Swansea Docks is the collective name for severaldocks inSwansea,Wales, which are immediately south-east ofSwansea city centre. In the mid-19th century, the port was exporting 60% of the world'scopper from factories situated in theTawe Valley.[1] The working docks area today is owned and operated byAssociated British Ports as thePort of Swansea, and the northern part around the Prince of Wales Dock is undergoing re-development into a new urban area branded as theSA1 Swansea Waterfront.
An act to amend and render more effectual an act, made in the thirty-first year of his present Majesty, for repairing, enlarging, and preserving the harbour of Swansea, in the county of Glamorgan and for making improvements in the lights at the Mumbles.
An Act for amending and enlarging the Powers of Two Acts, passed for preserving the Harbour of Swansea in the County of Glamorgan, and for further improving the same.
An Act to alter and amend several Acts for the Improvement of the Harbour of Swansea in the County of Glamorgan, and for further improving the said Harbour.
An Act for the Conservancy and Improvement of Swansea Harbour, and for other Purposes, and of which the Short Title is "The Swansea Harbour Act, 1854."
An Act for the Transfer of the Docks of the Swansea Dock Company to the Swansea Harbour Trustees; and for authorizing those Trustees to make further Works, and raise further Moneys; and for other Purposes.
An Act to extend the Period limited by "The Swansea Harbour Act, 1859," for the Construction and Completion of the Works authorized by "The Swansea Harbour Act, 1854."
An Act to enable the Swansea Harbour Trustees to raise a further Sum of Money for the Purposes of their Undertaking; and to authorize a Lease or Leases of the Swansea Harbour Railway and certain Wharves in Swansea Harbour to the Vale of Neath Railway Company; and to authorize the laying down of additional Rails for the Narrow Gauge on that Railway.
An Act to enable the Swansea Harbour Trustees to construct additional Works, and to raise a further Sum of Money for the Purposes of their Undertaking; and for other Purposes.
An Act to enable the Swansea Harbour Trustees to complete and maintain additional Works, and to raise a further Sum of Money for the Purposes of their Undertaking; and for other Purposes.
An Act for extending the time limited by the Swansea Harbour Act, 1874, for the completion of the Docks, Railways, and Works by that Act authorised, and for enabling the Earl of Jersey to act as a Harbour Trustee.
An Act to extend the time limited by the Swansea Harbour Act 1874 for the completion of the Docks Railways and Works by that Act authorised; to enable the Swansea Harbour Trustees to raise a further sum of Money for the purposes of their Undertaking; and to annul a certain Agreement between the Swansea Harbour Trustees and the Corporation of Swansea.
An Act to enable the Swansea Harbour Trustees to construct and maintain additional Works and conveniences within Swansea Harbour; to raise further Money and to issue Stock; and for other purposes.
An Act to confirm a Provisional Order made by the Board of Trade under the Merchant Shipping Act Amendment Act, 1862, relating to the Pilotage District of Swansea.
An Act to authorise the Swansea Harbour Trustees to make a New Opening or Swing Bridge over the New Cut to construct a Lock or half-tide Basin and certain Railways Roads and Works to borrow further money and for other purposes.
An Act to authorise the Swansea Harbour Trustees to make a new entrance to the half-tide Basin of the Town Float to construct a Lock to form a new entrance to the half-tide Basin of the South Dock a Railway and other works to borrow further money and for other purposes.
An Act to authorise the Swansea Harbour Trustees to make a new dock enlarge and extend the half-tide basin of the South Dock and construct new railways to extend the limits of the harbour and for other purposes.
An Act to authorise the Swansea Harbour Trustees to further extend the West Pier of Swansea Harbour, and to construct a breakwater on the eastern side of the entrance channel of the said harbour, and for other purposes.
