A History of Pentre Awel

Pentre Awel is a ‘once in a generation’ development located across 83 acres of land in south Llanelli. It is the first development of its scale and scope in Wales, creating a unique ecosystem that co-locates business, research, academia, health, leisure and assisted living within landmark infrastructure. 

As Zone One, built by lead contractor Bouygues UK, reaches its completion, we look back at the amazing history of the site’s surrounding land that was once a hotbed for brickwork, tinplate and steel works and how Carmarthenshire County Council and its partners are bringing the site back into use. 

‘Tinopolis’  

In the 19th century, Llanelli earned the nickname ‘Tinopolis’ as it became the thriving, bustling centre of tinplate production. The tinplate industry began in Wales in the early 1700s, and by the 19th century, over 80% of the world’s tinplate was produced in South Wales. 

In Carmarthenshire, the first tinplate works were established in Kidwelly in 1737, followed by Dafen in 1846. Llanelli attracted industrialists and local investors to set up tinplate works due to the desirable conditions, including flat land, low rental prices, a good water supply and access to raw materials. Tinplate was produced in other places, but it was Llanelli that became a major world centre of the industry.  

What was tinplate? 

Tinplate was produced from strips or bars of first iron and later steel and coated with tin to protect the steel from rusting. It was a long process which took about 160 hours and was heavy, dangerous, noisy and dirty work. 

People worked in temperatures up to 38°C and men might drink up to 40 pints of liquid during an eight- hour shift. The air was thick with toxic fumes, and workers either had to supply their own protective gear or risk severe, life-threatening injuries. 

Women also worked in the industry as openers and in the pickling, rolling, polishing and packing departments. Children, some as young as 13, were commonly employed for unskilled, low-wage tasks like packing, cold rolling, and cleaning. In fact, it wasn’t uncommon for entire families to find employment in the tinplate industry at different stages of their lives. 

Tinplate had a wide range of uses, from food preservation to domestic items such as pots and pans, fuel cans, children’s toys, roofing, and decorative panels. Notably, the first tinplate beer cans in Britain were filled at Felinfoel Brewery! 

Such is its legacy, the materiality and framing of Pentre Awel’s building pays tribute to the industrial heritage of the site when the area was home to heavy industry and manufacturing works. 

Pentre Awel site  

The Pentre Awel site is also steeped in rich history. In 1861 the site was home to a brickworks company established by William Thomas, who took advantage of the area which was known for by its large amounts of clay deposits, which were instrumental in building materials to support Llanelli’s early development. It is also thought that Thomas built the first residential block in the area for his workers, nicknamed Brick Row.  

By the late 19^th century, the south western point of the site was occupied by the yards of the South Wales Tinplate Works, established by Edward Moorewood and John Rogers. The site was served by loading bays as well as railway links.  1911 saw the expansion of the South Wales Tinplate Works when  8 mills were added to the existing 10. This infrastructure dominated the area, additional railway tracks were added as well as more loading bays on the bank of the shipping channel to cope with the volume of goods coming from the area. The site had also developed more housing for its workers. However, by the end of the Second World War, the picture was different, and the South Wales Works had fallen into disrepair as a result of the economic decline in the area. By 1951, the site was demolished.  

How we are building on the history 

Targeted interventions and investment have allowed the Council to bring this strategic site back into use, regenerating brownfield land to stimulate socio-economic growth and investment.  

The buildings will be faced in brick and metal in reference to the industrial heritage of the site, which was used for tin and steel production as well as coal exports, and which has remained undeveloped since the late 20th century. 

Due to the heavy industrial history, part of the scheme involved decontaminating the site and creating a landscaped setting for the buildings themed around health and wellbeing. With the landscape seeking to blend with the look inside Pentre Awel, it is hoped it will encourage people to explore and remain active. It permeates into the courtyard entrances that erode the building form, and key spaces within enjoy spectacular views across the adjacent lake and west to the Loughor Estuary. 

Environmental challenges 

Lead contractor Bouygues UK has had to face significant environmental challenges due to its location on former industrial land, dealing with contaminated land and water while maintaining and conserving wildlife and ecology. The team surpassed its initial sustainability goals by implementing a number of innovative and efficient eco-friendly measures. 

The Pentre Awel team has worked closely with stakeholders, including Carmarthenshire County Council’s ecology officers and Natural Resources Wales to ensure the development would not impact on the ecology and waterbodies that surround the site. Following pre-construction ecology surveys, Bouygues UK put measures in place to safeguard reptiles, watervole, otter, nesting birds and bats during the works. 

This work will continue when Pentre Awel opens, as the ecology and environment around the development will be a key part of its offering.  

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, Cllr Hazel Evans commented: 

“The Pentre Awel site is steeped in rich history, all knitted together by the strong local community who lived and worked in the area during the industrial period. Bouygues UK have done a tremendous job of preserving the land and building upon its history. Carmarthenshire remains an historical County which we should be proud of and remember as we regenerate our local community to benefit generations to come.”

Image credit: © Crown Copyright Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales Aerofilms Collection