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©Cedwyn Davies
Dist:0.3km<br/>Site of the demolished Tir-John power station with Swansea Visteon plant and Crymlyn Burrows Incinerator plant in the background.
©Kevin Trahar
Dist:0.4km<br/>Ashlands Sports Centre is located at Wern Fawr Road, Port Tennant, Swansea, SA1 8LQ. This photograph was taken from the path that runs alongside the disused railway lines that headed towards Burrows Sidings. The sports centre and its pitches occupy the former 'Carbon Black' works operated by the now defunct United Carbon Black Ltd. The plant which opened in 1948 made 'Dixie and Kosmos grade' carbon black - substances used in the manufacture of tyres and other rubber products. A tar distillery was located next to the works until the 1970s. The Ecologist magazine (Vol 1 No 12 June 1971) documented just how Swansea's residents had suffered for 21 years as a result of the pollution caused by this plant. In 1970 the plant planned to increase production of its carbon black products by 35%, however by 1971 United Carbon Black Ltd was forced to spend money (£35,000 - 1971 prices) in order to improve air emissions as a result of a vigorous local pressure group (Box, S. 1983; The National Archives FD 9/1396) United Carbon Black Sales Limited was struck off from the companies register in 1979 (p2883, London Gazette 2nd March 1979). United Carbon Black Ltd became Ashland United Kingdom Chemical Ltd. The site was cleared in the 1980s. The walls before the sports centre date back to the original plant.
©vectorkraft
Dist:0.4km<br/>This is a view of the Tennant Canal as seen from the eastern extremity of Wern Fawr Road. The canal led into Swansea Docks until the 1950s (albeit marked as disused on maps); official canal freight operations ceased as early as 1920. The railway viaduct carried freight into Burrows Sidings until the late 1980s. There was a connection with the Marcroft Wagon Works just to the right of this position until the 1990s. The condition of this canal (in 2011) improves as you travel towards Jersey Marine and Neath.
©vectorkraft
Dist:0.4km<br/>Burrows Sidings (latterly Swansea Burrows Freight Yard) was a large yard of railway sidings that used to serve Swansea Docks. This originally formed part of the Swansea (Kings Dock) - Cwmgwrach line built by the Vale of Neath Railway. At its height, as many as 20-25 lines ran parallel in this yard (according to OS Map of 1919). Yard movements were controlled by Burrows Sidings Signal Box, the first being built in 1884, followed by a larger box built by the Great Western Railway in 1910. It controlled the running lines between Jersey Marine in the east and Swansea Eastern Coal Depot in the west. It also controlled movements towards the Swansea Docks complex where it passed trains to the control of Kings Dock Junction signal box located in the docks complex. The Burrows Sidings box was located immediately west of this building (or just to the right of this shot) Burrows Sidings signal box was demolished in 1990. Most of the sidings have been removed, although some rusty wagons still remain further east. The approach road from Fabian Way to the yard is behind this building. The yard was latterly operated by EWS.
©vectorkraft
Dist:0.4km<br/>The photograph shows the A483 Fabian Way carried on viaduct over the disused Kings Dock rail connection. This view looks south west from the now derelict Burrows Sidings towards the former Kings Dock Junction. This line originally formed part of the Swansea (Kings Dock) - Cwmgwrach line built by the Vale of Neath Railway. As recently as the 1950s four running lines left Burrows Sidings and headed towards Kings Dock Junction where a signal cabin controlled the multitude of freight operations. The box was located just beyond the grey metal gates in the centre-right distance. An additional line parted westwards from this viewpoint to serve the former Aluminium Wire & Cable (AWCO) works until the late 1970s. By the late 1970s this complex crossing point was down to two running lines, albeit with the same signal cabin. By the 1990s the AWCO line had disappeared, the dock lines were singled and the cabin demolished. Redevelopment beckons for this entire site.
