Swansea and Port Talbot Docks History

Old Dock Images

Early 19th century view of Swansea Town & Harbour

Entrance to Swansea Harbour 1830

Swansea Harbour 1851

View over the New Cut & North Dock, Swansea 1852

Schooner awaiting high water in Fabians Bay

Barque Mary Dugdale (left) in River Tawe 1845 (Calvert Richard Jones)

Barque Ellen Simpson on Swansea's West Pier 1845 (Calvert Richard Jones)

Barque Cobre in River Tawe 1845 (Calvert Richard Jones)

Corporation of Swansea's graving yard on the River Tawe

Fabians Bay & Port Tennant Copperworks 1873 (in background)

Extract from Illustrated London News 1880 regarding a visit to Swansea by the British Association for the Advancement of Science (thanks to Pat Smale)

A cropped section highlighting the new Prince of Wales Dock on the right-hand side. Note the extensive air pollution from the local metallurgical industries in the distance

An illustration of Swansea Docks viewed from south to north 1881

An illustration of Swansea Docks viewed from north to south 1881

Sailing ships leaving Swansea on an ebbing tide

Two ladies out for a stroll on Swansea's West Pier

Promenading on the West Pier, Swansea

Swansea's West Pier in the foreground with the East Pier in the distance

Two-masted topsail schooner leaving Swansea Docks

French brig L'Esperance heading out into Swansea Bay c.1895

View over the town & port of Swansea c.1895

Swansea pilot cutter Vivian being towed out to sea c.1895

Schooner in the South Dock discharging a cargo of timber to rail wagons

La Paimpolaise laid up behind the South Dock approach jetty awaiting repairs

Sailing ships loading coal at the South Dock coal hoists

s.s. Racine & Irish-owned barque Charles Bal in the Prince of Wales Dock

Royal Navy Amazon-class sloop in the Prince of Wales Dock c.1885

Windjammers in the Prince of Wales Dock waiting to load coal c.1890

s.s. Talbot on 21 Shed Wharf, South Dock c.1905

F Ley & Sons warehouse & wharf on the east bank of the River Tawe c.1920

Swansea Docks was taken over by the Great Western Railway in 1923

Great Western Railway advertising poster for Swansea Docks

Armstrong Whitworth 1½ ton hydraulic cranes on A Shed Wharf 1927

10 ton hydraulic cranes on No.4 Quay 1928

Kings Dock entrance lock 1932

Four-masted schooner James E Newsom in the South Dock 1937

Swansea's 60 ton floating crane 1943

Scherzer bridge over the channel between Kings Dock & Queens Dock c.1955



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