Swansea Vale Railway nineteenth century, when land transport was limited to what pack animals could carry on their backs. At that time the extraction of copper in Cornwall became an important industry, and as a great deal of coal is required to smelt copper, it became the practice to bring the copper to Swansea by ship and smelt it there. This specific sector of the metal industry became so dominant that Swansea was given the nickname "Copperopolis". The works engaged in this industry were located on the banks of the River Tawe at first, but the construction of the Swansea Canal, opened in
Mansion House, Swansea Mansion House, Swansea The Mansion House is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of Swansea. The Mansion House is situated in the Ffynone area of Swansea. Today the Mansion House is used for a variety of public and private functions. The Mansion House was opened in 1863, when a local builder, Evan Matthew Richards built it for his family, it was then called Brooklands. He was the Mayor of Swansea in 1855 and also 1862. By 1880 Brooklands had been sold twice before it was purchased by the County Borough of Swansea in 1922. From 1922 to the present