©vectorkraft
Dist:0.5km<br/>Burrows Sidings (latterly Swansea Burrows Freight Yard) was a large yard of railway sidings that used to serve Swansea Docks. This originally formed part of the Swansea (Kings Dock) - Cwmgwrach line built by the Vale of Neath Railway. At its height, as many as 20-25 lines ran parallel in this yard (according to OS Map of 1919). Yard movements were controlled by Burrows Sidings Signal Box, the first being built in 1884, followed by a larger box built by the Great Western Railway in 1910. It controlled the running lines between Jersey Marine in the east and Swansea Eastern Coal Depot in the west. It also controlled movements towards the Swansea Docks complex where it passed trains to the control of Kings Dock Junction signal box located in the docks complex. The box was originally located just next to the red brick building in the left centre distance. Burrows Sidings signal box was demolished in 1990. The Kings Dock Junction box closed in 1987, dismantled shortly after. By the 1970s the four dock branch lines had become two - eventually becoming one by the 1990s). An additional line parted westwards from this viewpoint to serve the former Aluminium Wire & Cable (AWCO) works until the late 1970s. Substantial decay of the yard and its facilities followed during the 1990s. Most of the lines have been removed, although some rusty wagons still remain further east. Just in the right centre distance is the approach road from Fabian Way to the yard and its last remaining building. The yard was latterly operated by EWS.
©vectorkraft
Dist:0.5km<br/>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.
©vectorkraft
Dist:0.5km<br/>View westward, towards the (former) Riverside station: ex-GWR and Rhondda & Swansea Bay Railway; an industrial scene between the Docks and Kilvey Hill. The engine with brakevan is Collett '4200' 2-8-0T No. 5221 (built 5/24).
©Ben Brooksbank
Dist:0.5km<br/>These railway lines originally formed part of the Vale of Neath Railway dating back to the 19th Century. In the early 1980s, the access road shown was laid as a convenient access route to the former railway wagon repair works sited on Wern Fawr Road (Marcroft Wagon Works). The building of this road necessitated a new level crossing which had not existed previously. This road continues to be used by lorries heading for the Tir John landfill site. The lines were thought to be last used in the late 1980s (or very early 1990s) and originally led to Burrows Sidings to the east. A signal cabin was located just to the left of this view up until the 1950s. A 1917 OS Map shows there was an additional signal cabin just to the right of this view, although this had gone by the 1940s. This access road is unnamed, but runs from Fabian Way to Wern Fawr Road. A new estate of houses occupies the former wagon works.
©vectorkraft
Dist:0.5km<br/>The southern most part of Wern Terrace (originally named Vale of Neath Road until the 1970s) was originally partially covered by three separate railway viaducts carrying passenger and freight services operated by the Rhondda & Swansea Bay (RSBR) and Vale of Neath (VON) Railways. These lines were eventually taken over by the GWR. The area between the two viaduct abutments at road level was originally recessed allowing stepped access to the signal cabin that was sited between two sets of running lines. By the late 1980s only the former VON track was in use as part of the route serving Swansea Eastern Depot (Fabian Way). All viaducts had been removed by the late 1990s.
©vectorkraft
Dist:0.6km<br/>Photograph shows the rear yard of the former Vale of Neath Arms public house. This V-shaped building at 111 Fabian Way (SA1 8PA) closed to customers in the mid 1990s. At the time of visiting, there are plans to convert the building into flats. Prior to the 1950s, other commercial buildings were situated to the right of this yard. The rear wall of the yard originally backed onto railway viaducts that took freight lines over Wern Terrace. The level of the backyard represents the original level of the main road (ex-Vale of Neath Road) prior to the 1960s construction of artificially raised Fabian Way.
©vectorkraft
Dist:0.6km<br/>Photograph shows the former Vale of Neath Arms public house. This V-shaped building at 111 Fabian Way (SA1 8PA) closed to customers in the mid 1990s. At the time of visiting, there are plans to convert the building into flats. Originally, there were other commercial buildings to the right of this building forming a terrace. The Tennant Canal originally flowed just in front of this building. The level of the backyard represents the original level of the road (ex-Vale of Neath Road) prior to the 1960s construction of artificially raised Fabian Way.
©vectorkraft
Dist:0.6km<br/>This trig point is positioned inside the Fabian Way Park & Ride complex, next to Wern Fawr Road, just before the junction with Wern Terrace. This area used to contain coal and freight sidings for the GWR (Vale of Neath) and Rhondda & Swansea Bay railway companies. The last trains ran through this area during the 1990s. The area was cleared during 2001-2 in preparation for the Park & Ride service.
©vectorkraft
Dist:0.7km<br/>Apart from the striking tower, the plant is hardly visible from the dual carriageway just to the north. Only these emergency exits break the natural looking landscape and they face away from the road. The smell has been disguised too. All the air from within the plant is scrubbed on its way out and there is not a hint of the traditional sewage works odour.
©Nigel Davies

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