The North Dock was created to fulfil the increasing shipping demands from the nearby metals industry, and was created by diverting theRiver Tawe by cutting a new direct course within a meander section near the estuary. The old course of the river became the new dock and work was completed in 1852.[3] Secluded and poorly lit, the area around North Dock was popular with prostitutes and their clients, until lighting was improved following the drowning ofSelina Rushbrook in the lock in 1907.[4] The North Dock closed in 1930 after the development of new larger docks on the east side of the River Tawe made it obsolete. The north dock has since been filled in and theParc Tawe retail complex was built on the site in the late 1980s.
Construction of the South Dock was begun in 1852 by a private company. It was built on a site west of the River Tawe, just south of the North Dock and was not completed until 1859.[3] The South Dock was closed in 1971[3] and was redeveloped in the 1980s. The dock itself became theSwansea Marina and the land around the dock was developed as theMaritime Quarter residential area.
The Swansea Harbour Trust began constructing the Prince of Wales Dock in 1879 onFabian's Bay to the east of the River Tawe. When construction was completed, the Prince of Wales dock was opened on 18 October 1881 byEdward, Prince of Wales, and extended in 1898 to its present size of 27 acres (11 ha).[3][5] Usage of the dock declined throughout the latter half of the 20th century. The Prince of Wales Dock is now being redeveloped as the Prince of Wales Marina with 500 berths. A new channel withsea lock andholding basin was built to link the marina directly with theRiver Tawe.[6] A cable-operatedwakeboarding facility opened in the Prince of Wales Dock in 2010, but was short-lived. The dock is the site of the swim section of the annual Swansea Triathlon.[7]
Work began on the King's Dock in 1905 to meet the growing demand oftinplate exports from the local area. The King's Dock was constructed as a much larger dock than the Prince of Wales on the south side of the Prince of Wales Dock and covers some 72 acres (29 ha).[8] Construction was complete by 1909.[3] The King's Dock is the principal dock in the Port of Swansea which is still in use today for cargo operations.
At the same time as the King's Dock was being built, a breakwater was constructed further south which enclosed a large body of water, some 151 acres (61 ha).[8] This body of water was opened in 1920 as the Queen's Dock after oil handling facilities were built to handle imports for the nearbyBP oil refinery atLlandarcy and petrochemical plant atBaglan Bay.[2][3] Usage of the Queen's Dock reached its peak in the 1950s when oil imports and exports were around 8 million tonnes per year. Since the closure of the plants at Baglan Bay and Llandarcy, the Queen's Dock was rendered obsolete as an oil handling facility and is now used formusselfarming.[9]
Due to increases in industrial output and in trade in copper, zinc, iron and tinplate combined with the developments in shipping (big steamships were replacing smaller sailing vessels) by the late 19th century, Swansea's harbour was in desperate need of expansion. The Swansea Harbour Trust (SHT) commissioned the construction of thePrince of Wales Dock, the first on the east side of the river. Opened in 1881 by the Prince and Princess of Wales (laterEdward VII andQueen Alexandra), it was completed in 1882 and expanded in 1898. The North Quay frontage was let to theGreat Western Railway, theNeath and Brecon Railway and theRhondda and Swansea Bay Railway, which linked theDulais Valley andRhondda Valley coalfields directly with the docks.[10] In addition to shunting locomotives operated by the SHT, further engines were provided byPowlesland and Mason from 1903 onwards.
ThePort of Swansea is anAtlantic shipping port operated byAssociated British Ports which comprises the King's Dock, Queen's Dock, two dry docks and a roll-on/roll-off ferry terminal in the River Tawe.[11]
There is a roll-on/roll-offferry terminal in the western part of the docks. Between 1987 and 2006,Swansea Cork Ferries operated a regular passenger and car ferry toRingaskiddy inCounty Cork, Ireland. The service was suspended from 2007.[14] A website and online campaign was started in an attempt to highlight the effect that the loss of the ferry was having on Swansea and the South-West of Ireland.[15] In April 2009, a newly formed co-operative using theFastnet Line brand purchasedMVJulia to provide a service between Swansea and County Cork. Sailings commenced on 10 March 2010[16] but ceased as unviable in November 2011, in part owing to increased fuel costs.[17]
