Swansea included land around Swansea Bay as far as the River Tawe, the manor of Kilvey beyond the Tawe, and the peninsula itself. Swansea was designated chief town of the lordship and received a borough charter at some point between 1158 and 1184 (and a more elaborate one in 1304). From the early 1700s to the late 1800s, Swansea was the world’s leading copper-smelting area. Numerous smelters along the River Tawe received copper and other metal ores shipped from Cornwall and Devon, as well as from North and South America, Africa, and Australia. The industry declined severely in the late 1800s,
Swansea City Centre sq. ft) have been achieved here. The City Centre Strategic Framework notes that this demonstrates that a commercially viable office market can eventually be developed in Swansea city centre. Swansea Market, the Quadrant Shopping Centre and the St. David's Shopping Centre are situated in the middle of the city centre. The Quadrant Centre opened in the late 1970s and dominated by chain stores. It includes an adjacent multi-storey car park that opens directly into Debenhams on one floor. Swansea bus station is located on the western side of the centre, and Swansea Grand Theatre is next door to the station