Works Operation

The copper works had been operation over hundreds of years and was passed over from one generation to the next. Workers often had to make do with what was there by adapting and utilising old equipment. But it was also the site of many different technical innovations in the copper smelting industry and had to evolved over the years to overcome various challenges. During the first and second world wars there was considerable demand for copper for war time supplies. The site also ran the risk of being bombed as an important industrial target. The site focused predominantly on the production of copper sheets, though throughout the twentieth century this market declined considerably. This decline in demand had a tremendous impact on the operation of the site. This theme is about understanding how the site as a whole functioned, and how it responded to these various internal and external challenges.