Pont Gwaun-clawdd Dock, Abercraf. Swansea Canal Dock 37, Dry Dock 17

The inland terminal point of the Swansea Canal was the subject of much thought and change of intent. At a public meeting on 5 April 17931 Thomas Sheasby, Senior, was appointed surveyor and asked to make a survey to `Devynock', the point to which the Brecon Forest Tramroad eventually extended the Swansea canal transport system in the 1820s. The first of his two deposited plans of 1793 shows the canal ending at Hen `Noyadd'2 (Hen Neuadd,, 750m beyond the basin as built, SN 8167 1257) with three locks in addition to those actually built. The second longer scheme shows the canal ending on the opposite river bank at `Ongyrcha'3 (Rhong-yr-uchaf, SN 8448 1500, 4.83m beyond the basin) with a further 26 costly locks, including two staircase pairs to lift the canal line steeply out of the site of Pont `Gwayn' Clawdd (Pont Gwaun-Clawdd) Basin. This second line would have terminated the canal directly below the Penwyllt Limestone Quarries, later linked to the canal by the Brecon Forest Tramroad.

The Canal Committee had reservations about these schemes and appointed Charles Roberts4 to re-survey the line of the canal. He reported in August 17945 after considering two less ambitious schemes.

`On my first view of the line I was induced to think that the canal might terminate between Yniskedwyn and Pen Pont, from thence a double railed way to be made to Hen-Noyadd, but on considering more attentively the abundant resources of coal, iron-stone and lime-stone, afforded in this part of the country, I am convinced that, one time or other, a canal will be made as near as possible to them. If so, it may as well be done now as at any future period.

Altho' the line is intended to be extended to Hen-Noyadd, I see no good reason why it should be so. If it were to terminate at Pont Gwaynclawdd (which is about half a mile below Hen-Noyadd) it would answer the purpose of rail's-ways to the lime-stone, on one side of the river, and to coal and iron-stone, on the other, much better than it can do if carried to its extent, exclusive of a considerable saving in making the canal the last half mile.'

This was accepted and a canal tram road was built from Pont Gwaun-Clawdd Basin to the site of the previously proposed canal terminus at Hen-Neuadd Yard. The original intention may have been for Pont-yr-Yard to carry a branch canal from the terminal basin of the canal if it had been completed as intended in 1793.

The shape of the dock is complex, it resembles an indented triangle over 100m long with an average width of about 30m and a thumb-shaped arm extending north which followed an indentation in the hillside. This extension has been obliterated by dumped waste. The dock was served by a number of railways.

A small building, probably a smithy, was sited on the west side of the entrance, but this and the dock are very ruinous. The remains of a canal boat lie in the mud alongside the rubble wall of the north quay but all of this is now buried by the bus garage and yard that covers the area.

There was a dry dock (trapezoid in plan, some 62m x 28m) at the southwest end of the terminal dock which discharged into the River Tawe. Permission to build it was given in 18396 to the British Iron Company, who owned the adjacent ironworks. The dry dock has been filled in and is now part of a garden. In 1974 the dock was a flat marshy area with the base of a boat surviving against the rubble-stone north-eastern quay wall. In 2006 the basin area has been infilled with hardcore and forms a bus depot.

Dock at SN 8088 1257
Dry Dock at SN 8091 1254.

1. `Hereford Journal', 17 April 1793.
2. W.G.A.S., Q/DP 4.
3. W.G.A.S., Q/DP 3 and 5.
4. Canal Minutes, 4 July 1794.
5. Engineer's Report.
6. Canal Minutes, 3rd December 1839.

Stephen R. Hughes, 17.06.2007