Swansea Female

Situated on the south coast, the county of Swansea lies within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan in an area known as ‘The South Wales Valleys’. The city of Swansea is Wales’ second largest city.

The port initially traded in wine, fabric and later coal. As the Industrial Revolution reached Wales, the combination of port, local coal, and trading links with the West Country, Cornwall and Devon, meant that Swansea was the logical place to site copper smelting works. During this growth in industry, Swansea was centre of the copper industry, earning the nickname ‘Copperopolis’.

As the region grew with industry, workers from the nearby valleys came to the city for jobs. In more recent history Swansea faced intense bombing during WW2 and the challenge of the decline in its traditional heavy industries, with a recent move towards the service sector. Oxwich Bay on its Gower Peninsula was named the most beautiful beach in Britain in 2007.