a multi-million pound boost.

Swansea Council has been given a first-round pass by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a grant of £3.75m. The council has also received a £189,600 development grant to progress the plans, which could see Penderyn Distillery expand their business into the city with a new distillery and visitor centre at the former Hafod Morfa Copperworks site.

The council will now be working with partners including Penderyn Distillery and Swansea University to put a more far more detailed bid together as it looks to secure the funding and realise its vision for the site.

Penderyn Distillery, based in the village of the same name near Aberdare, plans to install new Penderyn stills at the site as the centrepiece of an additional operational facility. A new visitor experience could also attract more than 50,000 visitors per year.

Copper-based equipment would be used during the whisky-making process in celebration of the site’s former status as a capital of the world’s copper industry in the 19th century.

The scheme would build on preservation and interpretation work that’s already on-going at the Hafod Morfa Copperworks site, thanks to the CU@Swansea project being led by Swansea Council and Swansea University.

Other plans include reconfiguring the site’s rolling mill building to enable better links with the rest of the site and improved displays of the Swansea Museum collection currently stored there. A new visitor centre could also be constructed between the powerhouse and rolling mill buildings, giving access to different site levels and using materials appropriate to the historic setting.

The original Morfa Works gate could be restored and reinstated as the primary gateway and visitor entrance to the site.

The plans fit in with Swansea Council’s river corridor strategy and its ambition to bring the river and walkway into use.

Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader, said: “The Hafod Morfa Copperworks site and the River Tawe have both played a key role in Swansea’s history, but they’ve been dormant and underused for some time. 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.

“Building on the conservation work already done on site, this scheme will also attract many thousands of visitors, open up jobs and further improve a local tourism industry that’s now worth more than £400m a year to Swansea’s economy.

“We want the Tawe to be at the heart of Swansea life once again, with restaurants and homes overlooking the river, rowers taking to the water and boats sailing back and forth to the city centre. This is why we’ll now start work on a more detailed bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to secure the grant funding, which could help attract even more investment in future.

“These plans underline our intent to bring regeneration to all areas of Swansea – not just the city centre. They also add to other excellent progress we’re making with infrastructure in the area, including the new link road.”

Stephen Davies, Managing Director at Penderyn, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to expand the business, and also to celebrate the copper heritage in Swansea with our premium Welsh brand.”

Other plans for the site include a heritage skills development package during restoration works in areas like lime mortaring, stone masonry and blacksmithing. The planned visitor centre will give opportunities to learn about archaeology and historical research.

Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development and Regeneration, said: “This project would complement the success of the nearby Liberty Stadium and the under-construction Morfa Distributor Road to help regenerate communities like Hafod and Landore as a whole.

“Supply chain opportunities will be available, sustainable materials and energy efficiency technology will be used, and targeted recruitment and training opportunities will be included in any construction contracts to benefit the disadvantaged in our communities. Work will also continue to preserve other buildings on site.

“This project will put the internationally significant Hafod Morfa Copperworks site at the forefront of global innovation once again.”

Professor John Spurr, Head of the College of Arts and Humanities at Swansea University, said: “This wonderful news shows how Swansea University research is making a positive difference in our city.

“The project as a whole puts Swansea’s illustrious copper heritage in the spotlight.  Professor Huw Bowen and his team are blazing a trail with this work, and the new visitor centre will be a home for our work in heritage research, teaching, and public engagement.

“The College of Arts and Humanities at the University provided the start-up funding for this project.  We have worked with Swansea Council to make it happen, serving as a great example of community engagement, arts activity, and collaboration.”

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.