A concrete post installed by Richard Costain in 1971 showing a red light. This structure replaced two earlier structures.

Event and Historical Information:
The first harbour lights at the mouth of River Tawe were established in 1792 when a lamp was erected on a post to mark the proposed new pierhead. This was known as the `Lanthorn [i.e. lantern] Beacon'. In 1803 a lighthouse, designed by William Jernegan, was established on the head of the finished pier. This was a vertical octagonal tower made of iron cast at Neath Abbey. It stood on a stone plinth and was 6.1m (20ft) in height. It had a smaller octagonal lantern, consisting completely of rectangular panes with thick vertical glazing-bars (the lantern had no lower cast-iron walling), crowned by a domed top with a prominent ventilating pipe. In 1810 it was lit by candle and in 1845 by oil. Its elevation above high-water was 8.53m (28ft).It shared many of the characteristics of the other harbour lights. In 1845 it was recorded that the harbour light at Swansea was only kept lighted while there was 2.44m (8ft) of water at the piers. No dues were ever collected for this light which was maintained at the expense of the Harbour Trustees. The light then had three burners and cost £146 14s 6d to maintain in 1843; £95 16s in 1844; and £91 19s 2d in 1845. In 1878, the old structure was moved to the end of the extended wooden pier built by James Abernethy, when the structure had a height of 7.01m (23ft) and an elevation above the sea of 10.67m (35ft). However, in 1909, the pier was again extended in wood by P W Meik and a new lighthouse fitted. This second west harbour light consisted of a square wooden trellis surmounted by a wooden platform on which stood an octagonal iron lantern with a lower iron wall and vertical light windows. There was a fully domed top with a large ball finial. The pier was remodelled in 1971 and this was structure removed.

Sources:
Hague, D, 1994, Lighthouses of Wales: Their Architecture and Archaeology, pg49-52
Swansea Museum (RISW), drawings and photographs collection, No. 371
Jones, W H, 1922, History of the Port of Swansea
Report of the Select Committee on Lighthouses, Appendix No. 65, p.657.

Maritime Officer, RCAHMW, June 2009.