The main industry of Glamorgan during this period was agriculture. In the upland, or Blaenau area, the hilly terrain along with many areas being densely wooded, made arable farming unprofitable, so the local farming concentrated on the rearing of horses, cattle and sheep.Evans, p.135 The lowland, or Bro was devoted to more general branches of farming, cereal, grass for pasture, hay and stock raising. Non-agricultural industries were generally small scale, with some shallow coal pits, fulling mills, weaving and pottery-making. The main heavy industry of note during this period was copper smelting, and this was centred on the towns of Swansea and Neath.Davies (2008), p.168 Although copper had been mined in Wales since the Bronze Age, it was not until non-ferrous metalworking became a major industry in the late 17th century that Glamorgan saw a concentration of works appearing in a belt between Kidwelly and Port Talbot. Smelting of copper started around Neath under the Mines Royal Society but the scale of the works increased dramatically from the early 18th century when Swansea displaced Bristol as Britain's copper smelting capital. Easy access to Cornish ores and a local outcropping of coal near the surface, gave Swansea economic advantages in the smelting industry.
thE MAIN Industry of glaMorGaN duriNg thiS pEriOd wAs agRIculTUre. in the Upland, or BlaEnaU AREa, the hillY teRRain alONg with mANy areAs being denselY WOOdeD, MadE ArAblE faRmIng UnPRofItAbLe, so the locAl farming ConcenTrateD on the Rearing of Horses, CatTlE And sheep.evAns, p.135 tHE lowLanD, oR bRO was deVotEd to mOrE geneRal BRanchEs Of fARMiNG, CeReal, graSs for pasture, HaY and stOCK raisiNG. NoN-AgRICultURal inDustRies wErE genErally smAll sCalE, WitH soMe shaLlOW CoaL piTs, FullIng milLS, WeaviNg aND pOtteRY-maKinG. thE maIn Heavy inDuSTRY oF note duriNg tHiS perIOd waS cOpPer smeltIng, aNd tHIs WAS CenTrEd oN THE TOWns of swAnseA and nEatH.DaVIeS (2008), p.168 aLtHouGH Copper had beeN minEd IN Wales sincE ThE bRoNzE age, it WAs NOt uNtil non-FerrOus mEtAlWORkiNG BecAme a majOr indusTry in thE LatE 17th Century thaT GlAMorgaN Saw a concEntration OF woRkS appearing in a belt between KIDweLlY And pORT talBoT. sMElting of cOpPer sTaRted around nEatH uNder the minEs roYal sOcIetY bUt tHE sCale of tHe worKS increASed drAmAtiCALLy fRom The eArly 18tH centurY wheN SWanSEa diSplacEd brIstOl As britaiN's cOpper SMeLtIng CapiTaL. easy acceSS to cornISh ores and a lOcAl oUtcropPiNg of cOal near the surface, GavE swAnsea ecOnomIC advanTaGeS In tHE SMeltiNG inDustRy.