Tennant Canal (Fabian Way)

Image: © vectorkraft Taken: 5 Dec 2011

Today, this is the start of the Tennant Canal as seen from Fabian Way. Prior to the 1960s and the building of Fabian Way, the canal continued into Swansea Docks, although this navigation had been marked as disused since the 1920s. Completed in 1824, the canal originally continued from this position in the photograph towards the eastern end of the Prince of Wales Dock - this being the original ‘Tennants Wharf’. A diversion was created c1905 to take the canal towards the newly built Kings Dock. By 1920, all freight operations on the canal had ceased and the lock into the Kings Dock had been blocked off. Despite this, the basic canal remained in fairly good condition until the late 1930s. After this period, the canal became less navigable and is from this point marked as 'Tennant Canal (disused)' on maps. Substantial decay of the route followed. By the 1950s the Kings Dock connection was filled in and by the 1960s the canal had receded as far as this position shown in the photograph above due to road construction. The condition of this canal (in 2011) improves as you travel towards Jersey Marine and Neath.

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