The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Historic Environment Record
 

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Morfa Canteen/former Electric Powerhouse

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 08088w
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Landore
Unitary authority : Swansea
NGR : SS66139516
Site Type (preferred type first) : MODERN CANTEEN / POST MEDIEVAL ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION SITE
Status : Listed building II

Summary :
A rectangular masonry building, built in the 1890s to house the machinery to generate electrical power for the Morfa Copperworks. Often referred to as Foster's power house. It was converted to a works canteen in the 1920s/30s.

The building is listed, for its group value with other buildings of the former Hafod and Morfa Copperworks.

Description :
A rectangular masonry building, built in the 1890s to house the machinery to generate electrical power for the Morfa Copperworks. It as often been referred to as Foster's power house. It was converted to a works canteen in the 1920s/30s.

The building is listed, for its group value with other buildings of the former Hafod and Morfa Copperworks (see LB11691).

The former canteen/powerhouse is aligned east-west, measuring 30m by 18m and currently comprising two storeys over a below ground basement with good quality detail inside and out. The external walls are of Pennant sandstone rubble with quoins and freestone dressings. It features a clock tower over the east gable. The interior is divided into two unequal spaces by a sandstone wall; the larger western space is largely unaltered from the 1890s, with slender, reeded, cast iron columns with capitals supporting the roof. The building burnt down in the 1970s, was restored and burnt down again in the 1980s. in the 21st century is was recorded as derelict and roofless.

Fuller details of the history, construction and use may be found in the report: The Yorkshire Imperial Metals Site: A Site Appraisal (N Ludlow, 2002).

The Powerhouse's basement contains features of 20th century patterns: orange or yellow paint, or varnish, lengthy register numbers, reinforcing webs typical of early and mid 20th century industrial component design. That they survived on the works site until closure suggests that they pertained to machinery present on the site until late in the active life of the works (Lewis & Cook 2019).

Sources :
Ludlow, N , 2002 , The Yorkshire Imperial Metals Site: A Site Appraisal ( © Dyfed Archaeological Trust)
The Handley Partnership , HAAbase built heritage assessment system: Buildings at Risk database

Events :
E004887 : The Yorkshire Imperial Metals site, Swansea (year : 2002)
E004114 : Hafod Copperworks Buildings Swansea (year : 2012)
E007585 : Hafod-Morfa Copperworks, Neath Road, Swansea (year : 2018)
E007586 : Hafod-Morfa Copperworks, Neath Road, Swansea (year : 2018)
E008159 : Powerhouse, Hafod-Morfa Copperworks, Swansea (year : 2019)

Related records
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 00841w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 08087w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 08240w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 08258w

Compiled date : 09-03-2016


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